At Indiana University, you have the opportunity to study six different levels of BCS:
- SLAV-S 101: Elementary I
- SLAV-S 102: Elementary II
- SLAV-S 201: Intermediate I
- SLAV-S 202: Intermediate II
- SLAV-S 301: Advanced I
- SLAV-S 302: Advanced II
Immerse yourself in an enjoyable and interactive language learning experience by enrolling today! If you have prior knowledge or speak BCS at home but haven't formally studied its grammar, you can opt for a placement exam. For any inquiries regarding the language, feel free to reach out directly to our language lecturer, Teuta Ozcelik, at tismaili@iu.edu.
The Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS) language courses cover four of the seven primary languages spoken in these countries: Bosnian, Croatian, Montenegrin, and Serbian. The remaining three languages are Albanian, spoken in Kosova; Macedonian, spoken in North Macedonia; and Slovenian, spoken in Slovenia. Courses in our department examine the cultures of all of these regions.
Before the break-up of Yugoslavia, BCS was typically known as Serbo-Croatian or Croato-Serbian. When the new countries formed, the language came to be known as Croatian in Croatia, Serbian in Serbia, Montenegrin in Montenegro, and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This language is written in two alphabets, Latin and Cyrillic.
Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian is spoken by 19 million people worldwide, including many U.S. immigrants. Significant diasporic communities can be found in Chicago, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and elsewhere.
Students' Testimonials
"Throughout my time in the Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian course, I have dramatically improved my language proficiency while continuing to embrace my heritage. My mother is originally from Serbia, and I grew up speaking the language. However, over time, I started to forget certain words and conjugations as I was almost exclusively speaking English in my day-to-day life. After I learned about and enrolled in the course, I felt a dramatic improvement in my language skills that was noticed by other native speakers as well. I am tremendously grateful for this outstanding program and the opportunities it provides."
Aleksandar Schroeder
Investment Banking Workshop Program Manager '24
"Having the ability to take Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian at Indiana University has positively impacted my life in many ways. I have been able to deepen my connections to Croatia and engage in more conversations with my family, as they are from Croatia, while learning more about the country itself. Learning Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian has allowed me to understand the importance of carrying on speaking Croatian in the United States and how helpful it will be to know Croatian when I visit Croatia in the future. Knowing Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian will also help me communicate professionally with patients, as I am studying nursing. Overall, this class has taught me how to communicate, write, and speak Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian and is a class I look forward to every day."
Breionna Protega
B.S.N.
"By studying Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian at IU, I'm able to enter the rich world of South Slavic literature and culture. Many works of BCS literature remain untranslated, and many key culture movements remain under-researched. Language study is the key to unlocking vast possibilities for scholarship while connecting with a community at IU who shares enthusiasm for this culture and language."
Dorotea Sotirovska
IU Slavic Graduate Student
The College of Arts