diff --git a/lms/templates/course.html b/lms/templates/course.html
index 295101da82..884e08b816 100644
--- a/lms/templates/course.html
+++ b/lms/templates/course.html
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ from six import text_type
       % if course.advertised_start is not None:
           <div class="course-date" aria-hidden="true">${_("Starts")}: ${course.advertised_start}</div>
       % else:
-          <div class="course-date localized_datetime" aria-hidden="true" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}" data-string="${_("Starts: {date}")}"></div>
+          <div class="course-date localized_datetime" aria-hidden="true" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}" data-language="${LANGUAGE_CODE}" data-string="${_("Starts: {date}")}"></div>
       % endif
     </div>
     <div class="sr">
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ from six import text_type
         % if course.advertised_start is not None:
             <li>${_("Starts")}: <time itemprop="startDate">${course.advertised_start}</time></li>
         % else:
-            <li>${_("Starts")}: <time class="localized_datetime" itemprop="startDate" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}"></time></li>
+            <li>${_("Starts")}: <time class="localized_datetime" itemprop="startDate" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}" data-language="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"></time></li>
         % endif
       </ul>
     </div>
diff --git a/lms/templates/courseware/course_about.html b/lms/templates/courseware/course_about.html
index e33fd0f034..117eb0a6a0 100644
--- a/lms/templates/courseware/course_about.html
+++ b/lms/templates/courseware/course_about.html
@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ from six import string_types
                   <%
                      course_date_string = course_start_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z')
                   %>
-                  <span class="important-dates-item-text start-date localized_datetime" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}"></span>
+                  <span class="important-dates-item-text start-date localized_datetime" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}" data-language="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"></span>
               % endif
             </li>
           % endif
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ from six import string_types
                     <%
                         course_date_string = course_end_date.strftime('%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z')
                     %>
-                    <span class="important-dates-item-text final-date localized_datetime" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}"></span>
+                    <span class="important-dates-item-text final-date localized_datetime" data-format="shortDate" data-datetime="${course_date_string}" data-language="${LANGUAGE_CODE}"></span>
                   % endif
             </li>
             % endif