World Languages and Cultures (FL–)

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The Department of World Languages and Cultures offers major programs leading to the B.A. degree in World Languages and Cultures with emphases in French and Francophone Studies, German Studies, or Spanish and Hispanic Studies. Majors may gain licensure to teach at the secondary level in French, German, and/or Spanish.

The department offers a minor in World Languages and Cultures with options in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. The department also participates in the interdisciplinary minors in classical studies, comparative literature, Latino/Latin American studies, linguistics, Southeast Asian studies, and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies, and offers FLFR 371, Masterpieces of French Literature in Translation, FLIT 272, The Italian Renaissance, and FLRU 361, Russian Culture and Literature for general education in the Knowledge Domain “Creativity and Critical Analysis”. FLRU 361 is a part of the “Origins and Influences” Pathway.

Department Regulations

Students with high school credit in French, German, or Spanish who wish to continue in that language must gain placement into the appropriate course in the desired sequence by taking the foreign language placement examination. On the basis of this examination, the student must begin the chosen language sequence in the course indicated by the placement examination, disregarding that course’s prerequisites. For example, a student gaining placement into FLFR 201 does not have to complete FLFR 101 or FLFR 102. Students with high school credit in one of the other languages offered by the department for which no placement test is available should see a Department of World Languages and Cultures advisor. Transfer students with college-level credit in a foreign language who wish to continue in that language should register for the course that follows the highest level course for which transfer credit has been granted. Prerequisites must be followed in all other cases.

With the consent of the department, native speakers of Spanish may substitute FLSP 215 for any and all levels of FLSP 101 through FLSP 202, as well as for FLSP 211.

For information on foreign language placement, see “Credit by Examination” section in the undergraduate catalog.

Majors in the Department of World Languages and Cultures

Students majoring in one foreign language may complete a second major emphasis in another language.

Majors in the Department of World Languages and Cultures may complete minors in languages other than the language of their major emphasis.

Recommendation for Foreign Language Majors

Majors with an emphasis in French and Francophone Studies, German Studies, or Spanish and Hispanic Studies are urged to spend a minimum of one semester in study abroad.

Minors in World Languages and Cultures

World Language and Culture majors may complete minors in languages other than that of their emphasis.

World Languages and Cultures Faculty

John R. Bentley, Ph.D., University of Hawai’i, professor, chair
Shannon Becker, Ph.D., Purdue University, assistant professor
Dennis E. Brain, Ph.D., University of Texas, associate professor
Jessamine Cooke-Plagwitz, Ph.D., Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, associate professor
Mandy Faretta-Stutenberg, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Chicago, assistant professor
Frances Jaeger, Ph.D., University of Illinois, associate professor
Joanna Kot, Ph.D., University of Chicago, professor
Karen Lichtman, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, associate professor
Linda K. Saborío, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, associate professor
Matthew B. Smith, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, assistant professor
Francisco Solares-Larrave, Ph.D., University of Illinois, associate professor
Tharaphi Than, Ph.D., University of London, associate professor
Kanjana H. Thepboriruk, Ph.D., University of Hawaiʻi, assistant professor
Stephen Vilaseca, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, associate professor
Laura Vilardell, Ph.D., University of Vic, Spain, assistant professor

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