Academic Programs

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures offers students and the community a broad range of educational courses and programs that help develop foreign language competence, a global perspective, and an understanding of foreign cultures both ancient and modern.

The department’s mission is to ensure that all graduates with a B.A. have sufficient knowledge of a modern foreign language to build fluency in that language when future personal or professional needs require it; prepare language majors for success as professionals in language-related career fields; enhance the education of non-language majors by providing them foreign language skills that complement their chosen major; teach understanding and appreciation of foreign cultures and provide basic knowledge about the literature, culture, and intellectual achievements of countries other than the U.S.; play a leading role in internationalizing the college curriculum; provide opportunities for language and cultural study abroad; support cross-listed courses for the departments of English and history as part of their major requirements, and the General Education program with courses for the Cluster Two requirements. The department also plays an important role in the university interdisciplinary minors by offering courses for Russian studies, Latin American studies, world literature and classical studies.

• Be familiar with a variety of linguistic principles in both the target language and their own.
• Understand the major literary movements of the target culture and be familiar with selected major literary texts of the target culture.
• Be familiar with the great ideas of humanity and of Western civilization in particular, especially as they have originated in or influenced the target culture.
• Understand the institutions and history of the target culture.
• Understand similarities and differences between the target culture and their own.

• Demonstrate reading, writing, listening and speaking skills in both English and the target language.
• Think critically, analytically and objectively.
• Make and formulate informed aesthetic and linguistic judgments.
• Research a topic thoroughly using both traditional and online sources.
• Use computers effectively for a variety of purposes, from word processors and spell checkers in the target language to terminological data bases and machine-aided translation tools.

• Ponder what it means to be human in response to literary and cultural studies.
• Engage great texts and great ideas.
• Realize what it is like to be a foreigner with incomplete cultural and linguistic competence.
• See the world through the filter of another language and culture.
• Realize that every language is an imperfect vehicle, riddled with traps and ambiguities.

• Embrace life-long learning.
• Approach issues from interdisciplinary, global and historical perspectives.
• Respect diversity among cultures and within any given culture.
• Respect the opinions and beliefs of other people – and other peoples – while defining and advancing their own.
• Recognize the contingent nature of knowledge.

• Offer a minor and a major in a specific language.
• Strongly recommend a second major and/or minor in another discipline.
• Offer advanced courses for interdisciplinary programs.
• Offer basic courses required for Bachelor of Arts candidates.
• Organize and participate in Honors courses.
• Provide General Education courses in Cluster Two and reinforce Cluster One goals in all courses.

• Meet the ever-evolving needs of the students.
• Develop innovative teaching techniques, courses and programs while preserving a traditional core.
• Engage consistently in scholarship.
• Provide dutiful service to the college, the university and the profession.
• Be a role model for students as educators and as human beings.

• To have a knowledge of critical thinking methods and to be able to apply these.
• To have had an introduction to computers that includes word processing as well as working with software devoted to grammar exercises, vocabulary development, literature and culture.
• Respect diversity among cultures and within any given culture.
• To have developed an appreciation and affective feel for other cultures, not just an intellectual perspective.

• Teach students to understand and speak a language with facility.
• Develop skills in reading and writing.
• Provide an acquaintance with foreign literatures.
• Develop an appreciation of foreign cultures.
• Prepare students for professions in education, government work, international trade or for research leading to advanced degrees.

• Banking
• Criminal Justice
• Education
• Foreign Service
• Import/Export
• Law
• Management
• Marketing
• Medicine
• Ministry
• Museum work
• Public Relations
• Social work
• Translation

• Le Cercle Francophone
• Dobro Slovo
• German Club
• Il Circolo Culturale Italiano
• Phi Sigma Iota
• Russian Club
• El Club de Espanol
• Sigma Delta Pi

The minimum requirement for a major in languages is 33 upper-division credit hours in a specific language. However, students pursuing a second major in an unrelated field or whose choice of language makes it impossible to meet that requirement may seek substitutions and/or waivers from the department head.

• taking a double major
• taking an education minor

In addition to the general education and academic major requirements, foreign language majors desiring secondary teacher licensure must complete the undergraduate education minor and the Master of Arts in Teaching degree offered in Education Programs. For a full description of the programs in education, refer to the College of Education.

Students who have taken one year or less of a language in high school or who want to start a new language may enroll in level 101 of that language for credit. Student who have taken two or more years of a language in high school (10th, 11th or 12th grade) are not permitted to enroll in levels 101, 102 or 111 of that language for credit.

Students with two or more years of a foreign language in high school must take the department placement exam. This exam is given in Keezell 103 during the posted hours. Tests for French, German and Spanish are available online at http://www.jmu.edu/forlang/flpe.htm. Tests for Italian and Russian must be taken in Keezell 103.

Students that place into the 300 level of a language must enroll at that level. Students that place into the 109 level for Spanish or French only, must obtain a permission number from the main office in Keezell 301 in order to register.