Division of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures

The Division of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures includes several academic units: the departments of Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures, French and Italian, German, Linguistics, and Spanish and Portuguese, and the programs in American Sign Language, English as a Second Language, International Studies, Latin American Studies, Second Language Acquisition, and Translation. In addition to providing administrative leadership for all of its units, the division fosters interdisciplinary scholarship in languages, literatures, and cultures. It encourages synergy and collaboration among its faculty and enhances opportunities for cross-cultural course development and research.

Undergraduate and graduate programs in the division serve students with varied interests and career aspirations. Students are educated to become global citizens who understand and are understood by diverse populations. They are trained to be critical thinkers and problem solvers who are also capable scholars, lucid writers, and proficient speakers.

The division offers instruction in numerous fields related to language, literature, and culture.

The Division of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures also serves as the administrative home for International Studies, Latin American Studies, Second Language Acquisition, and Translation.

Globes of the world on a table.

The Department of Linguistics provides scientific study of familiar languages, as well as less well-known languages. The division's Second Language Acquisition Program brings multidisciplinary resources together to examine the processes that underlie non-native-language learning. The Translation programs of study explore the literary, cultural, and historical contexts of work and their linguistic, aesthetic, and ideological dimensions while it builds skills for translating works from one language to another.