Department Chair: Peter Sinclair, Ph.D.
The Department of Languages and Literature is oriented toward developing students’ linguistic abilities as well as providing a broad knowledge of foreign cultures and literatures. Communicative competence and oral proficiency are stressed in language classes, but all skill areas (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) are developed. Multimedia tools (DVDs, CDs, internet sources) are integral to the methodology. The program also provides offerings in literature (including comparative literature and literature in translation), culture and civilization, linguistics, history, and film. Students are trained to think critically about foreign languages and cultures. Courses incorporate textual and linguistic analysis, as well as the examination of the social, cultural, and historical context of the given country or countries.
