World language study should be an integral part of an academic program for most students. The theoretical understanding of and practical experience in language underlie many intellectual disciplines that try to meet the complex problems of contemporary society. Courses offered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures are designed to develop students' understanding of a second culture through the language spoken by that culture.

Upon the completion of their program of studies in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, majors with a concentration in French, German, or Spanish will demonstrate proficiency in five goal areas: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Students will be able to: • use their concentration language to present and interpret information and to communicate both orally and in writing; • demonstrate an understanding of the relationships among the products, practices, and perspectives of the culture(s) in which their concentration language is spoken; • demonstrate their ability to acquire information and further their knowledge through their concentration language; • demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language and the concept of culture by making comparisons with their own language and culture(s); and • demonstrate a desire to become a life-long learner of their concentration language.

Graduates will achieve both linguistic proficiency and cultural literacy through the study of the language and culture of their program. Linguistic proficiency entails the ability to function effectively in the target language and the ability to communicate competently with native speakers of the target language. Students of Latin and Ancient Greek demonstrate proficiency by becoming able to read the languages and to translate from these languages into clear and idiomatic English. Cultural literacy includes a general knowledge of the culture's history, familiarity with its literature, and basic knowledge of its social and political institutions.