Lingua Franca

“We are the World…”: Department Changes Name!

by Elizabeth Blood, Chair

As chair of the Foreign Languages department at Salem State University, I want to share some news about exciting changes in our department. Effective September 1^st of 2013, we will officially be renamed the World Languages and Cultures department, and we will be expanding our programs and language offerings.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, the department expanded its language offerings to include seven languages: Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish. We have also recently expanded our minor programs to include minors in Arabic Studies, French, Italian, Spanish, or World Languages (a combination of any two languages offered in the department).

Best of all, beginning in Fall 2013, we will launch a new Bachelor of Arts in World Languages and Cultures. Students can still specialize in Spanish, including our popular teacher licensure tracks for Spanish elementary and secondary education, but the new major also includes concentration options in either French or Italian. We aim to prepare students for careers in the private sector, government, education, or nonprofit organizations where language skills, cross-cultural awareness and critical thinking are valued assets. Our programs include a range of courses in language, culture and literature. All concentrations require an internship course, as well as a senior thesis project on a topic of the student’s choosing. Study abroad for a summer, semester or an academic year is strongly encouraged for all majors and minors. The Department sponsors summer study abroad programs in Canada, Italy, Spain and Costa Rica, and we are in the process of creating a summer program in Berlin, Germany. Study in other countries is also available through the Center for International Education.

We also encourage students to apply for post-baccalaureate fellowships to teach English abroad. Fellowships are available in France, Italy, and Spain and are funded by the governments of those offices. Next year, we will send three students to Italy and one to France on fully funded Teaching Assistantships!

Our transformation is not complete, though, as we continue to explore new programs and new languages. Look for more courses in Translation Studies in the future, as we continue to grow our department.