Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures


 


Telephone: (302) 831-2591
Department Website: http://www.dllc.udel.edu/
Faculty Listing: https://www.dllc.udel.edu/people/faculty

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures advances our students’ language proficiency, cultural competence, and international experience, preparing them for careers that require global perspectives and language expertise. Our graduates excel at communication, collaboration, research and bridging cultural divides, and go into a variety of fields including education, business, travel and tourism, fashion, policy, and journalism. Recent graduates have been accepted to top graduate programs in literature, law, and other fields.

Modern Languages. We offer majors in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, Spanish with Intensive Portuguese, Three Languages, and Foreign Language Education. In addition, the Department co-sponsors joint majors in Linguistics/French, Political Science/French, German, or Spanish. Honors Degree programs are also available for the above majors. Minors are offered in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. Interdisciplinary minors offered through our department include Game Studies and Spanish for Healthcare.

The beginning and intermediate (100 and 200) levels focus on intensive skill-building in reading, writing, grammar, and conversation. We offer several winter and summer study abroad programs designed for beginning and early intermediate language learners.

Advanced undergraduate courses (300- and 400-level) reflect our faculty’s broad range of research and engagement in literary and cultural studies, film and media studies, and advanced language. These courses develop critical skills in analysis, interpretation, and presentation. Students continue to build linguistic proficiency through study and discussion of important issues, artifacts, and texts that represent the history, arts, and cultures of countries around the world.

All majors and minors are encouraged to spend at least one semester, one winter session, or one summer of study in a language program abroad. Many of our students complete programs in multiple countries. Scholarships are available for study abroad.

Ancient Languages. The BA in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies offers opportunities to study various aspects of ancient Greece and Rome and their wide-reaching effects in the modern world. In conjunction with studying the ancient Greek and Latin languages, students explore virtually every facet of life and thought in antiquity. In doing so, students develop the marketable critical thinking and communication skills that employers regularly seek. The AGRS degree is therefore interdisciplinary, adaptable to students’ interests, and provides a firm foundation for a number of future career paths. A minor and Honors Degree program are also offered.

Three Languages. The Three Language major is unique to UD. It is a 49-credit major for students with a passion for language and travel. Students with an interest in this major should meet with the Three Languages major adviser in their first or (for World Scholars) second semester to plan their coursework and study abroad.

Language Teacher Education. The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures administers the BA program in Language Education leading to certification for teaching French, German, Italian, Latin (including a concentration in Classics), and Spanish for grades K-12. Students pursuing teaching certification are required to study in a country where their target language is spoken.

For admission to the Language Education major, students will declare a major with “an interest in Education” in the target language. Upon completion of at least two 300-level courses, students apply to the Program Coordinator for admission to the Language Education major. The requirements for admission are as follows:

  • Letter of application
  • A minimum GPA of 3.00 overall
  • A score of Intermediate High or higher on the OPI (for modern languages) or a score of Intermediate 4 or higher on the ACTFL Latin Interpretive Reading Assessment (ALIRA) for Latin.

Admitted students will work towards a proficiency level of Advanced Low, which is one of the prerequisites to placement in student teaching.

Dual majors. We offer dual majors in French/Political Science (BA)  , German/Political Science (BA) , or Spanish/Political Science (BA)  .

Placement and Duplicate Credit

As a general rule, students with two years or less of high school foreign language or the equivalent will be placed at the 105 level, students with three years will be placed at the 106 level, and students with four years or more will be placed at the 107 level. Exceptions to this rule can be made only upon the recommendation of the Language Placement Advisor.  Click here for detailed information on placement, transfer credit, and AP/IB credit.

Credit by Examination: Students may receive up to six credits by examination for language courses at the 200-level and above, including but not exceeding one “conversation” class. Native speakers may not receive credit for courses in conversation.

Waivers or Substitutions: Requests for waivers or substitutions for language major or minor requirements should be addressed to the faculty adviser in the target language.

Study Abroad

We offer winter and summer programs for beginning students of language in Spain, Latin America, France, Martinique, Germany, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, and other sites. Intermediate language students may participate in winter and/or summer session programs in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Martinique, Panama, Spain, or Morocco.

For advanced language students, we offer full semester programs in Paris, Granada, Buenos Aires, Salzburg, Rome, and Akita, Japan. Students of Chinese may apply for a year of study at a Chinese university, fully funded by the Confucius institute.

All Language Education students must participate in a Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures-sponsored study abroad program in a country where their language is spoken, preferably a semester-long program. Students majoring in French studies, German studies, Italian studies, and Spanish studies are expected to spend a semester abroad, and minors are strongly encouraged to do so.

Please consult the main office of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures for further details on all programs.

Residency Requirement

At least 15 hours of courses acceptable for credit in the major language and literature, including at least six credits at the 400-level, must be taken on campus or as part of a semester abroad program sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. In the case of the Three Languages major, at least 12 of the hours must be taken in Language One on campus or as part of a semester abroad program sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

Language Certificate Program

The Language Certificate Program and the Honors Language Certificate Program are intended to enhance the international dimension of the baccalaureate program for students in majors other than foreign languages by providing them with some first-hand knowledge of a foreign language and a foreign culture. Students may not pursue a certificate for a language in which they are a major or minor.

To earn a degree with a Language Certificate in Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish, a student is required to complete a designated sequence of four courses at the 200 and 300-levels with no grade below a C. This is accomplished through a combination of two courses taken during DLLC study dbroad sessions in Tunisia, Brazil, China, France, Martinique, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, or Latin America, and two courses taken on the Delaware campus.

To earn a degree with an Honors Language Certificate a qualified student must take all four of these courses for Honors credit, complete the designated sequence with no grade below a B-, and achieve a 3.000 cumulative grade index by the time of completion of the course requirements.

The Honors Language Certificate can be earned in addition to other kinds of Honors Certificates. Honors courses taken in the sequence leading to the Honors Language Certificate can also be applied toward those required for other forms of Honors recognition.

Global and Area Studies

Language majors and minors combine well with programs in global and area studies, including African Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies, Global Studies, Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, and Latin American & Iberian Studies.

 

Comparative Literature Program

Coordinator: Professor Deborah Steinberger
Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Telephone: (302) 831-2044
E-mail: steind@udel.edu

Both an undergraduate major and minor in Comparative Literature are available. The aim of the program in comparative literature is to allow students to study literature and film in an international and intercultural relationship, across boundaries of nation and language. Comparative literature embraces the study of literary themes, forms, movements and relations, as well as the interrelations of literature and other disciplines. The program offers the student the opportunity, with the aid of an advisor, to construct a program reflecting individual areas of interest.

Students majoring or minoring in comparative literature must have a command of at least one foreign language at the advanced elective level. It is strongly recommended that majors pursue a second foreign language at least through the intermediate level. Majors are expected to make use of their command of foreign languages in comparative literature courses.

In addition to the courses designed specifically for students specializing in comparative literature, the program offers a number of courses in cooperation with other departments (English, Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Anthropology, Philosophy, etc.).

Programs

    MajorHonors DegreeMinor4+1Certificate