Languages & Cultures

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The Department of Languages and Cultures is a vital and active presence in the College of Arts and Humanities at West Chester University and in the surrounding area. The name of the department conveys the range of research and instruction that exists at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and reflects the breadth and nature of our activities. Our faculty teach a wide array of languages: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.

At the undergraduate level, we offer a Bachelor of Arts in Languages and Cultures (BALC) in French, German, Russian and Spanish, with a mandatory Immersion Experience. Our students can easily double major in two languages, or complete K-12 Teaching Certification. The Department also offers Graduate Programs: a Master of Arts in Languages and Cultures (MALC) in French, German or Spanish; and a Master in TESOL.

Language minors can be pursued in ASL, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. We also encourage language majors to enroll in the interdisciplinary minors in Deaf Studies, Latin American and Latino/a Studies, and Linguistics.

For more information on the many successful careers our recent language graduates have pursued, visit our new Alumni Profiles page.

Active Student Language Clubs host varied events (films, dinners, game nights, talks) and travel to nearby cities for theater, opera, museums, parades, markets, etc. Our students can also become members of three Honorary Societies: Alpha Mu Gamma (The National Collegiate Foreign Language Honor Society), Sigma Delta Pi (The National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society), and Pi Delta Phi (The French National Honor Society).

Our classes are innovative, featuring student-centered study of culture, history, literature and language, often using video, computer software, and internet-based activities. Some of our courses at the undergraduate and graduate level are offered as distance ed. Coursework also provides opportunities for service-based learning and community outreach activities that promote real-world use of language skills.

Our faculty include dedicated professors and instructors, talented scholars who enjoy state, national and worldwide recognition. They pursue their research to the far corners of the earth and bring it back to the students in their courses.

Our students are equally adventuresome, and many of our majors and minors study abroad, in Europe, Asia, Central and South America. Information on available programs may be found on the individual language program pages, as well as the study abroad section; consult also our information and forms for scholarship awards for study abroad. Some scholarships offer up to $3,000 to help cover your study abroad costs.

Our undergraduate and graduate program graduates pursue many careers using these languages, including teaching at all levels, law, international relations, the travel industry, marketing, and services in a wide variety of regional and national companies. Our graduates bring to the job high quality professional training and multicultural perspectives on the world. We offer an Internship program at both the undergraduate and graduate levels (LAN 425 and LAN 525, for 3-12 credits), for on the job language experience.

Students wishing to study any languages offered in our language program should take a Placement Test in our Language Learning Center (Mitchell Hall, Room 006A - basement). The Placement test is taken for the express purpose of indicating the level at which a student should being study of the language. Students do not receive university credit for any language course they place out of on the placement test. Credit for such lower level courses may be obtained by taking the CLEP exam, or through registering as Credit by Exam (CBE) for a course BEFORE enrolling in a higher level course. Please, consult your advisor and/or at the Department's office. Minors and majors in a language must still complete the number of courses required by the department (usually: 18 credits -6 courses- in the minor, and 30 credits -10 courses- in the major).