The Language Program at SPU

The department of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics encompasses the academic discipline of foreign language

acquisition and its application to the serious study of culture and literature. Currently at SPU there is a focus on four spoken languages: French, German, Russian, and Spanish, two ancient languages, Latin and Classical Greek, and Linguistics. There are four departmental degree programs: European Studies, Latin American Studies/Spanish, Linguistics and Cultural Studies, and a student-designed program in Classics.

The student-designed majors must be constructed in close cooperation with appropriate faculty. All programs emphasize the unique relationship between culture and language. Acquisition of analytical skills, familiarity with important works of literature from several languages and the culture they express, deeper understanding of communication patterns, and improved writing skills are all addressed in departmental courses.