Foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics

Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services: Applied Linguistics; Comparative Literature; Foreign Languages and Literatures, General; Language Interpretation and Translation; Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other; Linguistics

African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Chinese Language and Literature; East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General; East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other; Japanese Language and Literature; Korean Language and Literature

Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures; Czech Language and Literature; Polish Language and Literature; Russian Language and Literature; Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Danish Language and Literature; Dutch/Flemish Language and Literature; German Language and Literature; Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General; Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other; Norwegian Language and Literature; Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; Swedish Language and Literature

Modern Greek Language and Literature: Modern Greek Language and Literature

South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Hindi Language and Literature; Sanskrit and Classical Indian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General

Iranian/Persian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Iranian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: French Language and Literature; Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General; Italian Language and Literature; Portuguese Language and Literature; Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General; Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other; Spanish Language and Literature

American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; Arabic Language and Literature; Hebrew Language and Literature; Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General; Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature; Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General; Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other; Latin Language and Literature

Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Southeast Asian and Australasian/Pacific Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Australian/Oceanic/Pacific Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; Filipino/Tagalog Language and Literature; Indonesian/Malay Languages and Literatures; Vietnamese Language and Literature

Turkic, Uralic-Altaic, Caucasian, and Central Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: Turkish Language and Literature; Uralic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

American Sign Language: American Sign Language (ASL); American Sign Language, Other; Linguistics of ASL and Other Sign Languages; Sign Language Interpretation and Translation

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other: Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other

Foreign languages

Description

Foreign language is a generic term for a study relating to the mastery of one or more languages other than English or to the study of a culture through examining the literature of that culture in its vernacular. Nearly every college offering a baccalaureate program provides a major field in foreign language study. The most commonly offered languages include French, Spanish, Italian, Latin and German; other languages may be offered as special major options or as dual majors allied to one of the four mentioned above. Additional languages offered may include Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Portuguese, and Hebrew.

Plan of study

The plan of study emphasizes the spoken word, with intensive language labs, the literature of the language, from ancient times to the present, and the history and culture of the country and its people. Some may include study abroad or an independent study option. A careful review of college catalogs is mandatory for this major; colleges vary widely in the strength of their foreign language programs and students seeking careers that demand superior language ability must compare programs diligently.

Expect to take

Introductory, intermediate, and advanced language courses with lab, history, literature, and culture of the subject country; seminars; study abroad.

Suggested high school subjects

Advanced English, advanced social studies, advanced foreign language (more than one recommended), computer literacy.

General interest areas

Speaking, writing, translating, teaching, interpreting.

Some career possibilities

College professor
Lecturer
Diplomat
Military officer
Editor
Publications translator
Foreign service officer
Researcher
International business
Secondary school teacher
International trade specialist
Textbook author/editor
Interpreter/translator
Tour guide
Lawyer

Some related majors

Anthropology
History
Classics
International relations
Comparative literature
Linguistics
English
Secondary education
English literature

Directory Data is copyrighted material which is reproduced in this publication by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Alloy Education. Copyright 2009 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.