Why Study a Language?

Many students choose to study a language as a supplementary major or minor in addition to another field of study, like business, history, philosophy or political science. Students in the Department gain proficiency in one or more of the Romance languages, and through their study they enter into new and inexhaustibly rich cultures whose literature, art, music, and film have profoundly shaped our own. Many of our students spend a semester or year abroad, immersed in the language and culture they are studying.

The skills in communication and critical, interpretive, and creative thinking, as well as the broad experience and self-confidence in new environments that our program fosters, are invaluable to a variety of career paths, from business and law to medicine, education, and the arts. Our majors graduate not only with the satisfaction and advantages that multilingualism affords, but also with a deeper understanding of other ways of life, and of their own lives as well.

Students who complete the Secondary Teaching Option in Spanish qualify for the State of Illinois Secondary Teaching Certificate in Spanish (Grades 6-12, Type 09). Upon successful completion of the Illinois certification examinations, students receive certification in secondary education and go on to become capable and knowledgeable teachers.

Minor Sequences in Spanish, French, and Latin American/ Latino Studiesare also available to students majoring in other degree programs.