Department of Foreign Languages

Return to: Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities

Department Chair: Craig Bergeson
Location: Elizabeth Hall, Room 434
Telephone Contact: Aubree Harris 801-626-6183
Professors: Yumi Adachi, Craig Bergeson, Alicia Giralt, Cheryl Hansen, Thomas Mathews, Eva Szalay; Associate Professor: Isabel Asensio, Assistant Professors: Diego Batista, Electra Fielding

The Department of Foreign Languages promotes global awareness and intercultural understanding by providing instruction and study abroad opportunities in various languages. We prepare majors and minors to function effectively in a foreign language by offering courses in literature, culture, linguistics, pedagogy and language for professional purposes.

A bachelor of arts degree is offered. Students may select a regular major, a teaching major or a major with a commercial emphasis in French, German or Spanish. Regular and teaching minors are offered in these three languages as well. In addition, a Japanese minor is offered, and the department participates in Asian Studies, European Studies and Latin American Studies minors and in a departmental Honors Program. A language emphasis for the BIS degree requires a minimum of 18 hours, 15 of which must be upper-division course work. Courses in other languages may be offered as need and resources allow. The curriculum is based on the National Standards for measuring proficiency. Each course is designed to foster linguistic skills and to increase the student’s ability to participate in the culture.

Foreign Language Requirement for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

The Bachelor of Arts degree includes a foreign language or ASL (American Sign Language) requirement which may be met by one of the following:

1. Documentation of a proficiency level of “Intermediate Low” or better through an examination administered by the WSU Foreign Language Department or through an examination by a recognized testing agency.
2. Completion of WSU foreign language course FL 2020  with a grade of “C” or higher, or comparable transfer credit.
3. Completion of any upper-division WSU foreign language course with a grade of “C” or higher, or comparable transfer credit.
4. Students for whom English is a second language may meet the BA foreign language requirement by verifying their proficiency in their native (non-English) language in cooperation with the Foreign Language Department and verifying their proficiency in English as a Second language by passing the ESL Special Examination.
5. Documentation of a minimum proficiency level in American Sign Language through an examination administered by the American Sign Language/Interpreting program at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC). The signer must “produce and maintain American Sign Language with continuity and precision.”
6. Completion of SLCC’s American Sign Language Course ASL 1050 with a grade of “C” or higher, or comparable transfer credit.
7. Completion of twelve semester-hours of foreign language.

Obtaining Foreign Language Credit for Prior Language Experience

Students with prior language experience may obtain lower-division foreign language credit by completing one of the following options:

1. Students may obtain credit for FL 1010 , FL 1020 , FL 2010  and FL 2020  by passing a higher numbered course with a minimum grade of “C”
2. Students may obtain credit for FL 1010 , FL 1020 , FL 2010  and FL 2021  through examination, but only in those languages in which the Department of Foreign Languages has expertise (usually limited to French, German, Japanese and Spanish). This examination is administered regularly by the department. Credit for Humanities General Education (FL 2020 ) cannot be obtained through examination.

Upon payment of a nominal fee, hours earned through either option are recorded as “credit” on the transcript and do not affect the student’s GPA. The department may accept results from other foreign language testing agencies as evidence of proficiency. Application for credit is to be made at the office of the Department of Foreign Languages.

Generally, students may not earn lower-division foreign language credit for proficiency in their native language. If a student’s second language is English, then English may fill the BA foreign language requirement (see specific BA-major department advisors).

Interdisciplinary Minors

The Foreign Languages Department participates in the Asian Studies, European Studies, Linguistics, and Latin American Studies Minor Programs. Students who wish to enroll in one of these programs should indicate their desire to do so with the program coordinator who will help them work out a proper combination of courses to fit their particular needs. (See the Engaged Learning and Interdisciplinary Programs  section of this catalog.)

Programs

• French (BA)
• French Teaching (BA)
• French, Commercial Emphasis (BA)
• German (BA)
• German Teaching (BA)
• German, Commercial Emphasis (BA)
• Spanish (BA)
• Spanish Teaching (BA)
• Spanish, Commercial Emphasis (BA)

• French Minor
• French, Commercial Emphasis Minor
• German Minor
• German, Commercial Emphasis Minor
• Japanese Minor
• Spanish Minor
• Spanish, Commercial Emphasis Minor

• French Teaching Minor
• German Teaching Minor
• Spanish Teaching Minor

• Foreign Language Departmental Honors

Return to: Telitha E. Lindquist College of Arts and Humanities