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Departmental Learning Goals

The Modern Language Department offers instruction for six languages: Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Learning goals are the knowledge and skills we expect students to acquire after taking a course or finishing a level.

French, German and Spanish

  • Elementary and Intermediate Courses in French, German, and Spanish
     Elementary Courses: FREN/GER.101-102; SPAN.101-103; GER.101-102.
    Intermediate Courses: FREN/GER/SPAN.111-112.

  • Elementary Level
    The elementary courses prepare students to communicate successfully in some common basic social situations using the four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—within appropriate cultural contexts. The student will also acquire an understanding of cross-cultural awareness.

  • Intermediate Level
    The intermediate courses further develop the four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—using the target language in many common basic social situations. The student will also acquire a more profound understanding of cross-cultural awareness. At the end of this sequence, students will be able to: carry on a basic conversation with a sympathetic native speaker, write simple descriptions and narrations, and understand the meaning of texts containing everyday language and/or information.
  • Upper Division Courses in French, German, and Spanish
    FREN/GER/SPAN.201-202; SPAN.207; FREN/GER/SPAN.251-252; FREN-254; GER-253.
    • In the 201-202 levels students should be able to speak in logically sequential sentences, without mistakes impeding understanding. They begin to identify and discuss abstract ideas as they appear in the course materials, such as literature, film, and other cultural products.
    • Students increase their listening proficiency through class discussion and class presentations conducted in the target language. Through movies, short video clips, and interactions with native speakers, students will become more aware of certain national, regional, or socioeconomic linguistic differences.
    • Students should be able to write short descriptive essays, response papers, and longer analytical essays using a close textual analysis of the primary source. At the end of 201-202, they should know how to use the basic tools for information literacy to effectively integrate secondary sources in their papers. At the end of 251, 252, and FREN-254 students should learn how to produce a research paper using meaningful secondary sources adhering to the MLA practices and recommendations.
    • Students increase their cultural competence and awareness through individual student, team, or instructor presentations on subjects related to the culture of the texts studied. At the end of 251, 252, and FREN-254 students will be able to situate literary and cultural products in their appropriate historical context. Students will gain a deeper understanding of their own culture by learning about the French/Francophone, German, and Hispanic world.

  • Advanced Courses in French, German, and Spanish
    FREN-314, 318, 328, 340, 345, 350, 360, 370; GER-313, 314, 318, 319, 320, 328; SPAN-308, 317, 328, 340, 350, 351, 352. FREN-440W, 491, 492W; GER-401W, 402W, 403W, 491, 492W. SPAN-401W, 402W, 440W, 491, 492W.
    • Students should master the linguistic skills necessary to understand and discuss abstract ideas presented in original texts and other cultural products.
    • Students should demonstrate a deeper understanding of literature, film, essays, and art. They should be able to place a text in its cultural and historical context and relate the latter to their own interpretation. They can locate and discuss the development of ideas of a variety of texts and derive literal and figurative meaning from them.
    • Students should be able to produce papers with a clear thesis and a nuanced analysis or interpretation supported by meaningful and concrete examples from the texts studied and the secondary sources. Starting in the 300-level courses, students should utilize theoretical concepts related to literary and cultural studies. At the end of the 300-level courses and before the 400-level courses students should demonstrate a mastery of the use of information literacy tools and the integration of secondary sources in their research papers.

Arabic

  • Elementary Level
    ARA 101/ ARA 102
    Our Elementary Arabic courses are designed to help students develop their four languages skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. By the end of the year, students should have mastered the Arabic sounds as well as basic proficiency in everyday conversational Arabic including greeting and other common expressions. Also, they should have acquired a number of common vocabulary and some basic grammar concepts.

 

  • Second-Year Level
    ML 111/ ML 112
    At second year level, students continue to develop their four language skills, their vocabulary as well as grammar concepts. By the end of the year, students should be able to communicate in Arabic as well as present and interpret information using their inventory of Arabic vocabulary.

 

Japanese

  • Elementary Level
    JPN-101/102
    Our elementary Japanese courses are designed to help students to develop four language skills in balance: speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and to address what is linguistically and culturally appropriate for communication in basic social situations. By the end of these courses, students should possess the basic communication skills and culturally appropriate manners required to ask and answer questions on familiar topics and conduct short conversations in simple social situations. Students also should be able to compose short writing samples on familiar topics by using an appropriate combination of three different character systems: hiragana, katakana, and kanji.

  • Advanced Elementary Level
    JPN-111/112
    At the second-year level, students continue developing the four language skills as they broaden their knowledge of basic linguistic structures, vocabulary, and characters. By the end of the year, students should have developed the ability to present and explain their opinions and to express doubt and wishes. Students should have acquired the communicative and cultural competence to live in a home stay or in a dormitory environment in Japan.

  • Beginning Intermediate Level
    JPN-211/212
    In JPN-211 & 212, students develop further their spoken and written language skills, as well as a nuanced understanding of Japanese social practices. Students should be able to string phrases and sentences together in order to communicate their individual experiences with more detailed information, while demonstrating more fluent skills in a wider range of social interactions. Students should be able to produce short essays and narratives.

  • Intermediate to Semi-Advanced Level
    JPN-311&312
    In JPN-311 and 312, students focus on expanding further their language skills and the sociocultural knowledge they need for communication, thereby easing students’ transition into the advanced study of Japanese. Students are expected to develop Japanese language skills, deepen their cultural understanding, and enrich their vocabulary and kanji knowledge through discussions of meaningful reading materials on topics of contemporary Japan. By the end of these courses, students should be able to use the basic tools of information literacy to obtain a variety of materials necessary for the continued study of Japanese.

Chinese

  • First Year
    CHN-101/102
    Students should have acquired the linguistic skills and cross-cultural awareness to conduct a restricted set of daily tasks and participate in formulaic exchanges at different levels of formality. They should have built an inventory of Chinese characters and become familiar with the Chinese writing system.

  • Second Year
    CHN-111/112
    Students should have developed further the linguistic skills and cross-cultural awareness to communicate with native speakers in order to complete daily tasks. They should have developed strategies and tactics for coping with spoken Chinese that is not pedagogically controlled, and should be able to produce progressively longer compositions in colloquial style.

  • Third Year
    CHN-211/212
    Students should be able to converse more freely with native speakers about a variety of topics. Students should be able to produce summaries of short texts and sustained narration, participate in and conduct discussions, and give presentations. In addition, they should be able to write personal correspondence with different levels of formality.

  • Fourth Year
    CHN-311/312
    Students should have expanded their language skills and sociocultural knowledge through exposure to and discussion of authentic materials. By the end of these courses, students should be able to use the basic tools of information literacy to obtain a variety of materials necessary for the continued study of Chinese.