Department of Modern Languages

ContactsDr. Rosario Quintana-Villamandos, Chair

The study of foreign languages emphasizes the development of critical thinking skills—increased powers of observation, analysis, logical reasoning, memory, and adaptability—that are immediately transferable to other areas of higher education and to a diversity of careers. In learning to understand, speak, read, and write a foreign language a student acquires direct access to another view of the world at a time when intercultural understanding, at both the national and international levels, has become an urgent priority.

Languages

Students can fulfill their foreign language requirement by taking 12 hours of French, German, Greek, Japanese, Latin, or Spanish (101-204) or by passing the 204 course in any of the languages offered by the department. The Department of Modern Languages offers a major in French, Japanese, and Spanish; or a minor in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. The department has created special designators, MDL 280 Special Topics-MDL 283 Special Topics and MDL 480 Special Topics-MDL 483 Special Topics, in order to offer courses in languages not in the catalog that may be offered from time to time. The MDL designators also allow students to transfer credit in languages not regularly taught in this department.

Opportunities

Majors in foreign languages have opportunities in the fields of law, government, translation and interpretation, education, communications media, library and museum science, publishing, law enforcement, international business, and the travel industry.

Major in a Modern Language

A major in one of the modern foreign languages consists of ten courses, typically thirty semester hours, in the same language. Courses taken at Marshall are three credit hours each. Courses that transfer from study abroad may transfer as four credit hours, but each of these courses is to be considered equivalent to one three-hour Marshall course. Courses numbered 101 do not count toward the major.

Course Sequence/Prerequisites

Courses must be taken in sequence except by permission of the chair. Students enrolled without proper course prerequisites will be administratively withdrawn. A grade of C or better is required in the 101, 102, 112, and 203 language courses in order to continue to the next course.

Placement Tests

Students who have had 1-2 years of language in high school and wish to continue in that language should register for 101. Students who have had three or more years of a language in high school should take a placement test to see where in the elementary/intermediate (101-204) sequence they should begin their language. All students wishing to take a placement exam in any of the languages (French, Japanese or Spanish) must register with the department office administrator. Students cannot take a placement examination after they have started a language at Marshall or any other university. Students also should not take the placement test until they are ready to start a language. Students who successfully place into a course above 101 can receive up to nine hours back credit for the courses they have placed out of provided that they take and pass with a grade of C or better the next course in the sequence. Back credit is awarded only in the semester in which the student takes the next course.

Policy on Native Speakers

A native or heritage speaker of a language must take a placement test before enrolling in courses numbered 101-204 in his or her native tongue.

Credit Transfer

The Department of Modern Languages does not accept the transfer of credits earned in courses taken in online courses. Students wishing to receive foreign language credit from other schools or from study abroad programs must consult the Department of Modern Languages prior to enrolling in any of those programs.

Capstone Policy and Final Skills Assessment

Graduating majors in French will designate one 400-level literature or culture course in their senior year as the capstone experience. In exceptional cases another upper-division course may be so designated with permission of the chair. In addition to completing the normal capstone course requirements the student will also complete a language project that will demonstrate his/her integration of the various competencies developed throughout his or her foreign language study. The project will be delivered in a class presentation toward the end of the term. Graduating majors in Japanese and Spanish will take JPN 490 Japanese Capstone or SPN 490 Spanish Capstone Experience to fulfill their capstone requirement.

Summer Study Programs Abroad

Spanish Language and Culture Program in Madrid, Spain

Students can earn six hours of academic credit in a month (June or July) or twelve hours of academic credit in two months (June and July) by studying at the Centro de Estudios Hispánicos of the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija in Madrid, Spain. The program offers courses in the Spanish language at elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. It also offers courses in composition, conversation, literature, history and art. The instructors are native speakers of Spanish who hold advanced university degrees and who are fully accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Education. A Marshall University professor will accompany the group and will provide supervision, assistance and supplemental instruction.

Every year the students enrolled in the program depart the 30th of May and return June 30 or July 31st. While in Madrid, students reside with families. The cost of the program includes tuition (6 or 12 hours) and room and board (two meals a day) for a month or two. Contact the Dept. of Modern Languages for specific information and to obtain application forms.

Programs

Courses

Bison image - General Education Course

Course Listing

French
German
Japanese
Spanish