Learning Objectives
I. The Core Curriculum Requirement
The Core Curriculum requirement for languages is to complete three semesters* in the target language. During these three semesters it is expected that the student will:
- develop the linguistic skills to communicate with other people in other cultures in a variety of settings and be able to acquire additional linguistic competence on their own,
- look beyond their customary borders,
- develop insight into their own language and culture,
- act with greater awareness of self, of other cultures, and their own relationship to those cultures,
- gain direct access to additional bodies of knowledge, and
- participate more fully in the global community and marketplace.
The purpose of the Core Curriculum Language Requirement is to enable students to reach competency in another language. By that we meant, "the ability to listen, converse, read and write in the target language with sufficient basic skill, vocabulary, accuracy and cultural awareness [in order] to communicate needs in every day situations in a culturally appropriate way" or, more succinctly, "the creative ability to use the language in unrehearsed situations." (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages [ACTFL]).
The goals are clear: the emphasis is on communication that involves comprehension (listening, reading) and production (speaking, writing), as well as a measure of "cultural awareness."
II. The Major and the Minor
The goals of our major and minor programs are to further advance students toward proficiency in all four language skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) and provide them with a greater appreciation for the literature and the culture that language represents.
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