Department Chair: Randa J. Duvick, Ph.D.
Meier Hall 113 | 219-464-5341
Randa.Duvick@valpo.edu
Links to Web
sites:
Catalog: Department of
Foreign Languages & Literatures
Department of Foreign
Languages & Literatures
(for information about courses, faculty,
special activities, language
placement exams, etc.)
Languages offered:
Chinese
French
German
Greek
Hebrew
Japanese
Latin
Spanish
Majors
offered:
Classics, B.A. (two tracks: classical language
and literature, classical civilization
French, B.A.
German, B.A.
Spanish, B.A.
What Is Distinctive
About Valpo's Program?
Interdisciplinary Programs:
Valpo
offers many interdisciplinary programs with an international focus that
complement a foreign language major: International
Service, International Economics
& Cultural Affairs, VIEP
- German (Valparaiso University International Engineering Program
in German), International
Business, Modern European Studies,
and Chinese and Japanese
Studies are among them.
Kade-Duesenberg
German House and Cultural Center:
The Kade-Duesenberg House is a living and learning center. Up to
thirteen students of German reside in the house in a community setting:
they prepare meals together and speak German with each other.
Meier Hall:
Specifically built as a foreign language center, Meier Hall houses all department faculty offices and is the building in which nearly all department classes are taught. Meier Hall also houses the Language Resource Center. The LRC provides services and resources for language students of all levels including: a computer lab with access to language-specific software and on-line audio clips; a film lending library; and free tutoring in French, German, and Spanish. The LRC Study Lounge provides a comfortable space where language students can read current international periodicals and watch satellite TV from around the globe. The International Studies Office is also located in Meier, helping to guide students through their study abroad experiences.
Student
Excellence In Competition:
Valpo
students have the opportunity to compete in
such events as the National Latin Translation
Examination sponsored by Eta Sigma Phi, the
national student honor society for classicists.
Two of Valpo’s Latin students recently placed
third and fourth in this national competition.
What Can You Do with a Foreign Languages & Literatures Major?
Degree, Skills or Experience Needed for
Beginning a Job in This Field:
Students
majoring in a foreign language are encouraged to develop a complementary
skill: teacher certification, basic business, economics, or journalism,
for example. Few jobs requiring foreign language proficiency require only
skill in a foreign language.
Kinds of Work Available
to Graduates in this Major:
Teaching,
international trade, international relations, international banking and
investment, Foreign Service, translation, government agencies, study-abroad
organizations, politics, advertising, export/import, airlines, social
work, ministry, broadcasting-television/radio, travel and tourism, museum
work, publishing, health services, journalism, historian, librarian, missionary.
Potential Hiring Institutions:Corporations
involved in international trade, middle and
secondary schools, colleges/universities, churches,
bilingual education programs, government agencies,
banking and investment houses, social concerns
agencies, publishing houses,
global political and economic organizations,
airlines, travel agencies, hospitality industry
(cruises, hotels, motels, resorts), museums
and historical societies.
Graduate Schools:
Valpo Foreign Languages and Literatures majors have pursued advanced degrees
in quality programs at schools such as Indiana University, University
of Illinois, University of Chicago, University of Wisconsin and Thunderbird
School of International Management. Many classics majors have enrolled
in seminary programs.
What Beyond-the-Classroom Opportunities Does Valpo Offer You in Foreign Languages
& Literatures?
Extracurricular Activities: Valpo Foreign Language students in French, German and Spanish have the opportunity to work as language instructors in the “ Bridges to World Languages” program, a partnership between VU and Valparaiso Community Schools. In this after-school program, VU language students teach French, German and Spanish to 4th and 5th grade students. Valpo students are also involved numerous language clubs and honor societies: East Asian Club, German Club, French Club, Japanese Club, Spanish Club, Delta Phi Alpha – German National Honor Society, Eta Sigma Phi – Classical Languages Honor Society, Pi Delta Phi – French National Honor Society, and Sigma Delta Pi - Spanish National Honor Society. Club activities include attending and/or sponsoring foreign films, informal conversation groups, foreign cooking, trips to Chicago for museum visits, plays, dinners, etc.
Off-Campus
Opportunities
Study Abroad: Valpo sponsors 14 study-abroad programs to China, Japan, France, Germany, Spain, Greece, England, Mexico, and Namibia, and has links with numerous other study-abroad opportunities.
Alumni:
Recent Graduates with majors in Foreign Languages &
Literatures include:
High school foreign language teachers; pastors; college and university
professors at Ohio State University, Texas A&M, University of Toronto,
and Concordia University; vice-president for administration, International
Securities Trading Firm; finance manager at French-American School Exchange
Program; democracy officer for the U.S. Agency for International Development;
lawyer with the international division of a major hotel chain; international
marketing assistant with a multinational corporation; assistant vice-president
of a major U.S. bank; an employee of Visa International; an employee of
a major German bank; Peace Corps workers.
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