Modern Languages and Literatures
Majors offered: French, German, Spanish, or Multi-Language
Minors offered: French, German, Spanish
The department of modern languages and literatures is located in Carnegie.
The facility houses classrooms equipped with the latest
teaching technology, including sound systems, Internet access and video
and computer data projection. This technology is routinely used by professors
and by the students who learn from them. Additionally, two fully equipped
computer classrooms in the Language Resource Center double as teaching
spaces and language laboratories where students conduct their oral comprehension
practice via our new VirtuaLab digital video/audio delivery system. The
department also subscribes to foreign language television, which is available
in all classrooms and student rooms on campus.
Foreign languages and literatures
have always been important elements of a liberal arts education
at St. Lawrence. They free the individual to
discover the content and value of other cultures, to enrich
personal experiences through contacts with others on their
own terms, and to enter into worlds of thought and expression that would
otherwise be inaccessible. Languages thus play a key part in reducing ethnocentricity.
In
an age when almost instant communication links the peoples
of the world, when the relationships among nations are evolving rapidly
and when Americans are increasingly aware of the riches of their diverse
cultural heritage, the ability to use a second language acquires a new
importance. Any level of proficiency in a foreign language supports both
international under-standing
and basic contacts with various language groups in the United States.
High-level ability promotes meaningful, accurate communication.
St. Lawrence graduates with foreign
language skills have found positions in fields such as
banking, education, government, law, retailing, industry and social service.
Many now live abroad or have spent time working in other countries.
The department offers courses at
several levels in Chinese, French,
German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Swahili. Language
courses are oriented toward achievement of oral and written
proficiency. Classes are small to facilitate the acquisition of language
skills. Study of the various literatures is also available; these classes
are conducted wholly in the language. Some courses in foreign literatures
are also taught in English. A seminar-discussion approach is commonly
used. Many courses in the department fulfill the foreign language distribution
requirement; others fulfill the humanities or diversity requirement.
The advanced courses
in the department are designed to foster development
of high-level language and analytical skills through study
of literature, culture and film, and the media. Advanced
language courses enable students to gain a deeper understanding
of the written and oral expression of a foreign culture.
The department regularly sponsors
foreign language films, guest lecturers
and other related activities. Chapters of the principal
language honorary societies are also under departmental
sponsorship.
The
department encourages all students with sufficient skills
to participate in a St. Lawrence University program in
Austria, Costa Rica, France, Kenya, Italy or Spain. Residence
abroad enables students to achieve language fluency that
leads to a solid understanding of the host culture and
a deeper understanding of their own.
Every year the department employs a number of students with advanced
language skills as teaching assistants in the language
laboratories and as tutors in the Spanish Writing Center
and the French Writing Center. In addition, students with an interest
in technology may work in the Language Resource Center as instructional
technology interns.
Entering students who continue language study begun elsewhere
are assigned to the appropriate course on the basis of
their high school record.
A student who has offered two years or more of foreign language
study for entrance credit may not repeat these language courses for credit
toward graduation.
Requirements for Majors and Minors
French
French majors are strongly encouraged to spend a year, or at least
a semester, studying in Rouen with the University’s France program.
The fall program is for students with a good command of French (at
least one 200-level French course); it begins with a two-week homestay
in the Norman countryside, before moving to the city. At the Université de
Rouen, students may take courses in art history, economics, French
literature, government and African studies; all courses are taught
in French. The spring program is for students who do not yet possess
a good command of French; it begins with two weeks of French immersion
at Université Laval in Québec. In Rouen, intensive language
training continues while other courses are taught in English.
Students in France traditionally take four courses (4.5 credits) each
semester. Students in the fall may receive three credits toward the French
major; those in the spring receive two credits. Students who remain for
the year receive five credits for the major.
A French major consists of nine courses: five electives at the 103-104 level or above, two electives at the 300-level or above, and two electives at the 400-level. Courses at the 300 level are offered only in France. Students who do not participate in the France program must therefore take at least four courses at the 400 level.
A French minor consists of six courses at the 103-104
level or beyond. French minors are encouraged to spend a semester or
a year on the France program. Students on the France program may count
three courses (semester program) or five courses (year program) toward
the French minor.
German
Students majoring in German are required to complete nine units starting
with 101
or eight units starting with 103.
Majors are expected to take at least one seminar (either 423,
424 or 432)
and to participate in an international program either in Austria or
Germany. The center for international and intercultural studies will
help students enroll in an appropriate program.
Up to two approved literature or culture courses per semester taken abroad and taught in German count toward the major.
The German minor is designed to offer students an introductory knowledge of the German language and culture. This minor can be obtained by a combination of language and culture courses on campus and abroad. The minimum language proficiency is the completion of the intermediate level (104) and the minimum number of courses is six. Typically students will complete four courses on campus and two abroad.
Japanese Studies
All students must earn six credits to qualify for the minor, in either
of two ways:
(1) Minor with study abroad: Students take Japanese 101 and
102 on campus, then apply for a semester program in Japan at one of
St. Lawrence’s exchange universities, Nanzan University in Nagoya
or International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, receiving three
credits for a semester or up to five credits for the year-long program. Additional
courses in Japanese language, literature in translation, drama and
culture from the department of modern languages and literatures or
other designated courses in humanities and social sciences on campus
may also count toward this minor.
(2) Minor without study abroad: Students must take Japanese
101, 102, 103 and 104 along with at least two more courses on campus
as described above.
Spanish
The Spanish major is designed to provide an understanding
of the principal aspects of Hispanic culture as well as proficiency
in the language at the advanced level according to American Council
on the Teaching of Foreign Language guidelines. The Spanish major consists
of 10 units beyond the 104
level:
five electives at the 200 level or above, three electives at the 300 level or
above, and two electives at the 400 level. Courses at the 300 level are offered
only in Spain and Costa Rica; 400 level courses, including Independent Studies
and Honors Projects, are offered only on campus.
Students who begin Spanish at St. Lawrence at a level higher than
201, 202 are exempt from two major units. Introduction to Spanish Literature
and Introduction to Hispanic American Literature are required courses
for the major.
Students wishing to major in Spanish are urged to participate in the
Costa Rica (San José) or Spain (Madrid) programs. It is possible
to earn four credits toward the major during a semester in Spain or
Costa Rica; students who remain a year in Spain may earn seven credits
toward the major.
A Spanish minor consists of six courses at the 201-202 level or beyond. Spanish minors are encouraged to spend a semester or a year on the Spain or Costa Rica programs. Students on the programs in Spain or Costa Rica may count three courses (semester program) or five courses (year program) toward the Spanish minor.
The Multi-Language Major
To meet the requirements for the multi-language major
students must have four credits in each of three different languages.
(Students may not choose Swahili or Italian as one of the three languages
for this major.) In one of these languages, designated the language
of concentration, the student must complete at least four units beyond
the 202 course. To improve skills in the language of concentration
and to deepen cultural understanding, multi-language majors are expected
to study abroad. Students who major in multi-language may minor
in French or Spanish only when the minor language is not one of the
three languages of their multi-language
major.
Caribbean and Latin American Studies Minor
Students who take Spanish or French may want to consider
the interdisciplinary minor in Caribbean and Latin American studies,
which consists of six courses and includes an introductory core course
(CLAS 104) as well as five additional Caribbean and Latin American
studies courses from at least three different departments. See the
description under Caribbean and Latin American studies in this Catalog.
International Programs
St. Lawrence study abroad opportunities in Costa Rica, France, Italy,
Japan and Spain support the work of the department and are designed
for students with significant background in the language. The program
in France is also open to students with elementary French. Students
with strong German language skills may obtain information on study
opportunities in Austria and Germany from the Center for International
and Intercultural Studies. Those with little or no prior knowledge
of German can choose the St. Lawrence semester program in Vienna. Similarly,
students with little or no Italian may choose the program in Florence.
There is also a program in Kenya for students studying Swahili. For
detailed descriptions, see the International and Intercultural Studies
chapter of this Catalog.
Certification to Teach a Foreign Language
Students seeking initial certification as a 7-12 French, German or
Spanish teacher in New York must major in the language and also complete
the certification minor in education. French, German and Spanish majors
intending to complete student teaching after graduation in the University’s
Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program must complete the
French, German or Spanish major and the educational studies minor
in education (or its equivalent) as undergraduates. To qualify for
the professional semester (student teaching), students must spend at
least a semester studying abroad in a country where the student’s
major language is the primary language. Consult the Education section
of this Catalog and/or speak to the coordinator of the
teacher education program as early as possible.
Honors
Students who wish to be candidates for honors in the department should register for French, German or Spanish 497
(fall) or 498 (spring). A proposal for the honors project should be
submitted to the department prior to the final examination period of
the semester preceding the one in which the project is to be carried
out. A grade point average of at least 3.5 in all major courses is
required and a grade of 4.0 must be earned in the honors course for
the student to be recommended for honors at graduation. The honors
course carries one unit of academic credit and is taken in addition
to the eight (German), nine or 10 (French) or 10 (Spanish) units that
constitute the basic major. (See also Honors in the Curriculum
chapter of this Catalog.)
Faculty
Gudrun B. Brokoph, B.A., Oberrealschulte Mühldorg (Germany),
Missouri; M.A., Ph.D., California ( Davis) Harriet Lewis
Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (German)
Joan Elizabeth Dargan, B.A., Anna Maria; M.A., Ph.D., Princeton
Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (French)
Steven Forsythe White, B.A., Williams; M.A., Ph.D., Oregon
Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (Spanish) and Chair of Department
Roy Chandler Caldwell Jr., B.S., Rensselaer; M.A., Ph.D., North Carolina ( Chapel Hill)
Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (French) and Coordinator of Film Studies
Ilia J. Casanova–Marengo, B.A., Puerto Rico; M.A., Rutgers, Ph.D., Rutgers ( New Brunswick)
Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (Spanish)
Yoko Chiba, B.A., Tsuda, Tokyo; M.A., Dublin; M.A., Ph.D., Toronto
Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (Japanese)
Anne A. Csete, B.A., SUNY Oswego; Ph.D., SUNY Buffalo
Associate Professor of History and Coordinator of Asian Studies
Marina A. Llorente, B.A., Spain; M.A., Ph.D., Kansas
Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (Spanish)
Ingrid Christa Stipa, B.A., Whitman; M.A., Ph.D., California ( South Berkeley)
Associate Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (German and French) and Director of the France Program (2005-2006)
Marcella Salvi, Laurea, Istituto Orientale de Napoli ( Italy); M.A., Ph.D., Oregon
Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (Italian and Spanish) and Director of the Spain Program (2005-2006)
Jenna P. Torres, B.A., B.S., Pennsylvania State; M.A., Ph.D., Cornell
Visiting Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures (Spanish)
Susan Bantu, M.A., Ohio State University
Swahili Teaching
Fellow
