Foreign languages: A tradition of excellence

Now more than ever, language fluency is a passport into other cultures and, with the world’s focus on a global community, into rewarding jobs with international corporations.

The opportunity to major in a foreign language is what brought Yasmin Cwajg ’09 of Argentina to Dickinson. “There is no German major in Argentina,” the international student explains. “There, I can learn the language, but none of the culture. At Dickinson, all my interests are combined—history, language and culture all in one major. It’s fantastic.”

Manadarin Chinese is just one of the many languages studied by Dickinson students.

Since 1790, foreign languages have been an integral part of the Dickinson curriculum. Today we rank in the top three among liberal-arts colleges for the number of foreign-language graduates. In fact, the National Endowment for the Humanities has called our foreign-language program “one of, if not the, foremost ... in the country.”

What does that mean? While we are among the nation’s leaders in the number of foreign-language graduates, what sets Dickinson apart is the globalization of our curriculum. Our language program offers:

• course study in 12 languages, including Modern Greek and Mandarin Chinese
• a rigorous, interdisciplinary and cross-cultural program
• encouragement to double major in a language and another discipline
• professors who work closely with international studies and other departments to spread cultural awareness
• outstanding international-education programs at 14 study-abroad centers.

Whether on campus or abroad, students have countless opportunities to practice speaking and translating. On campus, there are multimedia language laboratories, international television and film screenings, foreign-language radio programs, language clubs, language houses, language tables and more.

Yasmin Cwajg ’09 of Argentina is excited about the many new opportunities at Dickinson—the chance to learn about the language, history and culture of Germany, and the wonder of experiencing her very first snowfall.

To achieve real fluency, students should spend at least one year abroad, taking courses at local universities, completing internships or conducting research projects. Dickinson’s study-abroad centers are located in small cities where fewer Americans study, giving our students the ability to fully immerse themselves in the language and culture.

We’ve built a tradition of excellence—that’s why our language programs, and our graduates, are so successful. It’s that competitive edge when applying for jobs with multinational corporations or small companies with interests abroad that sets our foreign-language students apart.

Faculty Profile: A Model Teacher

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