Department of LLL/Undergraduate Programs and Courses

Department of Language, Linguistics and Literature

B.A. in World Languages, Literature, and Culture

What gets left of a man amounts to a part.

To his spoken part. To a part of speech.

Joseph Brodsky

Bachelor degree program offers a flexible and applied degree that is designed to train the next generation of language and literature specialists, as well as provide a solid generalist degree to prepare students in a variety of professions including translators, language teaching, museum work, library, non-government organization, and government positions. It also provides excellent training for future graduate study.

The B.A. in World Languages, Literature, and Culture offers an expansive and applied degree, which is designed to train the next generation of scholarly specialists, as well as to provide a solid generalist program to prepare students for a variety of professions.

LANGUAGE REGISTRATION POLICY:
Students may not enroll in more than one 101 language course per semester. Students who enroll in elementary language classes are expected to continue with the intermediate level classes (201 and 202) where possible. Students who do not do so may be barred from enrolling in other 101 language classes.

REGISTRATION PRIORITIES:
These priorities are followed for classes offered by the department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literatures. Classes cross-listed with WLL or LING but taught by faculty from other departments may have other priority policies. Some classes from within the department of Languages, Linguistics, and Literatures may also have distinct priorities depending on need.

101 Language Classes: The department prioritizes (a) the enrollment of students who can continue their study of the language through the intermediate and advanced level together with (b) WLLC majors for whom the classes satisfy major elective requirements. Consequently, first priority for 101 classes is given to first year undeclared SSH students and to 2nd year WLLC majors. Second priority is given to third year WLLC majors. Third priority is given to second and third year SSH students. Fourth year students are not included in the list of priorities as they cannot progress to intermediate level classes.

102, 201, 202, and Advanced Language Classes: As these classes require 101 classes as a prerequisite, first priority is extended to all SSH students.

100 Level LING and WLL Classes (WLL 110 and LING 131): As these classes are required to declare the WLLC major, first priority is given to (a) first year undeclared SSH; (b) Undeclared SSH students; (c) second year year WLLC majors. Second Priority is given to WLLC majors. Third priority registration is open to all SSH, SoM, SEDS, and SMG students.

200 Level LING and WLL Classes: As these classes are typically taken prior to enrollment in advanced WLL and LING classes, first priority is given to second year WLLC majors. Second priority is given to all WLLC majors. Third priority registration is open to all SSH, SoM, SEDS, and SMG students.

WLL 274/HST 274 Texts and Contexts: As this course is required of all WLLC and History majors, first priority and second priority is given to WLLC and History majors. Third priority registration is open to all SSH students

300 Level LING and WLL Classes: First priority registration is given to WLLC majors. Second priority is given to SSH students. Third priority registration is open to all SEDS, SMG, and SoM students.

400 Level LING and WLL Classes: First priority registration is given to WLLC majors. Second priority is given to SSH students. Third priority registration is open to all SEDS, SMG, and SoM students.

WLL 498-499 Capstone I and II: Registration in the capstone is limited to those students who have the appropriate coursework preparation for their proposed capstone topic. Consequently, registration is by instructor consent only.

Students completing a degree in Languages, Linguistics and Literatures are recommended to focus their study on one of these three areas of concentration. Doing so will leave students better prepared for their capstone research and better prepared for graduate school. The tracks below are not mandatory. Rather, they are intended to help students select the ideal series of classes for their chosen focus.
The first of these, intensive language learning and acquisition study – we currently offer multi-level course tracks in Spanish, French, German, Korean, and Chinese – offers excellent preparation for future study and or employment in the spheres of translation and communication in government and business. The second track in literature provides exposure to classics from mythology to Dante to Dostoevsky to Kafka to Coetzee, alongside cultural study and literary analysis, and is complemented by our School’s strong Writing Program. Students from this track often pursue high level graduate study or analytic careers, having become critical and creative writers and effective communicators. The third track in linguistics provides students with hands-on training in the empirical description and research of human languages, with a focus on Eurasian fieldwork. Students learn technical and methodological skills applicable in a wide variety of interdisciplinary and applied environments. The areas of focus within our program are complementary and overlapping, sharing an underlying emphasis on structures of language and meaning across countries and cultures.

Students focusing on literature would typically enroll in WLL 110 Introduction to Literary Studies, HST/WLL 274 Texts and Contexts, together with a variety of advanced and intermediate classes in literature. A student focusing on linguistics should enroll in LING 131 Introduction to Linguistics, LING 273 Research Methods in Linguistics, together with a variety of advanced and intermediate classes in linguistics. Both linguistics and literature students are strongly encouraged to enrol in foreign language classes, and to continue their study of the language through the intermediate and advanced levels where possible.