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Overview and Learning Goals

Overview

The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures offers courses in Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, and Italian studies. In addition to focusing on developing students’ fluency in the languages, the department provides students with a broad understanding of the cultures, thought, and literatures of the French-speaking, Italian-speaking, and Spanish-speaking worlds through a curriculum that prepares students for international work, teaching, or graduate study. Native speakers are involved in most language courses. Unless otherwise indicated, all courses are conducted in the respective languages.

Learning Goals

Majors and non-majors will be able to:

• Accurately and effectively use French, Italian, and/or Spanish for interpersonal (dialogues), interpretive (reading, listening), and presentational (writing, speaking) modes of communication, ranging in complexity from everyday interaction to abstract, educated discourse in both oral and written forms (1101–2305).
• Write convincing, methodologically structured argumentative papers.
• Effectively formulate a thesis and defend it in a structured written text.
• Use literary theory and methodology to analyze, critique and engage with texts.
• Identify and describe widely recognized intellectual and cultural movements. throughout the history of Francophone, Hispanic, and/or Italian societies.
• Use knowledge acquired through course material to conceptualize questions and issues, engage critically with texts and proffer informed, verifiable, credible, objective, and pertinent arguments about texts (2400–3000).
• Explain fundamental concepts for, and contrast diverse approaches to, the scholarly study of literature, film, and cultural production (2400–3000).
• Demonstrate critical understanding of Francophone, Hispanic, and/or Italian cultural productions through the discussion and critique of literary, artistic, historical, and sociological works of various authors, genres, periods, and regions (2400–3000).
• Conduct analytical research in Francophone, Hispanic, and/or Italian studies, and present it with scholarly rigor, in written or oral form, using the methods specific to such disciplines (Independent Studies, 2970-2999 and 4000-4049; Honors Projects, 4050 and 4051).

Options for Majoring or Minoring in the Department

Students may elect to major in Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, Italian studies, or romance languages and literatures or to coordinate a major in Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, Italian studies, or romance languages and literatures with digital and computational studies, education, or environmental studies. Students pursuing coordinate majors may not normally elect a second major. Non-majors may elect to minor in Francophone studies, Hispanic studies, or Italian studies. 

Department Website