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World Languages and Cultures

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This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

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Degree: World Languages and Cultures, B.A.

Curriculum: World language study should be an integral part of an academic program for most students. The theoretical understanding of and practical experience in language underlie many intellectual disciplines that try to meet the complex problems of contemporary society. Courses offered by the Department of World Languages and Cultures are designed to develop students' understanding of a second culture through the language spoken by that culture.

Upon the completion of their program of studies in the Department of World Languages and Cultures, majors with a concentration in French, German, or Spanish will demonstrate proficiency in five goal areas: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Students will be able to:

  1. use their concentration language to present and interpret information and to communicate both orally and in writing;
  2. demonstrate an understanding of the relationships among the products, practices, and perspectives of the culture(s) in which their concentration language is spoken;
  3. demonstrate their ability to acquire information and further their knowledge through their concentration language;
  4. demonstrate an understanding of the nature of language and the concept of culture by making comparisons with their own language and culture(s); and
  5. demonstrate a desire to become a life-long learner of their concentration language.

Graduates will achieve both linguistic proficiency and cultural literacy through the study of the language and culture of their program. Linguistic proficiency entails the ability to function effectively in the target language and the ability to communicate competently with native speakers of the target language. Students of Latin and Ancient Greek demonstrate proficiency by becoming able to read the languages and to translate from these languages into clear and idiomatic English. Cultural literacy includes a general knowledge of the culture's history, familiarity with its literature, and basic knowledge of its social and political institutions.

The Department offers a major in World Languages and Cultures with two options, leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree:

  1. Languages and Cultures with a Concentration in French, German, or Spanish;
  2. Languages and Cultures for Professions (as a second major only) with a Concentration in French, German, or Spanish.

The Department also houses ISU's program in Anthropology, leading to a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree (http://catalog.iastate.edu/collegeofliberalartsandsciences/anthropology/). 

The Department offers minors in Anthropology, Chinese Studies, French, German, Russian Studies, Spanish, as well as Middle Eastern Studies and World Film Studies; and instruction in American Sign Language, Arabic, Italian, and Classical Latin. The Department also houses the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Cross Disciplinary Studies Programs in American Indian Studies, Classical Studies, International Studies, and U.S. Latino/a Studies.

A full statement of requirements for majors and minors may be obtained from the Department. For a complete statement of all the college degree requirements, see Liberal Arts and Sciences, Curriculum. Current and detailed information about the Department, including placement information, is available on-line at www.language.iastate.edu.

Policies

Students who have had formal training in world languages offered at Iowa State may obtain credit by passing appropriate examinations. Students with native fluency in languages taught at Iowa State may not enroll in or take the Exam for Credit in elementary or intermediate courses (100 and 200 level) in their native language. Students are considered to have native fluency if their ethnic first language as indicated on the matriculation form is the language in which they wish to enroll. Students are also considered to have native fluency if they have had substantial attendance at a secondary school or university where the language of instruction is the language in which they wish to enroll at ISU. Students with native fluency may be eligible to enroll in literature and civilization courses in their native language at the 300 level or above; such students must also consult the department office to determine eligibility for advanced composition and conversation courses (300 level and above). Students who have completed three or more years of high-school world language study may not enroll in or receive credit for 101-102 in those languages; credit may be obtained by passing the appropriate Exam for Credit or by completing an advanced sequence (200-level or higher) in that language Students who complete an approved sequence of courses in a single language at the 200- or 300-level (e.g., 201 and 202 or 301 and 302) with a grade of C- or higher are eligible to receive credit for 101 and 102 in that same language if they have not received credit for a 101 or 102 course in the language. Students who complete a 102 course with a grade of C- or higher are eligible to receive credit for 101 in that same language if  they have not received credit for 101 in the same language. Students should contact the department after completion of the course sequence to receive credit. Courses in the 101-102 level may not be taken on a remedial basis.

Students who have completed two years but less than three years of a single high-school world language may not enroll in a 101 course in that language. These students may enroll in either a 102 course in that language, or in the case of Spanish, SPAN 097 Accelerated Spanish Review. Before enrolling in either SPAN 097 Accelerated Spanish Review or a 102 language course, students are recommended to take the on-line placement test available at www.language.iastate.edu. After completing the online placement test, students who believe that they have extenuating circumstances may appeal to the Department of World Languages and Cultures in order to request enrollment in a 101 language course.

SPAN 097 Accelerated Spanish Review is designed for students who need additional work in the language at the first-year level (101-102) and are not planning to continue their language study at the second-year 201-202 level. Students who complete with a passing grade will have fulfilled the LAS world language requirement. Students who have completed SPAN 097 Accelerated Spanish Review and wish to pursue further study in Spanish at the 201-202 level may enroll in 102.

Students with disabilities who need to satisfy the world language requirement may direct questions to their academic advisor, the Department of World Languages and Cultures, or the Disability Resources Office.

Credit by examination in the Department of World Languages and Cultures for courses numbered 101, 102, 201, and 202 is available only to students who are not currently enrolled in the course. Credit by examination for other courses in the Department is not normally available.

The Department also offers faculty-led summer study abroad programs in Costa Rica, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain; and semester study abroad programs in Spain. Programs and exchanges in other areas of the world are offered through study abroad providers. Information concerning these programs can be obtained directly from the Department.

Language and literature courses numbered 300 and above are principally taught in the target language; courses numbered in the 270s, 370s, and 470s are taught in English. For courses taught in English about Ancient Greek and Rome, see Classical Studies. Students may not take intermediate (200 level) courses for credit after successfully completing any advanced (300/400 level) course, except those in the 370 series or courses taught in English translation. Students who have successfully completed any course in the intermediate (200 level) sequence may not take a lower-numbered course in that sequence for a grade.

Students at all levels of world language study will have access to the Language Studies Resource Center, located in 3142 Pearson. The Resource Center contains an extensive collection of world language materials, including audio-visual materials, electronic resources, music, books, language specific software and hardware, and other course-related materials.

Materials fees: Each student enrolled in a 100- through 200- level world language course is assessed a materials and professional support fee of $25.00 per course. If a student drops a course subject to the fee by the 15th day of the semester the fee for that course will not be assessed.

Communication Proficiency requirement: According to the university-wide Communication Proficiency Grade Requirement, students must demonstrate their communication proficiency by earning a grade of C or better in ENGL 250 Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition (or ENGL 250H Written, Oral, Visual, and Electronic Composition: Honors). In addition, the Department requires a grade of C or better in any course numbered between 370 and 379 taught by the Department of World Languages and Cultures or the interdepartmental program in Classical Studies.

Languages and Cultures for Professions (LCP)

Students with primary majors in the College of Business, the College of Engineering, or the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are encouraged to complete an LCP second major option in World Languages and Cultures with a concentration in French, German, Spanish, or an LCP minor option in those languages plus Chinese Studies or Russian. The primary objective of the LCP option is to provide learning environments within which students can achieve global literacy, linguistic proficiency, and inter-cultural competence. In the LCP curriculum, students will learn how professions are shaped by social and cultural forces and, alternatively, how professions shape society. In courses on contemporary culture and society, students will identify and analyze issues dealing with the complex interrelationships of languages and cultures and consider how they may affect their chosen profession. Students will experience living and working in diverse cultural settings through study abroad and internship opportunities offered through the LCP program and/or in collaboration with the Colleges of Business, Engineering, and Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students enrolled in the LCP second major option may receive non-graded academic credit for the successful completion of internships (WLC courses numbered 499 in each language area).

For the LCP second major option, students will complete 30 credits within their language concentration beyond the fourth-semester level, selected from the list of approved LCP core courses and electives designated for their respective college curricula in either Business, Engineering, or Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students may only enroll in the LCP option as a second major and may not graduate with the LCP option in the WLC major alone.

Students in the College of Business may combine course work in the International Business (IB) Secondary Major with course work in LCP by selecting from a list of approved options. Students should consult their academic advisor in the College of Business and the WLC advisor for coursework and international experience that fulfill requirements in both the IB and LCP major options.