Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures

About the Department

Natalie Muñoz, Department Chair
Peters Building, Room 393
559.278.5707
FAX: 559.278.7878
cah.fresnostate.edu/mcll/

Because of increasing mobility in our modern world, it takes no time at all to travel to places where people speak a language other than English. If you visit or go to work in another country you will quickly learn the fallacy of the phrase, “Everyone speaks English there; don’t worry!” Even in California, scarcely a day goes by that you do not hear people conversing in a language other than English, because the United States has a wealth of different heritage languages. Whether you travel overseas or stay in the United States, you will be more culturally sensitive if you are bilingual and bicultural. For example, agricultural, health, and music professionals benefit from knowing another language. It is never too late to acquire another culture and language.

The goal of the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures is to encourage multiculturalism and multilingualism in the Central Valley. That includes preparing students for communication in some of the important heritage languages of the area: German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. These are also important languages of Mexico, Central and South America, and the European Union, so students are able to travel or work overseas with greater ease. The department also offers Greek and Latin, as well as Classical Studies and Humanities.

The department has programs for those who wish to be middle and high school teachers of French and Spanish. We offer courses to prepare those who wish to be bilingual/ cross-cultural teachers in elementary schools. We also offer courses in Italian, Portuguese, and other languages to the surrounding community. The department offers a major and a minor in French and Spanish, a minor in German, a minor in Humanities, and a minor in Classical Studies. We collaborate with the Department of Linguistics to offer the B.A. Option in Language Studies.

Students completing the M.A. in Spanish often teach at high schools, community colleges, or go on to Ph.D. programs. Our Master of Arts program in Spanish is one of the largest and best in the California State University system. Students come from all over California to study with our prestigious faculty members. Our faculty members are well-recognized for their expertise in Spanish language pedagogy; Golden Age literature; contemporary Mexican, South American, and Peninsular literature; Spanish linguistics and dialectology; creative writing in Spanish; and Hispanic culture. M.A. students may apply for a limited number of teaching assistant positions.

Interesting Classes You Might Take

• Topics in Foreign Language
• French for Communication
• German Literature to 1750
• The Rise of Rationalism: 5th Century Athens

What You Can Learn

• Conversational and written Portuguese
• Increased reading and writing skills in preparation for upper-division coursework in Spanish
• Interdisciplinary approach to Mexican culture
• Classical and New Testament Greek

Study Abroad Programs: Apply as a Sophomore

Sophomore students having a minimum GPA of 3.0 are eligible to apply for participation during their junior or senior years in one of the International Programs organized by the California State University System under agreements with universities in 18 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Spain, and Peru. See International Programs (Overseas). Students may find it useful to consult with a professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures. A small scholarship is available for qualified study abroad scholars.

Credit Allowance in Foreign Language

Students may begin a study of any language they desire to learn. However, if they want to continue study of a language they recently studied in high school, they must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Students who have had less than two years of that language in high school will enroll in either a 1A or 1B class in that language, depending on the quality of the high school language experience.
2. Students who have studied a language for two years in high school will enroll in a 1B class in that language.
3. Students who have studied a language for three years in high school will enroll in a 2A class in that language.
4. Students who have studied a language for four years in high school will enroll in a 2B class in that language.
5. Students who have passed an AP test in a language, or who have five or more years of language study, should consult a department adviser for appropriate placement.
6. Students who have taken Greek and Latin in high school should consult a department adviser for appropriate placement.
7. Spanish-speaking students who have appropriate oral language skills will enroll in SPAN 4A  .
8. Credit may not be awarded for a lower-division language course if the student has received credit for an upper-division course in that language, other than SPAN 110T , SPAN 125 , SPAN 129  and courses taught in English: FREN 109 , FREN 124 , FREN 125 , FREN 149 , GERM 103T , GERM 160T , ITAL 100 ,ITAL 110 , ITAL 130, ITAL 160T , LATIN 132 , PORT 101 , PORT 102 , PORT 103 .

Credit by Examination

Students who have taken one or more years of a language in high school may not challenge a 1A course in that language. Students who have taken two or more years of a language in high school may not challenge a 1B course in that language. Students who have taken three years of a language in high school may not challenge 2A in that language. Students who have completed the equivalent of ninth grade or more in the native country may not enroll in or challenge lower-division courses. Such students are not exempted from meeting General Education requirements.

General Education Foreign Language Credit

The following courses are applicable to the General Education requirement: HUM 10 , HUM 11 , HUM 15 , HUM 20 , FREN 1B , FREN 2A , FREN 2B , FREN 109 , FREN 149 , GERM 1B , GERM 2A , GERM 2B , GRK 1A , GRK 1B , ITAL 1A , ITAL 1B , ITAL 2A , ITAL 2B , LATIN 1A , LATIN 1B , PORT 1A , PORT 1B , SPAN 1B , SPAN 2A , SPAN 2B , SPAN 3 , SPAN 4A , SPAN 4B , SPAN 125 , SPAN 129 . See also Department of  Linguistics  .

Career Opportunities

Study Another Language, See a New World

Learning another language changes your life. It gives you an international and global perspective on social, cultural and political issues. It gives you an opportunity to travel to another country and study art, music, and history. You become bilingual and bicultural. You get “hands-on” experiences with cross-cultural communication. You learn to appreciate your knowledge of English even more than you do now.

You can learn to speak, read and write one of several important modern languages spoken in the United States and the world: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, or German. For German, French and Spanish, you can also study the important literary works written in those languages. In addition, you can use your knowledge of languages and cultures to study abroad in a number of programs in Europe, Mexico, and Central and South America.

Programs

• French, B.A.
• Spanish, B.A.

• Spanish, M.A.

• Single Subject Credential - French
• Single Subject Credential - Spanish

• Classical Studies, Minor
• French and Francophone Studies, Minor
• French, Minor
• German, Minor
• Italian Studies, Minor
• Portuguese Studies, Minor
• Portuguese, Minor
• Spanish, Minor