Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Department Website

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree. The modern languages curriculum is designed to help students acquire competence in the language of a given country or countries and, through the study of literature and civilization, to acquaint them with the cultural background of the country or countries. It also prepares students for graduate work, teaching, and a broad range of careers.

Students may wish to investigate the advantages of combining a knowledge of foreign languages and cultures with competence in other fields. Study of a foreign language and culture is an important asset for students with other majors. Knowledge of a foreign language also enhances the study of other disciplines, such as anthropology, art, cinema studies, education, English, health sciences, history, integrative studies, liberal studies, linguistics, music, philosophy, political science, pre-law, religious studies, sociology, theatre, and writing and rhetoric, among others.

Placement Examinations

The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers online language placement testing in Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish year-round. The tests in Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Spanish can be accessed on the website (password: grizzlies1). For placement in the other languages, please contact the department. Students who enter Oakland University with a background in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish must take the appropriate placement test. In case of questions concerning proper placement, students should consult with the department advisers. Call the department office for more information at (248) 370-2060.

Admission to Major Standing

To be eligible for a major in one or more foreign languages, a student must be admitted to major standing by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. A student should apply for major standing at the department office, normally after having attained 56 credits and no later than three semesters before graduation. A student planning to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree will be admitted to major standing after completion of 8 credits of language or literature at the 3000 level with a minimum grade point average of 2.80.

Departmental Honors and Scholarships

Departmental honors may be awarded to graduating majors for outstanding achievements. In order to be eligible, students must submit for faculty review a writing project, usually either a research paper or a translation of superior quality, completed in a 4000-level course. In addition, students must maintain a grade point average in major courses of at least 3.60 and have taken at least 16 credits of the major at Oakland University. Qualified students who wish to be nominated should contact a full-time faculty member in their major at the start of the semester in which they will graduate.

The DMLL offers a variety of scholarships that apply to both majors and minors. The Don R. Iodice Grant-in-Aid for Foreign Travel is available for majors who will return to Oakland University for a minimum of two full semesters. The Carmine Rocco Linsalata Memorial Scholarship offers one stipend to an incoming student who intends to major in a foreign language and another to a major with a minimum of 28 credits. The Jack Moeller Gift Fund offers stipends to German majors for study at Oldenburg and for study in German courses at Oakland University. Also available are the Plattenberger Study Abroad Scholarship, the Rosemont Scholarship for China Immersion, the Robert and Genevieve Simmons Scholarship for Study in Germany, the Holzbock Humanities Scholarship, and the Chinese Language Book Award. For information, see link to Scholarships.

Study Abroad

Students are encouraged to take advantage of opportunities to study abroad. Students should consult departmental advisers for information on a variety of foreign study opportunities. Students wishing to transfer credits from study abroad programs must arrange for that prior to their departure. For more information, contact the Office of International Education, 328 O’Dowd Hall, (248) 370-2889.

Chinese language students interested in studying abroad should contact Professor Hsiang-Hua Chang.

Students majoring or minoring in French wishing to participate in the exchange program with the University of Orléans in France should contact Professor Jennifer Law-Sullivan. Students majoring or minoring in German wishing to participate in the exchange program with the University of Oldenburg in Germany or with the Kapito Language Institute in Munster, Germany, should contact Professor Anja Wieden. Students may also participate in the Junior Year in Munich Program with Wayne State University.

Students interested in studying in Angers, France, should contact Professor Dikka Berven.

Japanese language students interested in studying in Japan should contact Professor Stephen Filler.

Students majoring in Spanish may participate in Study Abroad Programs in Spain and Argentina, administered by the Office of International Education.

For further information on these programs, and on other study abroad opportunities, see the International Studies Program section of the catalog.

Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language

Students may earn a certificate in teaching English as a second language (ESL) by completing the following courses:

Translation Program

Students qualify for a translation certificate by completing language courses numbered 3550, 4550 and 4800. A 4800 course does not apply toward the major.

Concentration in French Studies

Coordinator: Jennifer Law-Sullivan

The concentration in French studies provides an interdisciplinary understanding of French culture for students not majoring in French. Courses in French language, literature, civilization, art history and history are required. Students should refer to the Other Academic Options  section for concentration requirements.

Programs

• Chinese Language and Civilization Minor
• Chinese Minor
• French Language and Literature Minor
• French Language and Literature, B.A.
• French Minor
• French Studies Concentration
• German Language and Literature Minor
• German Language and Literature, B.A.
• German Minor
• German Studies Minor
• German, B.A., Concentration in German Studies
• Italian Minor
• Japanese Language and Literature, B.A.
• Japanese Minor
• Latin American Language and Civilization, B.A.
• Modern Language, Additional Major
• Modern Languages and Literatures K-12
• Spanish Language and Literature Minor
• Spanish Language and Literatures, B.A.
• Spanish Minor
• Two Modern Languages, B.A.

Courses

• JPN 3510 - Japanese Civilization
• JPN 3550 - Translation: Japanese
• JPN 3700 - Introduction to Japanese Literature
• JPN 3920 - Directed Readings in Japanese
• JPN 4080 - Advanced Japanese Conversation and Reading
• JPN 4200 - Modern and Contemporary Japanese Literature
• JPN 4550 - Advanced Translation from English to Japanese
• JPN 4570 - Business Japanese
• JPN 4800 - Independent Translation Project
• LIT 1000 - Introduction to Asian Literature
• LIT 1810 - European Literature I
• LIT 1820 - European Literature II
• LIT 2900 - Chinese Cinema
• LIT 2905 - Studies in Foreign Film
• LIT 2909 - Topics in Hispanic Film
• LIT 2910 - Topics in Chinese Cinema
• LIT 3905 - Topics in Foreign Literature
• ML 1400 - Holocaust and European Literature
• ML 1910 - Study Abroad - Tutorial in Foreign Language
• ML 1912 - Study Abroad in Foreign Language
• ML 2900 - Topics Related to Foreign Language Study
• ML 2905 - Intermediate Tutorial in Foreign Language
• ML 2908 - Intermediate Tutorial in Foreign Language
• ML 3800 - Global Gateways
• ML 3900 - Advanced Study of Topics Related to Foreign Languages and Cultures
• ML 3905 - Advanced Tutorial in Foreign Language
• ML 3908 - Advanced Tutorial in Foreign Language
• ML 3939 - Field Experience in a Modern Language
• ML 4400 - Interactive Technology: Computers in Foreign Language Teaching
• SPN 1140 - Introduction to Spanish Language and Culture I
• SPN 1150 - Introduction to Spanish Language and Culture II
• SPN 1190 - Accelerated Review of Elementary Spanish and Spanish Culture
• SPN 1200 - Spanish Worlds in English
• SPN 1300 - Drugs in Latin American Culture
• SPN 2140 - Second Year Spanish I
• SPN 2150 - Second Year Spanish II
• SPN 2920 - Directed Readings in Spanish
• SPN 3130 - Spanish Phonetics
• SPN 3140 - Spanish Grammar Review
• SPN 3170 - Intermediate Spanish Conversation and Composition
• SPN 3190 - Business Spanish: Communications and Journalism
• SPN 3200 - Spanish for Technical Professions
• SPN 3500 - Latin American Civilization
• SPN 3510 - Spanish Civilization
• SPN 3550 - Translation: Spanish into English
• SPN 3580 - Spanish Language and Culture for Health Care Professionals and First Responders
• SPN 3600 - Introduction to Spanish Linguistics
• SPN 3700 - Introduction to Spanish Literature
• SPN 3800 - Introduction to Spanish-American Literature
• SPN 3920 - Directed Readings in Spanish
• SPN 3930 - Field Experience in Teaching Spanish in Elementary and Middle Schools
• SPN 3931 - Advanced Spanish and Academic Service Learning
• SPN 4080 - Advanced Spanish Conversation and Composition
• SPN 4150 - Medieval Literature of the Iberian Peninsula
• SPN 4160 - Spanish Literature - Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
• SPN 4170 - Spanish Literature - Seventeenth Century
• SPN 4180 - Cervantes
• SPN 4190 - Spanish Literature - Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries
• SPN 4200 - Modern and Contemporary Spanish Literature
• SPN 4550 - Translation: English into Spanish
• SPN 4570 - Business Spanish
• SPN 4800 - Independent Translation Project
• SPN 4880 - Spanish-American Literature before 1888
• SPN 4890 - Spanish-American Literature after 1888
• SPN 4970 - Undergraduate Seminar
• SPN 4995 - Independent Reading and Research