Shippensburg University > Catalog > 2001/2003 Undergraduate Catalog

College of Arts and Sciences
Modern Languages

• Introduction
• Modern Languages Programs

Introduction

Features

The Pennsylvania University System offers Junior Year Abroad programs in a variety of non-English speaking countries. The Shippensburg University study abroad advisor can place you in one of these locations. During the year there are optional field trips to Washington, D.C., and other metropolitan areas to attend regional or national language association meetings, to see foreign language plays or movies, and to visit consulates and embassies. Independent study provides the opportunity to do graduate-level research in a topic of your choice, working with a faculty specialist in that area. Internships are available as well as opportunities to tutor peers or local high school students. There are occasional opportunities for highly-qualified students to translate for local businesses.

The Modern Languages Department, located in Faculty Office Building (FOB), has a 35-position language laboratory for both classroom sessions and for individualized work. Should you wish to study classroom material in your own room, a cassette copier will duplicate the original tape. In FOB and in the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library, Shippensburg University maintains an excellent collection of books, maps, tapes, records, slides, filmstrips, and films on the language, literature, and culture of foreign countries.

The clubs and societies bring guest speakers and foreign films to campus, plan trips to nearby cities that offer other language events, and provide a social and cultural milieu in which you can get the most from your language studies. The International Students’ Club develops and fosters interaction between Shippensburg University’s international and American students. Club activities help you attain a greater appreciation for the cultures of other countries. Members of the modern language faculty have spent a great amount of time living, studying, and traveling in countries whose languages they teach. Courses range from those for beginners to those for students who are adept in a language. Your faculty advisor will find the courses that best match your command of a language.

Students who earn the B.A. degree with secondary certification in modern languages usually enter secondary school teaching or go on to graduate school to earn an advanced degree. You can increase your job opportunities by earning certification in more than one language or in more than one academic area (French-Spanish, Spanish-English). With a B.A. degree your career options multiply: you can use your skills in speaking, reading, and writing a modern language in such careers as foreign service, international business, communications (particularly in bilingual regions of the country), science, travel/tourism, airlines work, translation and interpretation, and United Nations or Peace Corps work. It is advisable, however, to take a second major or a minor in a professional field where facility with a foreign language is advantageous.

French (B.A.)

All courses required for the French major are taught in French. Courses numbered below French 200 do not count for the major.
Required French (24 crs.)
FRN200 Introduction to Reading 3 crs.
FRN202 Intermediate French Conversation 3 crs.
FRN308 Diction et Compréhension 3 crs.
FRN309 French Grammar 3 crs.
FRN316 Composition and Stylistics 3 crs.
FRN330 Masterpieces of French Literature 3 crs.
FRN331 Masterpieces of Francophone Literature 3 crs.
FRN340 Genres littéraires 3 crs.
French Electives (12 crs.)
Four French courses at the 300 and 400 level.
 French majors and minors are strongly urged to take history, political science, and geography courses that deal with French-speaking countries.

French (B.A.) with Secondary Certification

All courses required for the French major are taught in French. Courses numbered below French 200 do not count for the major. Professional Education Courses offered by other departments are taught in English.

*Other requirements for teacher certification are available from the Department of Modern Languages. French Minor—18 crs.

All courses required for the French minor are taught in French. Courses numbered below French 200 do not count for the minor. Required (9 crs.)

Dual Certification French and Another Field

 Students planning to teach will find it to their advantage to work for dual certification in two modern languages, a modern language and English, or a modern language and another field. To achieve dual certification a student must have the approval of both departments involved, complete the normal requirements for a major in the primary area of interest and a 30 hour sequence in the secondary area of specialization, plus appropriate courses in the methodology and student teaching in both areas.

Spanish (B.A.)

All courses required for the Spanish major are taught in Spanish. Courses numbered below Spanish 200 do not count for the major.

 Spanish majors and minors are strongly urged to take history, political science, and geography courses that deal with Spanish-speaking countries.

Students planning to teach will find it to their advantage to work for dual certification in two modern languages, a modern language and English, or a modern language and another field. To achieve dual certification a student must have the approval of both departments involved, complete the normal requirements for a major in the primary area of interest and a 30 hour sequence in the secondary area of specialization, plus appropriate courses in the methodology and student teaching in both areas.

Spanish (B.A.) with Secondary Certification

Required Professional Education Courses  (if planning to teach Spanish*) (33 crs.)
TCH205 The American School 3 crs.
TCH310 Educational Psychology 3 crs.
EEC411 Introduction to Exceptionality 3 crs.
 or
PSY355 Psychology of the Exceptional Child 3 crs.
EDU326 Teaching of Foreign Language 6 crs.
EDU495 Student Teaching and Professional Practicum 15 crs.
RDG329 Reading in the Content Areas 3 crs.

*Other requirements for teacher certification are available from the Department of Modern Languages.

Spanish Minor – 18 crs.

German Minor – 18 crs.

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