World Languages

The Department of World Languages at Framingham State University offers a variety of classes in the areas of language arts, literature, linguistics, and culture.

The ability to communicate effectively in more than one language is at the core of the mission of the World Languages Department.  Expressing oneself in languages beyond one’s native language  makes it possible to view the world in new ways and engage with different cultural communities.  Proficiency in other languages enables individuals to transit borders and experience the interconnectedness of our world.  The benefits of learning other languages range from improved self-expression in one’s first language, enhanced cognitive abilities, sharpened critical thinking, and professional marketability.

Through literature, culture and linguistics courses as well as study-abroad opportunities, students gain an understanding of the diversity that is the very fabric of the communities in and around Framingham as well as across the globe.  Our international faculty and students are actively engaged in the surrounding community and abroad through internships and partnerships with schools, universities and community agencies.  Faculty and student research spans language, literature, culture, social, cultural, political and economic phenomena.

Our concentrations prepare students to be successful in a variety of careers such as in education, interpretation, business, international relations, or to embark on graduate studies in the United States and abroad.

In the Spotlight

Student Spotlight
Student Mark Respass
Marc Respass '21

Spanish Major

I have been studying Spanish at FSU since 2017. In that time, my Spanish has improved so much that even I can see the improvement! The small classes mean that I get to know my classmates and my professors very well. Since all of my classes are advanced, they are taught almost entirely in Spanish which helps me develop my comprehension skills. I am also required to respond and present in Spanish which helps me develop my speaking skills. All my classmates are supportive and helpful as we learn a language that we love and the cultures of the many different Spanish speaking countries. If you are interested in studying Spanish, FSU is a great place to do it.

 

Alumni Spotlight
Student Kristen Morrissey
Kristen Morrisey ’18

American Sign Language/ Interpreting

When Kristen Morrisey ’18 walked across the stage to receive her degree in ASL/English interpreting, she also had a job in her possession.  Due to the level of interpreting skill she demonstrated during her senior-year practicum at WCI in Waltham, she was offered a job months before graduating.  Within the space of another three months she became a full-time employee at the agency.  Almost exactly one year after graduation, she passed the Massachusetts interpreter screening examination.  Kristen credits her success to her motivation to engage with people in the Deaf community outside of class, and to the individualized attention she received from her professors at FSU.  “My professors were able to individualize my work and challenge me appropriately. They were patient and understanding, while making sure to accommodate each student’s strengths and weaknesses. The class sizes were smaller than typical, which really helped get the one on one attention from our professors. I never felt like I was just one of the students. They really spent time getting to know each of us.”

Faculty Spotlight
Faculty member Everton Vargas da Costa
Everton Vargas da Costa

Spanish and Portuguese

Dr. Everton Vargas da Costa is from Brazil and has been teaching additional languages since 2006. His range of experience includes instructor positions in Ecuador, Brazil and United States of America. His research interests and publications concentrate in teachers’ education practices and ethnographic methods, second language learning and assessment, and the elaboration of pedagogical materials for project-based learning. More recently, Dr. Vargas da Costa has been collaborating with research and training of teachers of Portuguese as a Heritage Language. An enthusiast of collaborative work, he is one of the editors of the volume “Teaching and Learning of Portuguese Language and Brazilian Culture around the Globe” (BoaVista Press, 2018), which reunites experiences of Brazilian Lecturers from thirteen countries.

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