Mission

The mission of the World Languages Department is to teach communicative competence in modern world languages and to introduce students to the peoples, cultures and artistic expressions of other countries. The Department is constantly streamlining and adapting our courses and instructional methods to the changing environment of twenty-first century American society.

The Department is unique in the Massachusetts State University system. Through the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education, it offers a M.Ed. in Spanish, and a M.Ed. in TESL, which primarily enroll public school teachers. The Department also prepares and trains Post-Baccalaureate students for their initial license to teach world languages in the Massachusetts public school system.

The World Languages Department’s mission, to teach communicative competence in modern world languages, extends to all levels of language instruction. World language study develops a student’s proficiency in the four basic language skills of listening comprehension, reading, writing, and speaking. Training in any world language carries over to the student’s native language as well, making him/her more articulate, self-confident and thoughtful in his/her writing and speech. Through the literature and culture courses offered by the World Languages Department, students gain knowledge and understanding of the cultures where the foreign language is spoken, through readings, research, and the use of contemporary and historical cultural materials, including literature. These courses increase students’ understanding of cultural differences and global and national interdependence through course work and study-abroad opportunities, so that students acquire skills for critical analysis.