School of Language and Literature

For more information about degree offerings by the faculty of languages, visit the School of Language and Literature webpage.

Students who fulfill the requirements for a major in the School of Language and Literature acquire greater awareness of and appreciation for other cultures; develop proficiency in a target language and a basic understanding of its linguistic structure; gain a deeper understanding of textual analysis and literary genres, styles, and periods; engage with current scholarship; and prepare themselves to participate in a global society. Majoring in a language provides students with a strong pre-professional background for graduate studies in the arts and humanities as well as for careers in business, teaching, and government.

The first and second-year language courses offered by the School of Language and Literature are designed to help students throughout the University develop intermediate-level proficiency in a second language, as specified in the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) guidelines. Students enrolled in these courses likewise gain insights into other cultures.

Placement in Language Courses

Prior to coming to campus to enroll, incoming students with previous classroom or life experience in Chinese, French, German, or Spanish who intend to continue studying the same language must take its placement exam. This policy also applies to native speakers of a Romance language who intend to take courses either in their native tongue or in another language taught by the department. The placement examination does not grant academic credit, nor can it be used to test out of the language proficiency requirement.

Delayed Proficiency Credit

By petitioning the School of Language and Literature, students who begin their language study in a course above the level of first semester and complete it with a grade of C or higher receive credit for the previous course as well, up to and including fourth semester. Such credit may not exceed four hours. Students with previous college, AP, or IB credit in a language are not eligible for delayed proficiency credit in that language, nor are native speakers who choose to study their native language. Delayed proficiency credit is awarded toward the completion of a College’s language proficiency requirement, but it is not granted if the language is being taken as an elective.

Beginning and Intermediate Language Courses

Students whose degree requirements or personal goals include one or two years of language study may select from Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. The first course in each language sequence has no prerequisite and assumes no prior knowledge of the language. Each subsequent course in the beginning and intermediate sequences has as its prerequisite a grade of C or higher in the previous course or its equivalent, or departmental approval through placement. Students who elect to repeat a 1000- or 2000-level language course for a higher grade may do so only in the most advanced course they have taken in the sequence, and they may not take language courses out of sequence.

Study Abroad

As a significant component for the college experience, every language student is encouraged to participate in a study abroad program to acquire cultural literacy and fluency in a foreign language. For more details on TU’s programs abroad, visit the Center for Global Engagement (CGE) webpage or call 918-631-3229.

French, German and Spanish majors may count upper-level French, German or Spanish courses they take abroad in their target language to fulfill requirements for a second Arts and Sciences major or block courses.

Undergraduate Academic Programs

The faculty of language and literature offers courses leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in French , German or Spanish . The curriculum of a language major provides a wide range of experiences inside and outside the classroom. Many students combine their language major with a concentration in an additional field. Such a concentration may be a minor, a certificate program, or a second major.

Courses in comparative literature are taught in English and have no prerequisites. These draw from various traditions and time periods and provide strategies for relating literature to such areas as psychology, philosophy, politics, cinema, and the literatures of other cultures. The faculty of the School of Language and Literature also offers a variety of courses in areas such as linguistics, classics, film studies, and women’s and gender studies. Many of these are taught in English and are appropriate for students in a wide range of fields.

Students may design a Bachelor of Arts in classics or linguistics. For information on student-designed areas of concentration, see Student-designed Area of Concentration .

Career goals that include both language and business may be realized through the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A.) degree in international business and language offered through the Collins College of Business. This single major combines specialized training in international business with the French, German, or Spanish major curriculum.

The Kendall College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering and Natural Sciences have partnered to offer the International Engineering/Science and Language dual degree program . This program offers students the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in a language offered by the School of Language and Literature and a Bachelor of Science degree in an engineering or science discipline in five years.

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who complete the undergraduate program in French, German, or Spanish will:

Demonstrate language skills (i.e., reading and listening comprehension, speaking, and writing) that aid in the communication and understanding among persons and groups of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Specifically, students will be able to:
Demonstrate competent listening comprehension by responding appropriately to statements and questions made.
Demonstrate competent speaking ability by responding appropriately and using appropriate word choices and grammar.
Demonstrate competent reading comprehension by appropriately responding and reacting to material read, including extended authentic texts in advanced courses.
Demonstrate competent writing ability by using correct vocabulary and grammar while producing more complex, organized documents in advanced courses.
Demonstrate critical thinking and creative insights in the disciplined study of cultural media (such as literature and film) and linguistics. Specifically, students will be able to:
Consistently combine knowledge of the text or topic with critical analysis and creative insights.
Demonstrate fluency and coherence when presenting ideas in writing and in speech. Specifically, students will be able to:
Consistently present ideas in a coherent fashion and with a fluency in the language appropriate for the course level.

Teacher Education Program

Students seeking secondary teacher certification in French, German, or Spanish must declare education as a second major. This double major leads to teacher certification in Oklahoma (and preparation for certification in other states). In order to qualify, students must complete all the tasks listed on the Department of Education page of this Bulletin, including acceptance into the Teacher Education Program and to the Student Teaching Semester.

Language education majors are assigned two faculty advisors, one in the School of Language and Literature and one in the Department of Education.

Faculty

Director
Victor Udwin

Professors
Eduardo Faingold, Spanish
Bruce Dean Willis, Spanish

Associate Professors
Lydie Meunier, French
Karl Pollin, French
David Tingey, German
Victor Udwin, German

Applied Associate Professors
Elena Doshlygina, Russian
Bruce MacQueen, Latin

Applied Instructors
Marta Chamorro, Spanish
Tania Garmy, Spanish
Lindsey Manduano, Spanish
Erin McDermott, French
José Pagan-Rodriguez, Spanish

Programs

Major

Minor

Courses

Chinese

Comparative Literature

French

German

Greek

Language

Latin

Russian

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Common Questions

Colleges