2010-2011 University Catalog
■ Modern and Classical Languages
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Phone: 703-993-1220
Web: mcl.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: Gilbert, Ricouart, Winkler
Associate professors: Berroa, Christensen (chair), Goldin, Leeman, Levine, Rabin, Roman-Mendoza, Zhang
Assistant professors: Beck, Carreño-Rodríguez, Markx, Olson, Ramos-Pellicia, So, Vivancos-Perez
Term assistant professors: Balestra, deSousa, Falcon, Fujiwara, Grandes, Quintana, Ruiz-Ross, Salawdeh, Vasilyeva
Term instructors: Chen, Mircea-Pines, Sweet
Course Work
This department offers all course work designated ARAB, CHIN, CLAS, FREN, FRLN, GERM, GREE, ITAL, JAPA, KORE, LATN, RUSS, and SPAN in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
The following courses are offered in English. Knowledge of a foreign language is not required: ARAB 325; CHIN 310, 311, 320, 325, 328; FREN 325, 329; GERM 301, 325; ITAL 325; JAPA 320; RUSS 325, 326, 327, 353, 354; SPAN 321, 322, 325, 329; and all courses with the prefixes CLAS and FRLN.
General Education Requirements
The department offers a number of courses approved to fulfill university general education requirements. See the University General Education chapter of the catalog.
College-Level Requirements
Language courses through the intermediate (200) level can be used to fulfill the college-level requirement in foreign languages for the bachelor of arts degree in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science. Other courses fulfill the college-level requirement in non-Western culture. See the College of Humanities and Social Sciences section of this chapter.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a BA in foreign languages with concentrations in French and Spanish.
The concentration in French is designed for students who want to increase their proficiency in French language and culture while learning about the history, politics, and economics of the many French-speaking countries around the world. Students can take a study abroad course or spend a summer in Paris or Quebec, earning credit towards their degree. They can participate in the many French-speaking activities sponsored by Mason’s French Club.
The concentration in Spanish enables students to become proficient in speaking, reading, and writing Spanish while learning about Latin American, Latino and Spanish languages practices, literatures, histories, and cultures. Students are encouraged to do an internship or service learning project, where they can draw on their knowledge of Spanish and gain valuable work experience while working for social change in their communities. Students have many opportunities to study Spanish abroad for as little as a week and as long as a semester and at the same time, earn credit toward their degree.
Both concentrations prepare students for teaching careers at the secondary school level, graduate study in languages, and research and professional work in government and private enterprise.
Faculty in the department participate in the interdisciplinary BA in Russian and Eurasian studies .
Foreign Languages with a Second Major
Majors in foreign language are encouraged to complete a second major in another field. Students who want to pursue a second undergraduate major should plan a program of study in consultation with advisors from both degrees and be familiar with the relevant policies on more than one major. See the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog.
Comparative Literature Emphasis
The Department of Modern and Classical Languages participates in the BA in English with an emphasis in comparative literature. This program combines the study of literature in English with the study of one or more foreign literatures and with cross-cultural literary study. See the BA in English section of the catalog.
Minors
Language majors are encouraged to complete a minor in another field.
The department offers minors in Classical studies, Japanese studies, Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. They are available to students in any major at Mason. Except for Classical studies, all the minors have as a prerequisite the completion of 250 (or equivalent) in the relevant language.
Graduate Programs
The department offers a distinctive interdisciplinary master’s degree in foreign languages designed to meet the needs and interests of prospective and practicing teachers and other professionals. It also prepares students for doctoral study at other institutions. Within the master’s degree, students choose one of four concentrations: French, Spanish, French and Spanish, and Spanish/bilingual-multicultural education.
Graduate students are encourage to participate in the many study abroad programs offered by Mason. These include short courses during winter and spring breaks as well as semester-long programs in the French and Spanish speaking regions of the world.
Funding
The department has a limited number of teaching assistantships for highly qualified graduate students with excellent language preparation. Students develop valuable language teaching experience by working with faculty experts in language teaching pedagogy.
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