Modern and Classical Languages

Introduction

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages, in fulfillment of the University’s stated goals, provides to Western Washington University students the skills that are necessary to learn first-hand about world societies. To that end, the department believes that the best way to understand a culture is directly through its language(s). Therefore, the department offers students the opportunity to acquire three types of proficiencies: the language skills that make for successful communication, the cultural competencies that build global respect and responsibility, as well as the creative and interpretive aptitudes that underscore an understanding of the history and aesthetic expressions of a given culture. Ultimately, students graduate from the department with valuable skills for succeeding in the workplace and for supporting global citizenship.

Faculty

SHANNON DUBENION-SMITH (2008) Chair and Associate Professor of German and Linguistics. BA, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; MA, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
SANDRA ALFERS (2008) Professor of German and Director of the Ray Wolpow Institute. BA, MA, University of Nebraska; PhD, University of Massachusetts.
BLANCA ARANDA (2012) Associate Professor of Spanish. BA Universidad Mayor de San Andrés; MA, PhD, University of Oregon.
SHERYL BERNARDO-HINESLEY (2019) Assistant Professor of Spanish. BA, MA, University of Texas-Arlington; PhD, University of Massachusetts.
BRENT J. CARBAJAL (1997) Professor of Spanish and Provost. BA, Lewis and Clark College; MA, PhD, University of Washington.
MASANORI DEGUCHI (2006) Associate Professor of Japanese and Linguistics. BA, Kansai Gaidai University; MA, PhD, Indiana University.
EDUARDO ENGELSING (2015) Associate Professor of Classical Studies. MA, University of Kentucky; MA, Phd, University of Cádiz.
PETRA S. FIERO (1995) Professor of German. MA, PhD, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
HUGO GARCÍA (2006) Associate Professor of Spanish. BA, University of Havana, Cuba; MA, St. John’s University; PhD, Ohio State University.
CÉCILE HANANIA (2002) Professor of French. PhD, University of Maryland; Doctorat, Université Paris; Maitrise, Université de Provence.
JOAN M. HOFFMAN (1994) Professor of Spanish. BA, University of Washington; MA, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill; PhD, Indiana University.
CHRISTINA KEPPIE (2008) Professor of French and Linguistics and Director of the Center for Canadian-American Studies. BA, University of New Brunswick; MA, Carleton University; PhD, University of Alberta.
COLLEEN LAIRD (2016) Associate Professor of Japanese. BA, Macalester College; MA, PhD, University of Oregon.
RODOLFO MATA (2017) Assistant Professor of Spanish. BA, University of Texas; MA, PhD, University of California-San Diego.
PAQUI PAREDES MÉNDEZ (2002) Professor of Spanish and Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. MA, PhD, University of Kansas.
EDWARD OUSSELIN (2001) Professor of French. MBA, University of Kentucky; PhD, Ohio State University.
CORNELIUS PARTSCH (2003) Professor of German. BA, Oberline College; MA, PhD, Brown University.
CHARLES PATTERSON (2012) Associate Professor of Spanish. BA, Utah State University; MA, University of New Mexico; PhD, University of Texas at Austin.
LINDSEY SMITH (2019) Assistant Professor of French. BA, Luther College; MA, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
MASSIMILIANO TOMASI (1998) Professor of Japanese and Director of the East Asian Studies Program. Laurea (BA), University of Florence, Italy; MA, PhD, Nagoya University, Japan.
EDWARD J. VAJDA (1987) Professor of Russian and Linguistics. BA, Indiana University; MA, PhD, University of Washington.
SIYUAN (JULIAN) WU (2017) Assistant Professor of Chinese. MA, Beijing Foreign Studies University, China; PhD, Arizona State University.
JANET Z. XING (1999), Professor of Chinese and Linguistics. BA, Shanxi University, China; MA, Eastern Michigan University; PhD, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.
MICHIKO YUSA (1983) Professor of Japanese and East Asian Studies. BA, International Christian University, Tokyo; MA, C Phil, PhD, University of California-Santa Barbara.

Other Departmental Information

Mid-Program Checkpoint

Students seeking to complete a BA in Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish within a four-year time span should have completed the second-year sequence (e.g., 201, 202, 203) in the language by the start of their junior year. Otherwise it will be difficult or impossible to complete this degree program within two additional years.

Experienced Speakers of a Language

First-year courses in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages are designed for students with minimal or no previous exposure to the target language. Students enrolling in second-year courses should have no more than foundational knowledge, equivalent to the first year. Students having previous experience with the language, such as attending junior high school, high school, community or technical college, or university in which the language in question was the primary language of instruction, may be required to begin study at a more appropriate level, if available. The decision will be left to the discretion of the instructor and the language department.

Study Abroad

Students can increase language proficiency through travel, work and study abroad. WWU offers programs at study centers in Morelia, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; Valdivia, Chile; Segovia, Oviedo and Cadiz, Spain; Angers and Rennes, France; Vienna, Austria; Macerata and Siena, Italy; Tokyo, Japan; and Qingdao, China. Designed to give students a complete foreign study experience in the host country, each program includes numerous excursions to historical and cultural sites and a wide range of activities which complement formal classroom work. WWU also sponsors academic-year university exchange programs (a) with Asia, Tsuda and Obirin universities in Tokyo, Japan; (b) Hangzhou Normal University; and (c) with ISEP at 70 universities in 32 countries. Students also may access language schools in Québec, Costa Rica, Germany and many other countries. Special application and registration procedures are required for participation in foreign study programs, and students should consult with the Education Abroad office, Miller Hall 208, well in advance of their planned quarter abroad, as well as with the coordinator of the language section to discuss transfer credit.

Advanced Placement Credit

The student who has studied a foreign language in high school may be granted additional university credit upon completion of foreign language courses at WWU. Advanced placement credit is not awarded for 100-level courses. Request for advanced placement credit is to be made to the advisor of the language section.

Transfer Placement

Students transferring from another university with some course work in a foreign language should consult with the language coordinator of the section about placement.

Attendance

The learning and studying of a foreign language involves a level of student participation considerably higher than that required by some disciplines. It is the students’ responsibility to ascertain the specific attendance requirements of their individual instructors.

Endorsement of Post-baccalaureate Students

Post-baccalaureate students with a degree in a foreign language are required to:

❑ Have a GPA of 3.00 or above in the major
❑ Obtain a letter of recommendation from a faculty member in reference to the candidate’s potential as a teacher
❑ Satisfactorily pass the departmental oral proficiency exam given by appointment only
❑ Complete the endorsement sequence as appropriate: either LANG 410 and 420 or LANG 401 and LANG 430.
❑ Complete 314 (phonetics) in language to be endorsed

Additional work in the language may also be required. Students should consult the coordinator of the language section.

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Combined Major

Latin American Studies, BA

Undergraduate Minor

Endorsement

Designated World Languages, Additional Endorsement (In Moratorium)