Program Description

Understanding how language works is a crucial part of comprehending human consciousness and communication. Language is an intellectual tool basic to all disciplines. And in today’s communities, multicultural and global, learning a second language is not a refinement but a necessity—the key to understanding and communicating with others near and far. The goal of the Language Program at UCSC is to allow students to achieve a substantial level of proficiency in languages other than English. Since such proficiency always includes cultural as well as linguistic comprehension, the program requires investigating the complex relationship between language and culture.

The Language Program offers rigorous language training by professional language instructors. Most courses are taught in the target language from the very beginning. In 2003–04, languages offered are Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Spanish for Spanish speakers (Ancient Greek and Latin are offered through the Literature Department.

Students with previous language preparation who wish to continue in that language take a placement examination to determine the course level appropriate for them. Each language’s placement examination format is described in the quarterly Schedule of Classes, along with the time, date, and location of the examination.

Language learning at UCSC is supported by a variety of technologies. There is a campus language laboratory in the Media and Electronic Resource Center (MERC) at McHenry Library; the library also houses an abundance of print and audiovisual material in the languages taught at UCSC, including music recordings and videos. Television programs are received from countries around the world. In addition, the Computing Laboratory at Cowell College has the capacity to process texts in non-Roman alphabets. Faculty in the Language Program are incorporating new technologies into their teaching on an ongoing basis, including computer software, CD-ROMs, Internet resources, and web pages.

In addition to language courses, the program offers upper-division courses exploring history, sociology, literature, art, film, and other manifestations of culture. Many of these course are taught in the target language.

Students who wish to concentrate on language study have the choice of various majors. Students can major in language studies, which combines courses in language proficiency and culture with general and applied linguistics. The Literature Department offers courses in French, German, Spanish, Latin American, and Italian literature. The Literature Department encourages all students to study a second language and requires two upper-division courses in a non-English literature for the intensive literature major. The History Department encourages students of Asian, Latin American, European, and classical history to study a second language and provides a variety of opportunities to make use of language skills in their studies. Latin American and Latino Studies focuses on the Hispanic culture of the Americas and requires all majors to read, speak, and write Spanish or Portuguese. Other area studies majors involving language study include classical studies, German studies, Italian studies, East Asian studies (Chinese emphasis), and global economics.

Study abroad is an important component of language study at UCSC. Language students have various opportunities for studying abroad, including one-quarter programs in Siena, Italy, Japan (global economics taught in English), and Costa Rica (tropical biology taught in English); semester programs in Austria, Chile, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Italy, or Mexico; and the yearlong UC Education Abroad Program, with centers in Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and Taiwan.