Program Description
Language studies is an interdisciplinary major sponsored by the Linguistics Department. It is designed to equip students with a thorough competence in one or more foreign languages and, at the same time, provide students with an understanding of the general nature of human language—its structure and use. It is a demanding program that requires (1) acquisition of demonstrable competence in a language other than English, (2) a thorough grounding in linguistics, and (3) completion of a series of cultural context courses related to the language. Currently, majors may choose a concentration in Chinese, French, German, modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Russian, or Spanish. Interested students should contact the Linguistics Department Office early in their college career to obtain essential information about requirements. Students are also encouraged to obtain a current copy of the undergraduate handbook for language studies (from the department office), which contains detailed information about the major.
A junior year abroad through the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) in a country appropriate to the major language is recommended. A senior year abroad is approved only when all of the language proficiency requirement has been satisfied and when it is clear that any remaining courses can be satisfactorily completed abroad. Courses taken abroad may be used to satisfy major requirements only if approved by the language studies director or a designated adviser.
Requirements for the Major
Early Declaration
It is important that prospective students declare the major as early as possible so that they can complete the advanced language, linguistics, and context requirements within an allowable period of enrollment. Alternatively, students can opt for the general linguistics major with a particular language focus (see Linguistics).
Students who wish to include an EAP experience in their course of study will have to coordinate their choice of year abroad with the scheduling of UCSC courses. Transfer students who have not made significant progress with the language requirements before entering UCSC may find it difficult to include an EAP year before completion of graduation requirements.
Course Requirements
To graduate, all language studies majors must satisfy course requirements in language study, linguistics, and cultural context. They must also fulfill the senior exit requirement.
Language study requirement. Majors in Chinese and Japanese must achieve a level equivalent to nine quarters of language study. Majors in French, German, modern Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish must achieve a level equivalent to six quarters in the language of concentration and take the equivalent of courses 1, 2, and 3 in a second language. Note that language courses 4, 5, or 6 fulfill one of the introduction to humanities (IH) general education requirements.
Linguistics requirement. Seven courses as follows:
Linguistics
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51, Phonetics
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101, Phonology I
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52, Syntax I; or 55, Syntactic Structures
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53, Semantics I
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140, Language Change (history)
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a course in language structure from the Linguistics 180-series which is relevant to the major language. See the undergraduate handbook for language studies for further information;
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one elective course in linguistic study. This may be any of courses 80C, 80D, or 80V; any upper-division course in linguistics; or an approved course in linguistic study from another department. Consult the list of preapproved electives in the undergraduate handbook for language studies.
Cultural context requirement. Five courses in the cultural context of the major language are required and may be selected from a variety of disciplines including literature, history, politics, and art. The undergraduate handbook for language studies details the available and required context courses for each major concentration. One quarter’s work through individual study can fulfill a context requirement.
Senior exit requirement. The senior exit requirement consists of a take-home exam on general linguistics and the structure of the major language. Alternatively, students doing especially strong course work in the major may propose to satisfy the senior exit requirement by doing a senior thesis or project. The proposal for a senior thesis or project must be submitted for approval to the designated adviser one year prior to the quarter of graduation.
The senior thesis is an original investigation of the major language in some relevant way, such as the linguistic structure or history of the language or its historical, literary, cultural, sociological, ethnographic, or political context.
A senior project consists of either a linguistic research project or a translation project. Linguistic research projects might analyze some aspect of the phonology or syntax of the major language, analyze and compare dialects, or study new word formations found in the current press, among other possibilities.
In general, doing a translation project requires some training in translation theory. This might be acquired through Education Abroad Program study or, if possible, through independent study. A translation project requires a translation of a selected work in the major language and, in the case of French, German, Italian, and Spanish, also an introduction written in the language of the translated text. The translation course is in addition to the other requirements of the major.
Language Studies Major Planners
The following are two recommended academic plans for language studies majors. Plan One is a guideline for students who are planning to study abroad for a year. Plan Two is for students who are not planning to study abroad. In addition, students will have general education requirements to fulfill. Students are strongly advised to contact the Linguistics Department Office for assistance with individualized academic planning.
| Plan One | ||||
| Year | Fall | Winter | Spring | |
|
1st |
Lang (1st qrtr) |
Lang (2nd qrtr) |
Lang (3rd qrtr) |
|
|
2nd |
Lang (4th qrtr) |
Lang (5th qrtr) |
or |
Lang (6th qrtr) |
|
3rd |
Education Abroad year (three upper-div language studies context course requirements) | |||
|
4th |
2nd Lang (1st qrtr) |
2nd Lang (2nd qrtr) |
2nd Lang (3rd qrtr) |
|
| Plan Two | |||
| Year | Fall | Winter | Spring |
|
1st |
Lang (1st qrtr |
Lang (2nd qrtr) |
Lang (3rd qrtr) |
|
2nd |
Lang (4th qrtr) |
Lang (5th qrtr) |
Lang (6th qrtr) |
|
3rd |
context course |
context course |
context course Ling 140 |
|
4th |
2nd Lang (1st qrtr) |
2nd Lang (2nd qrtr) |
2nd Lang (3rd qrtr) |
Requirements for the Minor
The minor requires completion of two years (six quarters) of language study (or demonstration of an equivalent level of ability), three context courses, and five courses in linguistics: (51, 55 or 52, 101, 140, and an appropriate course from the 180 language structure series).