Subject Resources

General Information About Foreign Language Degree Programs

Studying a foreign language is a practical skill with immediate benefits. As the world becomes more integrated, a global community in terms of culture and business, the need to speak more than one language is growing. Learning a foreign language provides students with the proficiency and comprehension necessary for bilingualism or multilingualism in addition to promoting cultural sensitivity and awareness.

The language a student chooses should be one of interest, but also one that will advance his career. Arabic, Chinese and Spanish are some of the “hot” languages to learn for jobs, since there are more places in the world speaking these languages, thus more places in need of foreign language speakers.

Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian, also known as the four “romance” languages, are usually offered at every college or university. Other common language courses include German, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, Latin, Korean and Arabic, which are considerably more difficult for English speakers to learn. Different schools offer varying languages depending on how developed the foreign language program is at the school and the demand from the students. The larger the university, the more uncommon languages are offered, such as Vietnamese, Swedish, Thai, Czech, Malay, Greek, Hebrew, Persian (Farsi), Hawaiian, Swahili, Croatian, Turkish, Yiddish, Polish, Irish/Gaelic, Finnish, Dutch or American Sign Language (ASL).

Earning a foreign language degree online is not nearly as doable as it is for other degrees, such as business or information technology, since much of learning a foreign language involves working individually with teachers, in groups and in front of an audience speaking, writing and reading the language. However, there are many free foreign language courses online, which can serve as a class by itself or as a useful study aid. MIT, Open University, Utah State University, the BBC and FSI Language offer OpenCourseWare programs with over 100 free online foreign language courses.

Bachelor Of Arts In A Foreign Language

Earning a Bachelor of Arts in a foreign language involves proving written and oral proficiency in the language the student studies. Some schools require independent courses or a series of classes related to the language, such as Japanese literature, art history and history courses, plus linguistics and other humanities classes. Choosing another academic field of interest, such as linguistics, business, education or sciences will be of tremendous use in the job market. While there are positions available that strictly involve translating, there are far more job opportunities at companies with foreign clients, in the government or in schools.

Many schools offer ways for students to prove their knowledge of a foreign language before taking the require coursework. If a student has scored high enough on the advanced placement examination for that particular language in high school, the credits can carry over. Other students who wish to continue learning a language they started in high school can take placement tests to see if they can skip ahead to an intermediate level. Some schools offer summer intensive courses that teach at an accelerated pace, which is especially useful for students who want to jump ahead or review the language for the fall semester.

Master Of Arts In A Foreign Language

A Masters of Arts in a foreign language requires a B.A. in that particular language (e.g. French) and involves more in-depth learning of language theory, aesthetics, medieval literature, modern literature, criticism and cultural studies. Some schools offer combined B.A. and M.A. language-intensive programs, which reduces the time spent in school while still earning a higher degree.

Earning A Higher Degree In Foreign Language

Earning a Ph.D. in a foreign language requires a master’s degree in the chosen language of study first. All students must pass written and oral examinations and complete a dissertation that presents the student’s knowledge of interdisciplinary expertise, critical thinking and interpretation. Some degree programs offer optional emphases on applied linguistics, specific literary periods or cultural studies.

Coursework For Foreign Languages

Nearly all the coursework for the first two years is the same when it comes to learning a foreign language: reading, writing and speaking. Many of the assignments come from textbook and workbook combinations that require the student to incorporate all three aspects of learning at the same time. After passing beginner and intermediate levels, many foreign language degree requirements are much like English courses in that they involve reading, analyzing and critical reasoning of select foreign literature.

In order to maintain the high level of fluency needed for jobs, students of foreign language studies must be diligent in their studies as well as outside teachings and extracurricular lessons. Reading foreign newspapers and books, watching foreign films and volunteering language skills at local organizations are great ways to utilize skills outside the classroom. Internships and summer jobs are also ideal for practicing the language in a real-world setting.

Traveling abroad is one of the best ways to gain insight and a deeper understanding of the cultural and social perspectives of another country. Going to school in Germany, for example, fully immerses the student into using German on a daily basis. Also, the experience of going abroad, learning and living in another culture led to overall personal growth and intellectual development and appreciation.

Career Opportunities In Foreign Language

Career opportunities for foreign language graduates may seem bleak in comparison to more stable job markets in the sciences and business. However, being bilingual is a huge advantage over those who cannot speak a second language, especially for any organization that needs someone who deals with non-English speaking people on a regular basis.

The most common jobs for foreign language degree holders involve work in education, such as teaching at any level, or as a translator communicating between two languages, like from English to French and vice versa. The government always needs interpreters and translators, with jobs in the Department of State, Customs Service and CIA or FBI.

Public relations, journalism, communications, advertising and marketing for businesses, foreign news, museums and TV and film companies are hire foreign language specialists, as do banks, import and export companies, foreign firms and American firms operating in other countries. Of course, travel and tourism jobs in hotel management, airlines and resorts are always in demand of foreign language graduates.

Earning Potential For Foreign Language Careers

The salary for foreign language degree holders varies greatly depending on the language learned, any other degrees or academics and the field of work. A translator can make anywhere from $37,056 to $50,299 on average, while educators tend to start slightly less at $32,839 to $51,976. Foreign exchange traders can make up to $61,200, whereas speech and language pathologists can earn up to $67,500. Jobs in the private sector, government and nonprofit all vary in salary, but are roughly equivalent.

Language education is the teaching and learning of a language and considered a branch of applied linguistics. Learning a foreign language entails studying and practicing the ability to read, write, speak and understand a foreign language, as well as study and learn about the history and culture of that particular community or communities where the language is spoken and act appropriately in any culture where the language is prominent. For instance, Spanish speakers would learn about how Spain, Mexico, Central American and South American countries cultures differ from each other, even though they share a common language.

Foreign Language Books And Research

The textbooks used for foreign language classes differ depending on the choice of language. Most classes, however, will use a combination of various workbooks for practicing writing and a main textbook that covers grammar, reading comprehension, vocabulary and cultural studies.

Foreign language courses are very interactive and usually involve a lot of projects where the students work individually or in a group to present information to the class. Go to the school library for books and periodicals. LexisNexis Academic is an excellent online database to start with, while NewsBank features newspapers and translated international news. FRANCIS has links to articles from academic journals, but the focus is on European languages.

Foreign Language Resources

Humanities > Languages >

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TOEFL Prep Resources
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General Language Resources
1Stop-language.com
"Everything for language teaching and learning for free."

AltaVista - Translate with BabelFish
"...enables you to translate short passages to and from English to a number of languages and to and from several specific pairs of languages (for example, German to French, French to German). You can also translate Web sites."

AsiaSource - Language Resources
"This list of Asian language resources includes: general resources; lessons; pronunciation guides; online dictionaries; related software and fonts.
Languages from Bengali to Vietnamese.
- A Resources of the Asia Society

Deafness: Choices of Communication
Sections include: ASL or American Sign Language ; The Deaf Culture ; Auditory Verbal Approach ; Cued Speech ; SEE (Signing Exact English) ; Total Communication ; Local Assistance ; Assistive Devices.
Includes both print and online resources.
By Virginia Johnson, Central Rappahannock Regional Library

Digital Dictionaries of South Asia
 "The Digital Dictionaries of South Asia Project is a collaborative effort to widen access to South Asian Language Dictionaries. Established dictionaries for each of the twenty-six modern literary languages of South Asia will be mounted on the web for free and open access."

Ethnologue, Web Version
"This electronic version of Ethnologue: Languages of the World presents the data used to prepare the printed volumes, along with links to the SIL Bibliography and the International Academic Bookstore."

European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (EBLUL) (English or French)
"It acts and speaks on behalf of the more than 40 million European Union citizens who speak an autochthonous language other than the main official language of the State in which they live...The Bureau's general aim is to promote the autochthonous lesser used (regional, minority and non-territorial) languages of the member states of the European Union and the linguistic rights of those who speak these languages."

The Finnish Language
Written for Virtual Finland by Hannele Branch, Lecturer in Finnish, University of London

fonetiks.org
An Online Language Laboratory
"Complete online pronunciation guides with native speaker sounds and accents in British English, American English, French, French Canadian, German, Italian, Spanish, Thai, Indonesian and other languages."

Foreign Language Instructional Technology Interest Group
Sections on resources by languages, software reviews, professional & networking resources, and standardized testing.

Foreignword.com
The Language Site: Dictionaries & Translation Tools
Includes On-Line Tools ; Translators ; Forum ; Technology.
"DictSearch, now includes more than 90 on-line dictionaries and 250 different language combinations, all accessible from a single screen."

Free-Translator.com
"Find a selection of the best free Translators, Dictionaries and language Courses on the Web. Anything you look for any language, in just one site! There are also links to news, encyclopedias, maps, glossaries and more."

HandSpeak: Visual Languages
A Sign Language Dictionary Online

iLoveLanguage
"...is a comprehensive catalog of language-related Internet resources. The more than 2000 links at iLoveLanguages have been hand-reviewed to bring you the best language links the Web has to offer. Whether you're looking for online language lessons, translating dictionaries, native literature, translation services, software, language schools, or just a little information on a language you've heard about, iLoveLanguages probably has something to suit your needs."

Indigenous Language Institute
"...collaborates with indigenous communities to revitalize and perpetuate the languages and culture of the original inhabitants of the Americas."

  • Endangered Languages Database - (dead link)
    "This summary report includes one hundred and nine (109) language researchers reporting on 151 languages/dialects. Language researchers responded to our survey from Australia (3), Belize (1), Canada (8), China (1), Denmark (2), England (5), Germany (2), Hong Kong (1), Japan (1), Mexico (2), the Netherlands (5), Scotland (1), Spain (1), Venezuela (1), and the rest from the United States (75)."
    Linguistic Society of America / Committee on Endangered Languages & their Preservation.
  • Native Languages Revitalization Resource Directory - (dead link)
    "Here you will find information about Native language programs and practitioners, publications, organizations, and a variety of resources for those involved in, or interested in starting, a language revitalization program."

Introduction to the Hungarian Language
Maintained by ¡kos Dˆmˆtˆr

Language Learning & Technology
A refereed journal for second & foreign language educators

Language School Explorer - (dead link)
"Search engine with 3000 institutes world wide. Bulletin board and free newsletter about languages."

Lanaguage-Learning.net
"International WHERE+HOW has been publishing the "WHERE+HOW Guides to Language Centres" in book form for the past 15 years. With the world wide web becoming an indispensable and universal tool for finding information, we have launched the Language-Learning.net as a successor to the WHERE + HOW Guides on the internet, providing free access to the most comprehensive language schools directory online."

The Languages of Afghanistan
Brief information on some of the roughly 45 languages currently spoken in Afghanistan.
Ethnologue report for Afghanistan

Lexicool
Directory of Translation Dictionaries
"The directory currently has links to over 500 translation dictionaries and glossaries

Pan South African Language Board (PanSALB)

 

scots-online
A wonderful collection of resources on Scots, including an interactive dictionary, texts, grammar, history, list of Scots language organizations, and links to additional resources.

Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas

  • Learning Aids - (dead link)
    "We currently have information on published and 'semi-published' teaching and general reference materials for the following North American Indian languages or groups of languages."

[Software] Virtual CALL Library - U. of Sussex
"...aims to be a central point of access to the diverse collection of Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) software scattered across the Internet and available for downloading."
- University of Sussex - Sussex Language Institute

South African Languages Web
"Website dedicated to the eleven official languages of South Africa."
By Jako Olivier

Speech Accent Archive
"This site examines the accented speech of speakers from many different language backgrounds reading the same sample paragraph. Currently, we have obtained 287 speech samples."
By Steven Weinberger, George Mason University

[Translations] WordReference.com
"...providing quick and easy dictionary translations to people reading foreign languages.  With these new tools, and using professional dictionaries, WordReference.com should make it easier for users to read and comprehend foreign language Web pages."

Transparent.com
"Offering a wide variety of language activities and information ó Word of the Day, online games, tests, and quizzes, language and cultural information, newsletters, and an online store."

Yamada WWW Language Guides
"The guides contain information about 115 languages. There are 112 fonts in our archives, for 40 languages."
- University of Oregon

You Know the Drill
"A fast, effective, and FREE way to learn foreign language vocabulary"
"This site provides a way for you to learn vocabulary words through repetition. It might be boring, but it gets the job done...How does it work? You choose the language you are interested in, and the site begins asking you to translate words. If you get words wrong, it will repeat those words, in order to reinforce the correct translation. The site keeps track of which words you have mastered and which you are working on, so you can go away and come back and take up where you left of."

Welsh
A Welsh Course
 "This course is one suitable for beginners. The main emphasis of the course is in developing conversational skills in Welsh as it is currently spoken (as contrasted with teaching the forms needed for understanding literary Welsh)."
By Mark Nodine

TWLL - The Welsh Learning Links
Includes: Language Lessons ; Bookshelf ; Vocab Builder ; Internet Resources ; Software.
By Hazel Davey

Created by librarian Mike Madin