Languages and Literatures

Bachelor of Arts Degree

The department offers majors in classical languages, classical studies, French, German, Hispanic Studies, and supports majors in Chinese Studies and Nordic Studies. Minors are offered in Chinese, Chinese Studies, Classical Studies, French, German, Greek, Hispanic Studies, Latin, and Norwegian. All majors must complete a capstone senior project within the department. Majors must complete at least 12 semester hours in residence at PLU, of which 4 semester hours must be taken either in the senior year or upon return from a study away program. Minors must complete at least 8 semester hours in residence. Specific requirements (and variations from the above) for specific majors and minors are listed below.

Language Resource Center

The language curriculum at all levels features use of PLU’s state-of-the-art multimedia Language Resource Center, located in Hong International Hall. Advanced students have the opportunity to work as assistants in the center, gaining computer expertise while accelerating their language skills.

Placement in Language Classes

Students are encouraged to continue their language study at PLU. The placement survey must be taken before enrolling in a language course. The language placement survey and exercises may be found in Self-Service Banner at https://banweb.plu.edu/pls/pap/twbkwbis.P_GenMenu?name=homepage.

Advanced Placement Credit

Students with scores of 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement Examination in areas represented in the Department of Languages and Literatures can receive four additional semester hours upon completion of the course (with a grade of C or better) into which they place through PLU’s language placement examination. Advance placement credit is not awarded for 100-level courses.

Hong International Hall

Students with an interest in foreign language and global issues are encouraged to apply to live in Hong International Hall, a living-learning community consisting of five language and cultural houses: Chinese, French, German, Hispanic studies, International Honors, Norwegian and The International Honors house. Located in the middle of upper campus, Hong is a hub for campus activities focused on language, culture and international issues that seeks to create “a supportive home and a hopeful environment that challenges residents and the campus to become fluent in languages and conversant with international issues.” Hong International Hall thus promotes global awareness through intentional language immersion and culture engagement. Go to the Hong International Hall website at www.plu.edu/residential-life/residence-halls/hong-international-hall/ for further information.

Senior Project

Students majoring in a foreign language enroll in 499 Capstone: Senior Seminar course listed in their language of study. The student presents a summary of the completed assignment at an open departmental forum. (2 to 4)

Prospective Teachers

Students preparing to teach in a junior or senior high school may earn either a Bachelor of Arts degree in French, German, or Hispanic Studies along with certification from the School of Education and Kinesiology, or a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree with a teaching major or minor in French, German, or Spanish. Secondary teaching minors are also available in Chinese and Latin. Elementary teaching majors are available in all of the above languages.

To best prepare prospective language teachers to meet Washington State World Languages Endorsement Competencies, students are strongly encouraged to participate in one of PLU’s Study Away programs. See the Department of Education section of this catalog for certification requirements and the Bachelor of Arts in Education requirements.

Policy on Student Use of Machine Translation

Among the fundamental goals of second language and cultural study at the university level is the acquisition of the cognitive skills necessary to express one’s own thoughts and ideas effectively in the second language without dependence upon others. Central to this goal is the Principle of Academic Integrity, which states that “students are inherently responsible to do their own work, thereby insuring the integrity of their academic records.” The challenge, and at times the struggle, of learning to formulate coherent thoughts in a second language forms an integral part of the process of second language acquisition. The use of machine translation by students to complete assignments in courses in which second language acquisition is a primary goal subverts the aim of gaining practice and skill in thinking for oneself in the target language. Moreover, it short-circuits the capacity of students to appreciate and gain skill in the use of idiom in the target language, an aspect of translation in which machine translations are notoriously weak. Among the definitions of cheating included in PLU’s policy on Academic Integrity is “[the use of] information or devices not allowed by the faculty, such as formulas or a computer program or data …”

Given the aims and the realities mentioned above, and in light of PLU’s Policy on Academic Integrity, the Department of Languages and Literatures issues the following guidelines on the use of machine translation for students of language, literature, and culture:

1. The use of machine translation in the writing of graded homework and other class assignments in which language counts is strictly prohibited.
2. The use of machine translation in the creation of other work authored by a student and submitted for a grade must be declared in writing as part of the document in question. Failure to follow these guidelines will be treated by faculty as a breach of PLU’s Policy on Academic Integrity.

Fields of Study

Courses in the Department of Languages and Literatures are offered in the following general fields in addition to elementary, intermediate, and advanced language:

• Cultural History In English
  • CLAS 350: Classical and Comparative Mythology
  • CLAS 321: Greek Civilization
  • CLAS 322: Roman Civilization
  • HISP 341: The Latino Experiences in the U.S.
  • NORD 227: The Vikings
  • NORD 322: Scandinavia and World Issues
• In Respective Language
  • FREN 310: ST in French History/Culture
  • GERM 411: German Cultural History to 1750
  • GERM 412: German Cultural History since 1750
  • HISP 321: Civilization and Culture of Spain
  • HISP 322: Latin American Civilization and Culture
• Literature In English
  • CHIN 371: Chinese Literature in Translation
  • CLAS 231: Masterpieces of European Literature
  • CLAS 350: Classical and Comparative Mythology
  • HISP 341: The Latino Experience in the U.S.
  • HISP 441: U.S. Latino Literature
  • LANG 271: Literature Around the World
  • NORD 241: Nordic Folklore
  • NORD 341: Migrant Voices in Nordic Literature
• In Respective Language
  • FREN 401: Early Modern French Literature
  • FREN 402: Modern French Literature
  • FREN 403: Contemporary French Literature
  • FREN 404: (Post) Colonial Francophone Literature
  • GERM 423: Topics in German Literature and Culture I
  • GERM 424: Topics in German Literature and Culture II
  • HISP 325: Introduction to Hispanic Literary Studies
  • HISP 421: Masterpieces of Spanish Literature
  • HISP 422: 20th Century Literature of Spain
  • HISP 423: Special Topics in Spanish Literature and Culture
  • HISP 431: Latin American Literature, 1492-1888
  • HISP 432: 20th Century Latin American Literature
  • HISP 433: Special Topics in Latin American Literature and Culture

Courses that Meet General Education (GenEd) Program Elements

• CHIN 271: China Through Film – AR, C
  An exploration of the history and recent directions of Chinese cinema, the relationship between film and other Chinese media, film, and the Chinese government, and the particular appear of Chinese film on the international market. No prior study of Chinese required. Cross-listed with THEA 271.(4)
• Literature Requirement – LT
  All department literature courses, offered both in the original language and in English translation, meet this requirement.
• Perspectives on Diversity: Cross-Cultural Perspectives – C
  The Cross-Cultural Perspectives element may be fulfilled by a foreign language course numbered 201 or above (not sign language) used to satisfy the entrance requirement, or completion through the first year of college level of a foreign language (not sign language) other than that used to satisfy the foreign language entrance requirement.
• Perspectives on Diversity: Alternative Perspectives – A
  HISP 341 and 441 meet this requirement.

Click for specific area:

Classical Studies and Classical Languages

Hispanic Studies

Modern Languages

Nordic Studies