Minors and Certificates
With a minor in LLC you will gain the ability to communicate in another tongue but also to appreciate diversity and interact successfully across cultures.
The skills and values that come from increasing your intercultural fluency will make you stand out in a crowd.
A minor also allows you to supplement your resume for jobs in government, education, business, international work and many other professions.
With a minor in LLC you will gain the ability to communicate in another tongue but also to appreciate diversity and interact successfully across cultures. The skills and values that come from increasing your intercultural fluency will make you stand out in a crowd. A minor also allows you to supplement your resume for jobs in government, education, business, international work and many other professions.
Minor
in
LLC
9 minors
LLC offers departmental and interdisciplinary minors in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Italian, Russian, Arabic, and American Sign Language.
Departmental Minors
Spanish Minor at CSU
Why Spanish?
Spanish is one of the world’s most spoken languages—with about 500 million speakers. It is spoken in 44 countries, and the official language of 20 countries. In 2015, the US became the second-largest Spanish-speaking country and is projected to become the first by 2050. The Spanish-speaking world boasts diverse cultures and literatures, from masterpieces of art, Nobel prize winning novelists and a rich popular culture. The mixing of different cultures, brought about by the violence of colonialism, makes the cultures and histories of Latin American countries and Spain, a fascinating and complex area of study: from the Roman and Arabic influences on the Iberian peninsula to the different indigenous, African, and European cultures in the Americas.
Why Us?
Our minors, majors and master's program in Languages, Literatures and Cultures (Spanish) as well as the interdepartmental minor in Latin American Studies allow students to immerse themselves in the Spanish language and its cultures and literatures. The degree prepares students for careers in education, media, the economy, the government, the nonprofit sector and international work. See what our alumni are doing.
The Spanish program features faculty with specializations in applied and theoretical linguistics, language pedagogy, translation, peninsular Golden Age theater and poetry, colonial literature and contemporary Spain and Latin America, especially the literatures and cultures of Mexico, the Caribbean, the Southern Cone, and Central America. Course offerings include a wide range of language classes, classes in linguistics, translation, Latin American literatures and cultures, Peninsular literatures and cultures and Transatlantic studies. New courses are added every semester.
Students can practice their Spanish in class, at the regular Spanish Club meetings, El Centro, and our many study abroad programs. And get in touch with the latest research findings at the Departmental Lecture Series, the Graduate Showcase and other events on campus. Students engage with the community through the Bilingual Storytime in cooperation with Poudre River Public Library District and internships at local organizations.
French Minor at CSU
Why French?
French is spoken by 125 million people and is the 1st and 2nd language in 49 countries. It is also the 3rd most second language learned in the world. It is truly a strong professional and cultural language to work or travel abroad or even within the U.S. with over 4,600 French companies conducting business in this country. Canada is also the 1st US export partner and the 2nd US import partner of the U.S.A.
French, along with English, is the official working language of The European Union, The United Nations, UNESCO, NATO, and the International Olympic Committee. The French economy is among the strongest in the world. France is very advanced in science and technology and also plays an international role in medicine. France is the top worldwide tourist destination. France is intertwined with American history, while French culture, literature, arts, and philosophy continue to influence the US. Many graduate schools require knowledge of a second language, and French is considered very valuable in all fields. Additionally, the Peace Corps gives priority to French speakers.
Why us?
We offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate courses in language, French and Francophone literature, culture, linguistics and French for specific purposes (Business, Translation). The Department awards a B.A., a Minor, a Teacher licensure and an Master’s in French.
The French program features faculty with specializations in applied linguistics, language pedagogy, and Francophone Cultures and Literatures. Course offerings include a wide range of language classes, classes in linguistics, translation, and French and Francophone literatures and cultures.
Students can practice their French in class, at the regular French Club meetings and our many study abroad programs. And get in touch with the latest research findings at the Departmental Lecture Series, the Graduate Showcase and other events on campus. Students engage with the community through volunteering at Global Village Academy and with the World Languages Story time sponsored by the Poudre River Public Library District and internships at local organizations.
CSU also offers summer, semester, and year-long exchanges to France and Francophone countries and also sponsors a summer internship in Bénin, West Africa.
German Minor at CSU
Why German?
German is the most widely spoken language in Europe, the official language in Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, and is commonly used as a second language in the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe. The German economy alone ranks number one in Europe and number five worldwide, and Germany is home to numerous international corporations. German language skills can help towards employment with companies having global business connections.
At last count, 91 Nobel Prizes have been awarded to recipients from the three major German-speaking countries, both in the sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Medicine) and in the humanities (Literature, Peace). As such, German is relevant to such diverse fields as History, Engineering, Music, Art, International Studies, Business, and Philosophy – to name only a few. Germany awards generous scholarships for study and paid internships in Germany to those who possess some German language skills.
Both German and English are Indo-Germanic languages, affording students a ready grasp of the language, while simultaneously gaining a deeper understanding of English. Imagine reading the likes of Kafka, Freud, Goethe, and Wittgenstein in the original! Studying a language like German will also allow a unique viewpoint upon one’s own culture and history, and it can provide opportunities to interact with all those German tourists across the globe – Europe’s most generous spenders when traveling (and trailing only China and the US on the international stage).
Why Us?
Students can receive a B.A. degree with a major in German (Major check sheet), taking a variety of courses in language, literature, linguistics, culture, and practical applications such as Business German or translation. It is also possible to supplement a primary major with a minor (Minor check sheet) in German, thus diversifying one’s dossier for careers in government, education, business, and international work. Students wishing to pursue a career in teaching German may complete a teacher licensure to become certified K-12 teachers of the language in the state of Colorado.
The German faculty specialize in a variety of sub-fields, including 19th through 21st century literature, German film and other artistic phenomena, social-political and -cultural history, and linguistics and translation.
Many of our students pursue a semester or a full academic year of study abroad in Berlin, Bamberg, Lüneburg, Salzburg, and Vienna. There are additional opportunities for summer study abroad.
German Club is a vibrant, active group of students who share an interest in German language and culture, and who meet regularly and organize a variety of cultural events on campus and in the community. Join us for our annual “Wanderwochenende”, for example, pictured in the photo gallery above.
Chinese Minor at CSU
Why Chinese?
Nearly 1.3 billion people (around 16% of the world’s population) speak some form of Chinese as their first language. Mandarin Chinese is one of the six official languages of United Nations. China is the second largest economy in the world leading in exports and coming in second for imports. It is likely that more than 50% of what you own is made in China. Whether hiking in the Grand Canyon or walking on Fifth Ave. in New York you will meet Chinese people! US is the top desalination for Chinese tourists. Wouldn’t it be useful for you to speak some Chinese?
Why Us?
The CSU Chinese program offers a minor upon completing four years of Chinese language study. The goal of the program is to integrate the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Quite a few students participate in CSU study abroad programs either short term or year long. Credits from the accredited universities can be evaluated and transferred back to CSU. For new students with elementary Chinese language background, you can take verbal and reading placement tests with the Chinese program instructor to decide on the level of course to enroll. Please note that heritage students can only enroll if Chinese is not your native tongue.
One reason to take Chinese at CSU is that the Chinese Club is an energized student club hosting various events. Follow the Chinese Club.
Japanese Minor at CSU
Why Japanese?
Japan continues to be recognized as one of the world's leaders in the global arenas of economics, politics and renewable energy. Studying Japanese is a wise career-building strategy. Many CSU alumni with a Japanese minor have been hired by well-established companies such as Woodward, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi, Oppenheimer Funds, etc. because of their Japanese language ability. More and more Japanese companies are hiring non-Japanese who are fluent in the Japanese language.
The study of Japanese language offers unique insights into Japan's fascinating national culture. Studying Japanese greatly enriches the study of Japan's national culture, which boasts a rich heritage in the fields of native craftsmanship, performing art, visual art, music, film, and food.
Learning Japanese helps students gain an enhanced perspective of their own language and culture.Through studying Japanese, students have an opportunity to compare Japanese with their own language and culture. Many aspects of their own language and culture are more appreciated when students realize the differences and similarities among different cultures. Moreover, students of Japanese become eligible for opportunities to travel and/or study abroad.
Studying Japanese builds brain power! Once you study Japanese, you can handle any foreign language. This goes beyond being able to order sushi in style! Study of a challenging foreign language like Japanese fosters key analytical and critical thinking skills. Learning to write Japanese characters not only improves observation skills and dexterity but also stimulates the front cortex. For Westerners Japanese is the most difficult language among less commonly taught languages.
Japanese language education in the world continues to grow. In the US, 4.2% students population that is learning a foreign language take Japanese. According to a survey by the Japan Foundation, in 2012 a total of 3.98 million people in 136 different countries/regions were studying Japanese, up 9.2% from 2009.
Japan is increasingly emerging as a point of origin for American pop culture as anime, manga and other Japanese cultural exports hit U.S. airwaves and store shelves: “In cultural terms… Japan has become one of a handful of perfect globalization nations (along with the United States ). It has succeeded not only in balancing a flexible, absorptive, crowd-pleasing, shared culture with a more private, domestic one but also in taking advantage of that balance to build an increasingly powerful global commercial force. In other words, Japan 's growing cultural presence has created a mighty engine of national cool.” (Douglas McGray, “Japan's Gross National Cool,” Foreign Policy Magazine, June 2002).
In summary, for students, studying Japanese can be an asset in the job market, a spur to personal and intellectual growth, a source of increased self-esteem, and of course an enjoyable experience. Nihongo o benkyo shimasho! (Let's study Japanese!)
学业与就业指导
Interdisciplinary Minors
Top 10 Reasons Why YOU Should Take American Sign Language
- Application– Are you interested in child development? As a career or in your own family? ASL gives children language, a way to communicate before they can express themselves verbally.
- Cognitive benefits- ASL uses a different part of your brain and increases synaptic connections. Bi-modal bi-lingual competencies (google it!) enriches and enhances cognitive processes, higher abstract and creative thinking and MORE! This is your brain on ASL…
- Cultural awareness- There is a fascinating Deaf culture! The general public is unaware of the richness of Deaf culture and history. Promote cross cultural understanding in YOUR community!
- Diversity– TEN percent of Americans are Deaf and Hard of hearing- with your ASL skills, you can communicate with those 28+ million people.
- FUN–Sign with mouth full, teach your friends ASL- tell secrets in public, communicate underwater and through windows!
- Human connection– The 4th most non-English used language in the United States! Join the Deaf education revolution that connects two groups of people.
- Improves (all) communication and listening skills– ASL is the 4th most studied modern/foreign language at colleges and universities in the U.S. according the Modern Language Association-it’s easily the fastest growing language offered at colleges nationwide. ASL improves receptive abilities visually, and incorporates kinesthetic expressive language skills.
- It’s Poetic– ASL is a beautiful visually creative language…See the results of one CSU’s student’s project! http://www.collegian.com/2014/11/csu-student-offers-musical-experience-for-deaf-community/102563/
- Language acquisition– By exposing your child to sign language as an infant, the National Institute of Health states that by age 8 your child will display up to 12 IQ points higher than non-learners of sign!
- Marketability– Conversational in ASL-excellent skill to mention on your resume!
Image Information: Rourke, Nancy. HandEye. 2013, used with permission from the artist.
Why Russian?
- Russian combines well with many other disciplines. Business and Russian would open up the world of business opportunities; Biology and Russian would allow you to study unique places like lake Baikal or Vasuygan Swamp, largest in the northern hemisphere. You can consult in your field of study including marketing, advertising, aerospace, and computer engineering.
- Speaking Russian opens a door to a better career. It gives you a professional edge and proves your intellect. With the knowledge of Russian and Russian culture you can work in business for American and Russian companies, work for non-governmental organizations or for media. More and more companies seeking qualified employees who can speak and write in Russian.
- Russian is a language with a rich cultural heritage, the culture of Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chaikovsky, Rachmaninov, etc. Russian language also ranks with English and Chinese as one of the three most significant world languages as 28% of the world’s scientific literature is produced in Russian.
- Russian is the key that opens up one of the most important economic, political, and cultural areas of the world. It opens up the largest country of the world and one of the largest produces of natural gas and oil in the world.
Simply because you want to! Imagine walking down the streets of Saint-Petersburg on one of the white nights, wandering around royal palaces or crossing the snowy Red Square on your way to one of the local cafes to meet your Russian friends.
Why Us?
At Colorado State University we know that the reasons for studying Russian language and culture are as unique and diverse as you are. As regions of the former Soviet Union spread their political and economic wings, the number and variety of career paths available to students of Russian language and culture is constantly expanding. On any given day, in fact, you can find dozens of nurses, farmers, business professionals, artists, teachers, construction workers, funeral parlor owners, adoption workers, missionaries, entertainment entourages, athletes and school children traveling between the US and the countries of the former Soviet Union.
Stop waiting to learn Russian! Get started this semester!
Why Italian?
A variety of motives lead people to choose to study Italian language and culture.
As a language that derived from Latin, Italian gives students in medical/scientific and legal fields valuable insight into the root words and meanings of common terms in their respective disciplines; most anatomical/scientific and legal terms have close relatives in Italian, such as, arteria, vertebra , stomaco, intestino, ibrido, mercurio, tribunale, ipotesi, legale, giudiziario…
Artistic fields have drawn much from Italian culture, so the areas of music, visual arts, poetry, culinary studies, all have been beneficiaries; that gives currency to words like allegro, crescendo, orchestra, basilica, terra cotta, cupola, stanza, ottava, terzina, spaghetti, tortellini, cannoli…,
Modern Italy was one of the founding nations of the European Union and is a member of the G20, the group of some of the most industrialized nations in the world; thus, Italian is an important language of commerce in fields such as Formula 1 car racing (e.g., Ferrari), fashion and design (e.g., Armani, Gucci, Damiani, Natuzzi,), and the food industry (Barilla, Bertolli).
Italy is a popular destination because of its immense variety—rocky, sandy, and cliffside beaches, rolling hillsides, the Alps and Apennines, fertile plains, cities steeped in architectural and artistic history, and a culinary inheritance as regional and wide-ranging as the people who inhabit the Italian peninsula; further, it has been estimated that 40% of the cultural riches of the world reside in Italy.
Many people study Italian because of its melodic, musical sound; because it is a phonetic language, Italian pronunciation is relatively easy.
In some ways, as Chaucer is to English, Dante is to Italian: both writers gave these once marginalized, “vulgar” languages a place of honor within their literary canons and vaulted them into positions of respected status. For Italian, that status was further cemented by literary masterpieces by Petrarch, Boccaccio and others.
Unlike Latin, Italian is a living language with antique and modern traces, spoken today by almost 200,000 people as a first or second language; as such, it is a language of interest to travelers who desire to be more than tourists.
Italian is the fourth most studied foreign language in the world.
Italian is a language and culture studied for many reasons, including discovering more about one’s heritage. After thorough study, students can also decide to work or study in Italy, teach Italian, become tourist guides, interpreters, or translators.
Why Arabic?
Arabic is spoken natively by over 400 million people across the world, making it the fifth most widely spoken language. It is also an official language of United Nations (UN), World Bank (WB), International Monetary Fund (IMF), International Olympic Committee (IOC), Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), and many other international organizations. Arabic belongs to the Semitic language family, and its contribution is evident in many languages. Highly frequent English words like ‘alcohol’, ‘algebra’, ‘cotton’, ‘soda’, and ‘sugar’, are all derived from Arabic. Similar considerations apply to Persian in which nearly 50% of its vocabulary comes from Arabic. Since Arabic and Hebrew are related linguistically, they also share numerous linguistic concepts, including morphological, phonological, and semantic. With that being stated, learning Arabic can be a bridge in learning other languages spoken in Middle East and Africa. Additionally, learning Arabic allows you to communicate with millions around the world along with gaining profound insights into the political, cultural, historical and religious values of the Arabic-speaking countries. It is also a key to innumerable employment opportunities in the public, private, or non-profit sectors. Now more than ever, there is a much greater need for workers who are versed in Arabic to serve in journalism, business, foreign affairs, research, intelligence, medicine, education, and many other fields. With less than 1 percent of students studying Arabic in the States, learning Arabic will definitely help you to be distinguished among job applicants.
Why Us?
The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures follows a communicative approach that integrates reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as functional and structural skills. Instruction is provided in Modern Standard Arabic, which is a key in facilitating communication regardless of regional dialects. Three levels of Arabic are offered for students with a wide range of academic backgrounds and abilities: beginning, intermediate, and advanced. Students with no background in Arabic should register for LARA 100, which is offered each Fall. Students at more advanced levels can request independent studies. Besides working to improve our students’ linguistic and communicative competence, we provide courses that will acquaint them with the cultures, religious heterogeneity (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism), political systems, media networks, economics, and literatures of the Arabic-speaking countries. Lastly, our students benefit from Arabic language partners, language-computer lab, skilled tutors, and a rich variety of cultural events organized by CSU Arabic Club, including movies, cooking workshops, and field trips.
Though not a minored program, the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, offers course instruction in Korean with Korean Instructor Kyeoung Hee "Kate" Kim. Courses include beginner course LKOR 100, intermediate course LKOR 200, and advanced Korean LKOR 380A1.