The knowledge and appreciation that come from the study of literature can be a source of delight and fulfilment throughout our lives. The Department of Modern Languages, offering courses in English, French, Italian Studies, Film Studies, Writing, Spanish and Speech, offers sound instruction in a student-centred teaching environment. This end is achieved in part through careful and individual attention to your assignments, and the availability of professors for discussion outside regular class hours. We believe that such an approach to education reflects fundamental humanistic values implicit in the study of languages and literature.

Our introductory English courses acquaint you with a comprehensive range of British, Canadian and American literature; in addition, emphasis is placed upon the effective use of language as a vehicle for the formation and communication of ideas. Our first-year French courses are designed to develop your ability to read, understand and speak the language with a facility and confidence sufficient for your subsequent progression in a French program. Our Language Laboratory affords you the opportunity to practice and thus further develop your ability to use the language as a means of oral communication.

Throughout your undergraduate career, we seek to advance, both intensively and extensively, your knowledge of significant works in literature. By majoring in English or French, you will follow a program of courses in which a literary creation is studied both as a work of art and as a product of a specific historical and cultural moment. These courses represent opportunities for the expansion of your knowledge of the human condition and the consequent broadening of your human sympathies. In sum, the long-range aim of the Department of Modern Languages is to help you to acquire skill in the use of language, to read with analytical and critical judgment, and to appreciate literature both in itself and in relation to other fields of study. The Department offers the following programs:

English:

• Honors Specialization in English Language and Literature
• Major in English Language and Literature
• Specialization in English Language and Literature
• Minor in English for Teachers
• Minor in Dramatic Literature
• Minor in English Language and Literature
• Minor in General English

French:

• Honors Specialization in French Language and Literature
• Honors Specialization in French Linguistics and Literature
• Honors Specialization in French Language and Linguistics
• Major in French
• Minor in French.