Students in French classroom A second language is an advantage in a world that is becoming increasingly interconnected. Professor Jean-Louis Dassier gives students in his French classes a valuable skill for their careers.

Broaden Your Horizons and Expand Your Career Opportunities with a Foreign Language

 

Learning a language brings you closer to a culture. It gives you a deeper perspective and understanding of why people from other countries act the way they do. It is a gateway to discovery, to meeting people, to expanding your view of the world, and to feeling connected.

Becoming proficient in a foreign language will also exercise your brain. Your analytic skills sharpen, your creativity increases, your memory expands, and your proficiency in English improves. Most importantly, you open your mind to a world of possibilities.

While English may be the international language of business, developing a level of proficiency in a foreign language will give you the competitive advantage when working in that country or with foreign businesses. You will gain trust more readily, you will make friends more easily, and all of this will open up a world of opportunities for you.

Why Foreign Languages?

There are almost two billion people who speak English. That leaves more than four and a half billion who don't. In the western hemisphere, Spanish is the most widely understood language. Not knowing a foreign language limits you. Being proficient in one expands your worldview.

The World Needs Foreign Language Majors

There are many reasons to major in or take foreign languages. You may be a native speaker or have a particular level of proficiency in that language, and you want to study it further. You have a major that will benefit from your study of a specific language. You may be looking to take a foreign language to fulfill your graduation requirements. Whatever your reason, know this: You will be taught by an exceptional group of professors who will make your language classes vital, relevant, and fun.

Expected Outcomes with an Undergraduate Degree in a Foreign Language

There is no limit to what you can do with foreign language study. With proficiency in a foreign language like Spanish, French, German, Chinese, or Japanese, you will be more marketable in today's global economy.

  • Learn to speak, read, write, and understand spoken language, as well as gain valuable cultural insights that can make you more competitive in many fields.
  • Explore the many department-sponsored study abroad options available to you in Spain, France, Germany, Costa Rica, and Mexico.
  • Get your Spanish Education BA + Certificate and be almost 100 percent assured that you will find work as a Spanish teacher in K-12 settings.

The IUP Difference

The IUP faculty. IUP's faculty has a long tradition of national leadership in foreign languages. Our department boasts two past presidents of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, and our professors are known for working closely with students to make sure they achieve a high level of proficiency in speaking and writing.

Get credits for your knowledge of French and Spanish. If you are an incoming student and have a particular level of proficiency in French or Spanish, you can earn college credits for what you already know.

Social media. We offer you ways to immerse yourself in a foreign language by connecting you through Facebook to students in other countries. This technique is used in the classroom, and you will see how you can make new friends and improve your proficiency at the same time. It's a win-win proposition.

The IUP Spring Methodology Conference on Foreign Language Teaching. Since 1975, our faculty has organized one of the most successful regional conferences: The IUP Spring Methodology Conference on Foreign Language Teaching. Our keynote speakers have included most of the leading researchers and teachers in the field and several of the past presidents of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

Lead with Languages from APCO Worldwide on Vimeo.