Foreign Languages Programs

Sylvia Trelles, Professor of Spanish, Chair

David J. Limburg, Associate Professor of German,
 Alfonso Abad-Mancheño, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Maria Park Bobroff, Assistant Professor of French
 Hiroko Hirakawa, Assistant Professor of Japanese
Kathryn T. Bowers, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Janet Starmer, Visiting Instructor of French

Gwyneth Cliver, Visiting Instructor of German

Carolina Casado, Visiting Instructor of Spanish
Laura Ibarra, Visiting Lecturer of Spanish

Guilford 's Quaker heritage has assured a continuing interest in the study of language as an instrument of international understanding. Courses are offered in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish.

Entering students take a placement test upon arrival to determine their level in a previously studied language. Students may place out of the one semester (101) foreign language requirement by taking that placement exam. Students who do not take the placement exam will be required to complete one semester of language 101. Students who place out of the foreign language requirement and wish to continue with their studies of a language will be placed in the appropriate level course according to the placement exam score. Intermediate (201-202) level (or equivalent experience) is a normal prerequisite for higher-numbered courses.

Degrees Offered

The Bachelor of Arts degree is offered in French, German, German Studies, and Spanish.

Major Requirements

The department offers majors in French, German, German Studies, and Spanish. A major consists of eight courses (32 credit hours) numbered above 111 and must include at least one 400 course. For a French or Spanish major, 220 must be included among the eight required courses. Students may do a Senior Thesis (470) or Departmental Honors (490) on a topic approved by the department. This will be counted as one of the eight courses, but will not replace the required 400-level course. Students planning to attend graduate school are urged to choose the senior thesis. French and Spanish courses in translation do not count towards the major.

A German Studies major requires participation in the Munich Semester Program. Students can count up to three courses taught in English toward the major and must also take at least five courses taught in German and selected from the German major curriculum.

Double majors in either French or Spanish and Education Studies, as well as K-12 licensure in these languages, are also offered. Students pursuing these double majors have the same requirements within the Foreign Languages Department as do other majors. The option of doing a senior thesis is not advisable for this double major. Students interested in pursuing a teaching career in German may do so by completing the requirements for a German major at Guilford and then acquiring certification at a graduate institution.

Course prerequisites: Except for courses in translation, a student is required to complete a 200-level course, its equivalent, or to obtain permission from the instructor before enrolling in a 300-level course. Further, students must complete at least one 300-level course before taking a 400-level course. We recommend that students of French and Spanish take 220 before taking a 300- or 400-level course.

Spanish majors must take at least one course from the Spanish peninsular area and one from Latin America. All majors must meet proficiency requirements.

All majors are expected to study abroad with an appropriate Guilford program before graduating. Approval of the department is necessary to either waive this requirement or to participate in another program abroad. Guilford currently offers semester programs in Beijing, Brunnenburg, Guadalajara, London, Munich, Paris, Rennes, and Japan, for which the appropriate language is either required or recommended.

Foreign language majors should choose a related field in order to consolidate and complement their major field of study or to enhance career opportunities. Majors in many other disciplines will find a concentration in a foreign language (four courses at the intermediate level and above) of immense value in the pursuit of a career.

Assessment of Foreign Language Majors

  • The 202/220 final will be a language proficiency exam. The exam will test speaking, knowledge of grammar, and explication of a text (for German: the literary portion will be given with the final for the fall 300 level course). Based on the results of the 202/220 test, students whose score is inadequate will likely be advised to A) discontinue as a language major, or B) study and retake the test when ready; at the latest before the beginning of the student's final 400 level course.
  • The following final project will be required for all seniors in their final 400 level course: A final paper or exam for the course, in the target language, in which students pull together the cultural knowledge they have acquired throughout the major, including material from the current 400 course. Students will select a cultural theme that has recurred in several courses, and develop an essay about the theme, tracing its importance through historical, cultural, and literary contexts. Students will begin this project early in their final semester. Along with the essay, students will turn in a three-question evaluation form, assessing their language major and outlining future goals.
  • Students will complete a study abroad self-assessment form.