Foreign Languages and Literatures

Joan McRae Chair

Ananth, Da, Diaz, Goldberg, Hedgepeth, Heine, Lyons, Maisonneuve, McBreen, McCullough, Mistron, Morris, Neely, Nogueira, Novella, Pettigrew, Rice, Rusciolelli, Thomas

Courses in foreign languages and literatures are designed to meet the needs of all students and to develop communication skills and appreciation of cultures and literatures. The major is offered for those preparing to teach foreign languages, for students wishing to develop proficiency in the languages, for students preparing for international careers, and for students planning for graduate study.

The major in Foreign Languages has three concentrations—French, German, and Spanish—and leads to either the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Minors are offered in French, German, Japanese, and Spanish and courses in Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Kurdish, Latin, Portuguese, and Russian are available.

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures coordinates interdisciplinary minors in Classical Studies, Early Modern European Studies, Latin American Studies, Linguistic Studies, and Portuguese Studies. Interdisciplinary minors are open to all students in the University. (See Interdisciplinary Majors and Minors  section for more information.)

Teacher Licensure

Students seeking a license to teach a foreign language in secondary schools (grades 7–12) must complete (1) a major in the language they intend to teach; (2) FL 4500 - Introduction to Teaching Foreign Languages ; (3) a minor; and (4) the Secondary Education minor. Each student must pass an oral interview in the target language at the high intermediate level.

Minor Requirements

Students must take a 15–18 hour approved minor acceptable for a B.A. degree.

Secondary Education Minor Requirements

Students must contact their Secondary Education minor  advisors for approval of appropriate courses.

Advanced Placement Credit

A student scoring 3 or above on the Advanced Placement Exam for French, German, Latin, or Spanish of The College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) will receive 6 credit hours (1010 and 1020). In addition, a student possessing knowledge of French, Spanish, German, or Latin resulting from high school study, family background, or foreign travel may earn up to 12 hours lower-division credit on the basis of a placement examination, provided the student does not already have college credit in the language for which he/she is seeking placement credit and provided the student successfully completes one course in the language at MTSU.

Students may make arrangements to take the placement test in the Media Lab, Boutwell Dramatic Arts Building 303B.

NOTE: No student is permitted to take 1010, 1020, 2010, and 2020 in a foreign language out of sequence without the permission of the instructor. Similarly, no student who has successfully completed an upper-level course will be permitted to enroll in a lower-division course in the same language without the permission of the instructor.

Procedures for Foreign Language Credit through Placement Testing/Study Abroad

For further information, see Procedures for Foreign Language Credit through Placement Testing/Study Abroad. 

Class Attendance Policy

The instructor can at his/her own discretion drop a student after two class meetings if the student fails to attend the first two class meetings.

Graduate Study

The department offers the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. Requirements for this degree and a list of the courses offered for graduate credit are published in the Graduate Catalog.