Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences

Foreign Language Studies

Foreign Language Studies

Beginning to intermediate and advanced classes are currently offered in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. The programs offer two or three years of sequential classes emphasizing the acquisition of oral, aural, writing and reading skills. Beginning classes are designed for students without previous knowledge; other students are placed by their instructors into classes at the level appropriate to their skills.

As well as standard language acquisition classes, most language sections also offer courses, taught in the language itself, exploring the literary master works of the various linguistic regions. In addition, there are also classes using translated texts and instruction in English, in order to provide the broadest possible coverage of world literatures. Themes and readings vary from quarter to quarter in accordance with the specialty background of the instructors and interests of the students.

Latin language and literature courses, as well as advanced conversational or reading work in all other offered languages, are available if a sufficient number of students voice interest. Many students have used such courses to practice their language skills, extend their cultural horizons and actively network for an international career.

In addition to taking classes, many students join one of the various language clubs on campus. Again depending on the level of student interest, many of these are quite active, offering informal dinner meetings, movie evenings, and other pertinent cultural events. In order to provide further cultural and linguistic exposure, German professor Andreas Aebi regularly organizes German film evenings open to the entire campus.

• Chinese
  A four-year course sequence from introductory classes (about 800 compounds and 700 characters) to elementary through intermediate levels. Students' linguistic proficiency and cultural literacy are enhanced by the study of a wide variety of materials of styles and genres, from newspapers and magazines to selections from the works of major writers from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

• French
  A two-year multimedia course sequence from beginning to advanced intermediate levels. At the advanced level, special courses in French cinema and French literature are offered, with instruction in French. In addition, several literature courses conducted in English are given regularly.

• German
  A two-year course sequence provides elementary to advanced intermediate levels of all skills, including coverage of all relevant grammatical material. The 6th quarter emphasizes more advanced reading and discussion of literary, scientific and technical texts. A variety of courses covering German literature in translation is offered, as are courses on special topics such as German Exile literature, Film, etc.

• Japanese A series of courses at elementary, intermediate and advanced levels is offered. At the intermediate level, fundamental grammar and several hundred kanji characters are mastered, enabling students to read a variety of native materials. The advanced program emphasizes vocabulary building and exposure to a wide range of materials. Each spring term, invited visitors from Japan introduce students to specific topics in culture, science, business, etc., and advanced-level students are encouraged to participate in the Caltech-Japan Internship program in Japan during summer vacation.

• Spanish
  A three-year program of sequential classes takes students from an elementary level to advanced study of the Spanish language. In addition, students are introduced to the wide variety of Hispanic literatures and cultures. The program emphasizes autonomous learning in a proficiency-oriented setting and relies heavily on audio-visual material delivered through the internet. Several classes in Hispanic literature in translation, conducted in English, are also offered.