MODERN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

Olufunke Fontenot, Interim Chair
Professors: Hedwig Fraunhofer
Associate Professors: Louis Bourne and David de Posada
Assistant Professors: Myron Avila, Rebecca Carte, Aurora Castillo, and Margaret Schaller
Instructor: Anisio Martins dos Santos
Lecturer: Marlene Roldan Romero, Juan Alcarria

Department Contact Information:
Georgia College & State University
Modern Languages and Cultures
Campus Box 46
Milledgeville, GA 31061
478-445-4415
Department of Modern Languages and Cultures Web site
Interim Chair, Olufunke Fontenot, funke.fontenot@gcsu.edu
Senior Secretary, Tabitha Humphrey, tabitha.humphrey@gcsu.edu

MISSION

The department of Modern Languages and Cultures is central to the Liberal Arts mission of GCSU, encouraging and cultivating linguistic and cultural competence, academic enrichment, and a broader understanding of global issues among our students. The department promotes this mission by offering degrees in French and Spanish; minors in French, Spanish, German and Latin American studies, and additional courses in Italian. The department is integral to the internationalization of the curriculum at GCSU, offering instruction in languages, literatures, and cultures in the classroom and beyond. We also offer study abroad programs, a state of the art language lab, conversation tables, community outreach, and honor societies for outstanding majors.

STUDENT SUCCESS

Earning a college degree is a significant milestone in one's life and requires dedication to one's studies and tremendous effort to succeed. In order to enable you to achieve this goal, we have dedicated ourselves to developing measures that help ensure student success in our department's programs. This process begins with the First-Year Academic Seminar (MFLG 0001), in which you are introduced to the faculty and students who make up the departmental community. You will join with other first-year students to get an overview of the subject matter covered in the major, explore career possibilities, and to develop techniques for getting the most out of your college courses and activities. You will also learn about departmental and University expectations, policies, and resources. Because the college experience at GCSU is more intense than at many other schools, we have designed each curriculum to help you each step of the way. In addition, we are committed to offering the courses necessary to ensure that students who follow the program of study will graduate in four years. Toward that end, a typical four-year program of study has been developed, which serves as a guide each term for scheduling courses. Required courses are specified, then the sequencing of courses is recommended. Students are advised to enroll in an average of 30 semester hours each year.

CAREER INFORMATION

A major or minor in French and Spanish or minor in German complements other majors or minors in the humanities, the health sciences, the social sciences, and business or may be combined with work in a certificate program such as the International Studies degree.

The majority of our majors find employment with the various school systems in Georgia. Their salaries, in line with the usual starting salaries in secondary schools, are set by the school systems.

MISCELLANEOUS

Study Abroad. The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures participates directly in several study-abroad programs both during the summer and the academic year. Information on these programs is available from the International Education Center at GCSU.

The Department requires all majors to participate in a study-abroad program. Research has shown that the strongest determining factor in significantly improving foreign language proficiency is a period of study and living in an environment where the language is spoken.

Students contemplating study abroad should start planning for the experience as early as possible, and should speak with their major advisor and the study-abroad advisors at the International Education Center. The most advantageous time to incorporate a study abroad experience into your undergraduate work is during your third year at the University. Certain advanced courses in the undergraduate major must be taken at GCSU, and therefore we do not recommend planning on study abroad during your last semester as an undergraduate major.

There are various funding sources for assisting in meeting the costs of study abroad, and any federal, state and institutional financial aid awarded for the purposes of attending the GCSU can also be applied towards the costs of any approved study abroad program.

MAT French or Spanish/Secondary Education: Students who wish to prepare for high school teaching can continue their studies at GCSU with the Master of Arts in Teaching. The French faculty works closely with graduate students to provide them with the content courses necessary for completion of the degree.

Honor Society. Outstanding modern language students are invited to become members of Theta Kappa, the local chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma, which is the National Foreign Language Honor Society. Outstanding Spanish majors and minors are invited to become members of Kappa Psi, the local chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society.

INTERDISCIPLINARY MINOR

The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures offers required and optional courses for the minor in International Studies, described elsewhere in this Catalog.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

The department offers ESLG 1001 for international students. This course is open only to non-native speakers of English. Non-native speakers of English who have a TOEFL score under 550 (written test) or 213 (computerized test) are required to enroll in ESLG classes. Other non-native speakers of English who wish to perfect English skills may enroll.

Admitted students with scores between 500-550, or 173-213, are required to take the course(s), but in order to get into the courses, students need at least 500 or 173.

DEGREES AND MINORS OFFERED

1.	Bachelor of Arts with a major in French
2.	Bachelor of Arts with a major in Spanish
3.	Minor in French
4.	Minor in German
5.	Minor in Spanish
6.	Minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies