Why Languages at E&H?
Majors are offered in Spanish. In addition, Greek courses enable students to read the New Testament in its original language. At times, special course introductions to such languages as Arabic, Chinese, and Latin have been offered. Starting Fall 2022, American Sign Language, French, and Mandarin will be offered. The Department of World Languages offers a B.A. degree in two tracks of study:
Hispanic Studies
The Hispanic Studies track links Spanish to an in-depth understanding of Spain or Latin America. It includes an experience of immersion in a world culture, after you have developed language fluency, through study abroad.
Teacher Preparation
Completion of the Teacher Preparation program will enable you to meet Virginia requirements for a license to teach a world language.
Why learn a second language?
A recent article explains why bilingualism is more relevant than ever.
The demand for interpreters and translators is projected to grow more than any other field between now and 2026. But the requirement to be bilingual is no longer limited to aspiring State Department officials or UN translators. Increasingly, employers are seeking candidates who speak multiple languages for both low- and high-skilled positions. That is, even those with only a high school diploma may need another language to find a good job. Employers are seeking workers who speak multiple languages as they hire home health aides, secretaries, teachers, and web developers, and not only in those states with a higher demand for bilingualism, like Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico, Oregon, and Texas.
Find more info in the original article