2009-10 Jamestown College Catalog

Foreign Language Associate Professors Stevenson (chair) and Roth; Assistant Professor Tchir Mission Statement

The mission of the Foreign Language Department at Jamestown College is to help prepare the liberal arts student as a citizen of our global community. We seek to expose students to other languages and cultures, thereby broadening their concepts of language, civilization, culture, philosophy, government, religion, geography, art, aesthetics, and literature with a firm anchoring in a Christian perspective and academic excellence. In order to determine student progress toward these ends, the department assesses student learning and departmental effectiveness on a regular basis.

Placement and Advanced Standing in French, German and Spanish

The first semester beginning courses in French, German, and Spanish are aimed at students with no prior instruction in those languages. A student who has completed high school course work in foreign language is encouraged to consult with foreign language faculty members to receive advanced placement in a course beyond 101.

Students who receive advanced placement into French, German, or Spanish 102 and complete the course with an earned grade of C or higher will also receive three college credits for 101. Students who enroll directly in a 200-level French, German, or Spanish course will receive six advanced placement credits for language courses at the 101 and 102 levels when they complete the 200-level course with a C or higher.

The advanced standing credits count on the student’s record but do not count as part of the semester course load. The credits count toward fulfilling general education requirements in the area of Global Perspectives. The advanced standing credits will be awarded at no charge to the student.

The Foreign Language Department awards advanced standing credit for 200-level courses based on student performance on CLEP tests, which are administered through the Career Services. There is a charge for the CLEP exams.

Majors in French, German, or Spanish

The Foreign Language Department offers majors in French, German, and Spanish that require twenty-four credit hours of coursework on campus or the equivalent thereof combined with twelveeighteen credit hours of advanced language study in the student’s major language. The advanced credits will be gained during study abroad or participation in a US-based language immersion program.

Students wishing to major in French, German, or Spanish must complete all courses leading to the minor at Jamestown College, then take additional coursework in their study abroad to complete the major. Credits gained through advanced placement or CLEP exams will be counted as coursework leading to the minor.

All 400-level courses must be approved by the Foreign Language Department prior to the student’s study abroad or participation in an immersion program. Courses in the exchange institution that will meet departmental approval include but are not limited to literature of the target language, film, linguistics, grammar and composition, history, communication and media studies, business, music history, and art history. Courses must be taught in the target language in order to be approved for the major. Successful completion of required coursework while enrolled in the exchange institution is a prerequisite for fulfilling requirements for the major. Students are expected to remain in contact with their on-campus language major advisers during the course of their study abroad.

Students majoring in French, German, or Spanish may participate in an ISEP-sponsored study abroad program, or they may participate in approved summer immersion or study abroad programs (program list available upon request). Students majoring in Spanish may enroll in two summers of post120