Why major in a language?

Non-Governmental Organizations focused on national ethnic groups, and international development and relief, provide numerous career opportunities for language majors. Additionally, language majors have become a heavily recruited population as a result of heightened security measures in our country: the U.S. government actively recruits language majors for positions in intelligence, language training, interpretation and translation, and as a supplement to other areas of skill and knowledge. Finally, with the national rise in Spanish offerings at the middle and high school levels, qualified Spanish teachers are always in demand.

Why at Saint Rose?

Innovative, Outcomes-Based Learning

The Foreign Languages Department is embarking on a transition to outcomes-based learning. We want to ensure you develop communicative proficiency in Spanish as quickly as possible! By the time you finish your Spanish degree at St. Rose, you will be able to tell all your favorite stories from elementary school and high school in Spanish! You’ll slip some subjunctive constructions in there without even thinking, ‘Okay, opposite endings here!'

Emphasis on Culture

The key to learning a language is learning the culture that the language expresses. Why does Spanish lack an adequate translation for privacy? Because the culture does not value privacy as does the mainstream US culture. Why does a Chilean say “Oops!” when s/he drops something, using sounds that do not exist in Spanish? All of these questions and corresponding cultural information enrich your language preparation at The College of Saint Rose.

ACTFL Standards

And for those of you who are interested in our Spanish/Adolescence Education B.A., our program will also prepare you according to ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) standards. These are the standards that you will use as a teacher. We will prepare you according to these standards, so that you will easily be able to adapt them to your own classroom teaching. You will get your own classroom, too! Solamente es cuestión de tiempo.

Good with languages?

Chances are, if you are good with Spanish, you are good with languages in general. Take courses in non-traditional languages such as Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Russian and Greek! Develop proficiency in those high-need languages and watch your marketability skyrocket!