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Department Office: 4239 Boylan Hall
Phone: 718.951.5451

Full-Time Faculty

Professor(s): Chang, Llanos Mardones, Renner
Associate Professor(s): Alonso, Childers, Huang
Assistant Professor(s): Cerat
Lecturer(s): Panek

The Brooklyn College Department of Global Languages, Literatures, and Cultures is dedicated to educating students with respect to language, literature, culture, and cross-cultural diversity. The department presents students with options for satisfactorily fulfilling the College language requirement to preparing for entry in a doctoral program. We offer bachelor of arts degrees in French, Italian, Russian, or Spanish as well as minors in Italian American studies, Italian international studies, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Russian, or Spanish. In addition, we offer a bachelor of arts degree in adolescence education for French, Spanish, or Italian teachers, as well as a concentration in Chinese, French, Italian, Russian, or Spanish for education majors in the following programs: early childhood education teacher (birth-grade 2); childhood education teacher (grades 1-6).

We provide expert instruction at all levels to impart language proficiency. Students in basic courses are equipped with linguistic and cultural competency as well as adequate preparation for pursuit of an advanced degree in foreign language, literature, and culture. The department also places a great deal of emphasis on transitional courses that allow students to take higher level courses, whether their goal be to major, minor, or simply heighten their expertise in language, literature, and culture. Students, at whatever level, receive the amount of instruction in language, literature, and culture to continue on to the next step if they so wish.

Linguistic and cultural competence is essential for students preparing to be high school foreign language teachers. The department ensures that these students also have a command of the methodology of teaching language. Neither does it ignore the importance of literature, because these students will teach it at the high school level, and also because students frequently change their career goals and enroll in a doctoral program in literature.

Our graduates frequently apply their language and literature skills, not only in secondary education, but in careers in the nonprofit, business, and governmental worlds.

Students who wish to pursue graduate studies may apply to the master's and doctoral degree programs offered by or in conjunction with this department.

Placement in foreign language courses

Students may begin study of a language at Brooklyn College or may continue foreign language study begun in high school. Students who are fluent in a given language usually register for advanced courses in that language. These students may register for courses beginning with 101, 102, 103 only with permission of a department counselor.

Students who want to begin study of a foreign language at Brooklyn College should follow these guidelines for registration.

  1. Basic courses in all languages are listed with numbers beginning with 101,102,103,104. Each course is the prerequisite of the next. Courses numbered 1030 are the prerequisite of all courses numbered 2020 and higher. Some advanced courses have additional prerequisites.

  2. For specific information on course content and prerequisites, students should consult individual course listings on the following pages.

Students who want to continue foreign language study begun in high school should follow these guidelines for registration.

  1. Students who have completed four years or more of foreign language study and have passed the Regents level 3 examination in the language should consult a department counselor to determine proper placement.

  2. Students who have completed fewer than four years of foreign language study but have passed the Regents level 3 examination in the language should register for course 2021. If there has been a lapse of time since completing high school work, the student should consult a department counselor.

  3. Students who have completed three years or less of foreign language study but have not passed the Regents level 3 examination in the language are advised to consult a department counselor about placement before registration. Students who have completed one year of language study or less in high school normally enroll in course beginning with 101 at Brooklyn College. Students with two years of high school language experience usually enroll in course beginning with 102, and students with three years of high school language experience usually enroll in course beginning with 103. Any questions regarding placement should be directed to the department office.

Departmental Policies

  • The department chairperson or designee may allow substitutions consistent with the educational goals of the program for one or more requirements in any concentration.

    • French BA

    • Spanish BA

    • Chinese Minor

    • French Minor

    • Italian and Italian American Studies Minor

    • Russian Studies Minor

    • Spanish Minor

Courses

All courses, unless otherwise indicated, are taught in the target language.

Courses listed below are not counted toward the requirement of no fewer than 24-27 credits in advanced courses in the major language.

Independent work means not less than three additional hours each week of conference, research, independent reading, and writing as assigned by the instructor. The student's grade is determined in part by the successful completion of this independent work.

The following inactive course(s) will only be offered if there is sufficient demand:

  • CHIN. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • CHIN. 2320 Peer Tutoring II

  • CHIN. 2420 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments II

  • CHIN. 3350 Teaching and Learning Language for Communication

  • FREN. 2130 Writing, Research, and Resources

  • FREN. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • FREN. 2320 Peer Tutoring II

  • FREN. 2355 Introduction to Romance Linguistics (French)

  • FREN. 2410 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments I

  • FREN. 2420 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments II

  • FREN. 3320 Regional Variations in Language

  • FREN. 3350 Teaching and Learning Language for Communication

  • FREN. 3901 Modern Languages: Special Topics Minicourse

  • GERM. 2130 Writing, Research, and Resources

  • GERM. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • GERM. 2320 Peer Tutoring II

  • GERM. 2420 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments II

  • GERM. 3240 Translation for the Professions

  • GERM. 3290 Translation Practicum

  • GERM. 3350 Teaching and Learning Language for Communication

  • GERM. 3360 Language and Technology

  • GERM. 3901 Modern Languages: Special Topics Minicourse

  • GERM. 3910 Special Topics

  • GRKM. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • GRKM. 2320 Peer Tutoring II

  • ITAL. 2130 Writing, Research, and Resources

  • ITAL. 2310 Peer tutoring I

  • ITAL. 2320 Peer Tutoring II

  • ITAL. 2355 Introduction to Romance Linguistics

  • ITAL. 2410 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments I

  • ITAL. 2420 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments II

  • ITAL. 3350 Teaching and Learning Language for Communication

  • ITAL. 3901 Modern Languages: Special Topics Minicourse

  • ITAL. 3910 Special Topics

  • JAPN. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • PORT. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • RUSS. 2130 Writing, Research, and Resources

  • RUSS. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • RUSS. 2320 Peer Tutoring II

  • RUSS. 2420 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments I

  • RUSS. 3350 Teaching and Learning Language for Communication

  • RUSS. 3901 Modern Languages: Special Topics Minicourse

  • SPAN. 2130 Writing, Research, and Resources

  • SPAN. 2310 Peer Tutoring I

  • SPAN. 2320 Peer Tutoring II

  • SPAN. 2355 Introduction to Romance Linguistics(Spanish)

  • SPAN. 2410 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments I

  • SPAN. 2420 Fieldwork in Communities and Professional Environments II

  • SPAN. 3350 Teaching and Learning Language for Communication

  • SPAN. 3901 Modern Languages: Special Topics Minicourse