Welcome to Languages at Hope College!

The Department of Modern and Classical Languages at Hope College is committed to helping undergraduate students achieve communicative competence in a second language, as well as gain a greater understanding of and appreciation for other cultures. Learning a second language gives insight into the human experience of other peoples and contributes to intellectual development through enhanced cognitive and analytical skill. The DMCL helps to integrate these experiences with liberal arts into a world view which encompasses the historic Christian faith.

Since appreciation of other cultures and fluency in the use of another language is greatly enhanced by maximum immersion in the culture and constant challenge to use the language, the department offers many opportunities in which language students may participate:

• apprentice teachers in beginning language program
• language clubs
• special language tables in the dining halls
• the presence of native speaking assistants in French, German, and Spanish
• French, German, and Spanish language houses in which native speaking students provide conversational leadership and tutoring
• foreign films
• semester or year abroad or summer programs
• tutoring opportunities in the college and the community of Holland
• practical experience through internships here or abroad

All departmental faculty have traveled and studied abroad. Ten are natives of countries other than the United States.

Alumni of Hope have integrated their foreign language major or minor into a great variety of careers:

• high school and college teachers of foreign languages and literatures
• teachers of English in countries with the language of their major
• librarians
• classical archaeologists
• translators
• agents for import-export firms
• foreign missionaries
• state level export development officers
• receptionists for foreign consulates
• foreign service officers -- U.S. cultural officers
• editorial assistants for a news magazine
• newspaper reporters
• market research analysts with multi-national corporations
• linguistic consultants
• immigration assistants
• lexicographer assistants
• computational linguists
• attorneys
• purchasing agents for Europe for international manufacturers