Why Study Foreign Languages? At the most practical level, most of the people in the world do not speak English as a native language. Cultures and cultural values vary across the globe from ethnic group to ethnic group. One of the main reasons for Americans to study foreign languages is to gain a better knowledge of the multi-cultural modern world in which we live. A knowledge of other languages and cultural values can provide life enrichment and a deeper understanding of how to counteract and resolve political, social, and religous values in a world in which Americans live and interact on a daily basis.
Language Study Abroad and Outside the Classroom
Ball State offers several exchange and study abroad programs in different countries, such as France, Germany, Japan, and Mexico. Students can also be involved in language clubs and two national foreign language honoraries. Internship opportunities (paid or unpaid) may be available for selected language majors. Students majoring in the teaching of modern languages and classics are required to participate in a language study program, either during the summer or academic year, in a country where their respective language is spoken. FAQ (Students of Latin will design a program of cultural study in consultation with the Classics faculty.) To this end, our department supports the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) and the KIIS Consortium (Kentucky Institute for International Studies).
Faculty and Teaching
The department is home to 34 full time faculty members and 7 graduate assistants. Faculty members are engaged in active research in addition to teaching full course loads. Language classes are kept small to enable students to practice speaking as well as writing, reading, and listening.