Foreign language courses are offered through the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures at UofSC. Available languages include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Through the program, you'll develop business competence in the language as well as a deeper appreciation for the views and values of a foreign culture.
Career Benefits
Proficiency or fluency in a foreign language multiplies the opportunities and networks available to any professional, and increases their value to a multinational or international firm. Someone who has a high level of proficiency in a foreign language will be able to understand the hidden meanings and cultural cues that so easily get lost in translation. A professional who is able to communicate to various parties in more than one language will have a greater capacity to build and manage meaningful and responsible relationships across borders and among differing cultural groups.
Cognitive Benefits
Researchers have examined the various advantages of learning a second language. Their findings suggest that second language acquisition increases brain function.
“It requires keeping track of changes around you in the same way that we monitor our surroundings when driving,” says Albert Costa, a researcher at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain.
By learning a second language, you'll develop the capacity to more effectively monitor changes in the foreign context and process their implications, improving your understanding of the global marketplace in which you'll be working.
Choose from a broad range of dynamic, innovative courses to acquire basic and advanced skills and knowledge. You can, for example, learn French collaboratively with students in France, act in a French play, debate the latest French on-line news, review recent lms from Africa, explore current trends in children’s literature, put together a French CV or even (finally) master that French “R.”
About one-fifth of the world’s population speak Chinese. This language has become increasingly popular because of the recent economic boom in China. The program’s dedicated faculty is made of three instructors with Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University, University of Chicago and Washington University. Normally the faculty is reinforced by four visiting instructors from Beijing Language and Culture University, which is the most privileged Chinese university in teaching foreign students. The instructors’ expertise includes Chinese language, modern and classical literature, cinema, theater and history.
Our enthusiastic and accomplished team of teachers/scholars cover a wide range of expertise, everything from the ancient Germanic peoples and their culture to contemporary post-9/11 Germanic literature and music business German. Class levels range from beginning language to advanced grammar courses.
The Japanese program is committed to personalized instruction through classes that focus on developing speaking and listening skills as well as reading and writing proficiency. Instructors tend to the student’s individual needs so that he or she can attain the greatest improvement in language ability. Students enjoy small classes that enable them to concentrate on authentic Japanese practice.
The Spanish and Portuguese Program at UofSC is the largest in South Carolina. It offers a wide variety of courses for undergraduate and graduate students. It has more than one hundred majors, 550 minors and 29 faculty members. In addition to its strong emphasis on scholarship, its faculty and students have made a solid commitment to the community, establishing links with organizations and supporting the Latino community of South Carolina.
Students studying Russian at UofSC have been attracted to the program by innovative classes, award-winning teaching and individual attention; committed faculty dedicated to the success of their students; and engaged and motivated fellow classmates. These include the new program in Ufa, Russia, as well as exciting UofSC initiatives involving undergraduate research-based learning in Russia, developed in conjunction with the South Carolina Honors College. During the school year, a weekly Russian table meets near campus, and students run an active Russian Club.
Approximately one-third of the Spanish faculty are native speakers from Spain and several Latin American countries, while remaining faculty all have spent extensive periods of time in study, teaching or research in various Spanish-speaking countries. Their varied backgrounds include specializations in periods and genres of Latin American or peninsular (Spain) Spanish literature, Spanish for the professions, linguistics and foreign language academics.
Do you know what algebra, sherbet, admiral, gazelle, lute, henna, safari, tari and Sahara mean? If you do, you already speak some Arabic. In addition to you, there are more than 250 million native Arabic speakers throughout the world, not only in the 21 countries of the Arab league but also living throughout Europe, Africa, Australia and North and South America. The fifth most spoken language in the world, it is also the sixth official language of the United Nations. Equally interesting is that Shakira, Salma Hayek, Tony Shalhoub, Casey Kassem, F. Murry Abraham, and Ralph Nader, among others, all speak Arabic.
We offer a rich and varied array of courses on Italian language, literature and culture including business Italian, Italian conversation and cinema courses and a course on Italian-American culture.
Additional Information for IB Students
IBUS major requires at least four courses numbered 300 and above in one foreign language. Students in the Chinese Business Track meet the foreign language requirement by selecting Chinese as the language to study. Students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Business Track meet the foreign language requirement by selecting Arabic as the language to study. Students in the European Business Track meet the foreign language requirement by selecting French, German or Italian as the language to study. Students in the South American Business Track meet the foreign language requirement by selecting Spanish or Portuguese as the language to study. Students in the Eurasian Business Track meet the foreign language requirement by selecting Turkish or Russian as the language to study. Specific course requirements may be obtained from the undergraduate division.