Overview
Rama Alhabian
John Bartle
Cecily Cai
Jason Cieply
Mireille Koukjian
Michael Lipkin
Franziska Schweiger
German Studies
Students will learn to:
- communicate effectively in written and oral German
- demonstrate understanding of the literary, historical, and political events and works that shape German culture and society
- conduct multidisciplinary research in German Studies
Russian Studies
Students will learn to:
- communicate, both orally and in writing, with native and near-native Russian speakers on a variety of non-technical topics
- paraphrase unabridged Russian texts, including internet sites
- conduct multidisciplinary research in Russian Studies
- lead a substantive conversation about the literary, historical, and political events and works that shape Russian culture
The Department of German, Russian, Italian, and Arabic is committed to building bridges between cultures and to fostering a student-centered learning environment in its classrooms. First and foremost, this means a focus on individual student needs and learning outcomes that encourages engagement with the language and active development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening-comprehension skills. We are well versed in the latest methods of language instruction, which focus not only on proficiency, but also on cultural and digital literacy, and we strive to achieve outcomes that meet or exceed national standards. Through classroom instruction featuring culturally authentic materials, students will acquire a holistic understanding of the language, creating a long-lasting connection to the cultures that speak it.
German, Russian, Italian, and Arabic is not a concentration in and of itself, but the department houses interdisciplinary concentrations in German Studies and Russian Studies. Arabic language courses offered in our department count toward the minor concentration in Middle East/Islamic World Studies. Italian Studies courses can be taken for College credit and to prepare students to study abroad in Italy.