Modern Language Studies

The Kutztown University Department of Modern Language Studies invites you to explore diverse cultures and languages with us! Click on the links to the left of this page for information on our programs in German and Spanish. An alphabetical listing of course descriptions can be found in our Undergraduate Catalog.

We are proud of the programs that we offer and we are dedicated to our students and to quality education! We hope to see you soon. Please contact us directly.

Department of Modern Language Studies Mission Statement
The mission of the Kutztown University Department of Modern Language Studies is to help students develop the language and intercultural proficiency necessary to become tolerant, open-minded citizens who possess the skills and understanding to interact effectively and appropriately with diverse regional and global communities.  

Department of Modern Language Studies Teaching Philosophy
While the Department of Modern Language Studies respects individual teaching styles, in general, we espouse the communicative approach to language teaching, which is based on the pedagogic concept that language use in the classroom is contextualized, purposeful and meaningful.  Accordingly, the target language is the principal vehicle of communication in each class from the elementary-level through the upper-level.

With this methodology, the focus is on language acquisition and thus class time is primarily devoted to the practice of real language tasks, with the students increasingly at the center of these activities and the teacher serving as a facilitator.

Click here for our student learning outcomes and assessments.

Additional Information:
Studying another language is an exciting and rewarding experience, not to mention a career path that leads to many opportunities in today's global marketplace. Whether as a major or a minor program, language study enhances your education, marketability, and broadens your horizons: not only do you know another language, but you also are sensitized to another culture (its history, literature, economy, beliefs, etc.). Through language study you will:

  • Learn and use cross-cultural communication skills
  • Develop a better understanding of other people and different cultures
  • Experience another culture's artistic, literary, socio-political, and historical contributions that have changed and continue to change the world
  • Appreciate and celebrate world diversity
  • Gain new insights into and improve your own native language
  • Understand more fully your place, and your native culture's place, on a global scale
  • All of these skills are sought after in today's market: business, education, social work, criminal justice, law, banking, government, health care, etc.

So, what are you waiting for? Come and explore languages and cultures with Modern Language Studies!