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Our faculty and staff are committed to helping you develop skills that will allow you to communicate in the language you study, not simply to learn about the language.

Former students have gone on to teach in China, receive Fulbright fellowships, direct translation services, do non-profit and church work in El Salvador, complete Master's and Ph.D. programs, or do business work.

Drake also offers numerous study abroad programs for each of the languages offered. Students who have studied abroad have reported that they were much more proficient than students who had studied language in a more traditional approach, without the small-group sessions focused on conversation. We strongly believe that if you are a self-motivated and responsible student, you will come out of the Department of World Languages and Cultures able to communicate effectively with native speakers of the language. 

Currently, World Languages and Cultures offers a Major in Spanish, Minor in Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions (beginning Fall 2021), Latin American Studies Minor, an East Asian Studies Minor, and Minors in Language and Culture in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. Please click on the links to view the objectives and requirements of the various options.

Additionally, some majors, like International Relations, International Business, and Vocal Performance, require you to study a language. Studying a language complements many majors—for example, if you study history with an emphasis on Asia you would gain a different insight by being able to read primary documents in the original language.

The faculty and staff of this department are committed to assisting you in developing linguistic and cultural competence. Please do not hesitate to contact us as you explore the information here.