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WLC Program Mission and
Goals
In alignment with the mission of the College of the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the mission of the World Languages and Cultures program is to prepare students to be active participants in an ever-shrinking and increasingly interdependent globe. WLC prepares students for this global interdependence by developing their literacy in global matters, multi-culturalism and cultural diversity, as well as helping them achieve a formidable level of proficiency in a world language other than English. We also aim to help Heritage speakers maintain and develop their native language skills.
The student graduating with a major
in World Languages and Cultures will reach an advanced-high
level of proficiency in the language emphasized,
as well as acquire a reasonable understanding of
different cultural elements (including the arts,
literature, history, social interaction, philosophy,
etc.), of the primary culture(s) represented by
the language which they have chosen to emphasize.
The Institute for World Languages
and Cultures encourages multiple ways of learning
about world cultures and/or enhancing language skills.
Advocating an interdisciplinary approach to the
study of World cultures, students are encouraged
to access the selected culture(s) from multiple
disciplines: literature, history, business, art,
the social sciences, etc. The approach to teaching
and learning language is communicative and outcome-based,
and relies on the use of multimedia technology that
allows students to learn and enhance language skills
at an accelerated rate.
WLC majors not only gain the ability
to use languages other than English to communicate,
interpret and present information, they also gain
the knowledge and skills necessary for the understanding
of other cultures and worldviews, thereby allowing
them to fully participate in multilingual, multi-cultural
communities at home and around the world. In this
light, the mission and goals of the Institute for
World Languages and Cultures are very much in line
with the core values of CSUMB's Vision which,
• recognizes the importance
of global interdependence,
• promotes the learning of
languages and cross-cultural competence, and
•
calls for the integration of modem learning technology
and pedagogy to create liberal education for the
contemporary world.
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