{"id":4981,"date":"2026-08-10T13:45:24","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T17:45:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catalogs.wcsu.edu\/ugrad\/?page_id=4981"},"modified":"2026-09-03T13:47:42","modified_gmt":"2026-09-03T17:47:42","slug":"world-languages-cultures-interdisciplinary-studies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/catalogs.wcsu.edu\/ugrad\/sas\/programs\/world-languages-cultures-interdisciplinary-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"World Languages, Cultures & Interdisciplinary Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alba Hawkins, Chair<\/em><\/strong>
\nhawkinsa@wcsu.edu<\/a>
\nHiggins Hall, 218C
\n203-837-8485
\n(203) 837-8032 (fax)<\/p>\n

Krista Brooks, Department Secretary
\n<\/em><\/strong>brooksk@wcsu.edu<\/a>
\nHiggins Hall 201, Midtown campus
\n(203) 837-9166
\n(203) 837-8032 (fax)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Faculty<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

D. Anderson
\nG. Bakhtiarova
\nS.A. Hawkins, Chair<\/strong>
\n\u00c7. \u00dcsekes<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Adjunct Faculty<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
H. El Khalfi, Arabic<\/em><\/td>\nS. Pena, Spanish<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
R. Ludanyi, German<\/em><\/td>\nJ. Matranga, French<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
M. Purgatorio, Spanish\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\nM. Oliveira, Portuguese<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Y. Toma, Chinese<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00a0P. Farina, Italian<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
E. Fabrizio-Garcia, Spanish\u00a0<\/em><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Overview<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Department of World Languages, Cultures & Interdisciplinary Studies opens doors to the 21st century global economy with the continued growing demand for language skills for business, government, community groups, and international organizations.<\/p>\n

Major programs in the Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish, and education programs in secondary education with a concentration in Spanish, offer students a curriculum that is balanced between the study of language, cultures, and literary traditions from Spain, Latin America and Latinxs in the USA with an emphasis on a greater awareness of the vital connections between global and local Hispanic communities.<\/p>\n

Humanistic studies courses are interdisciplinary courses that emphasize, encourage, and support creative and critical thinking in addressing the complex questions, problems, and challenges of an interconnected world. Every Humanistic studies course focuses on topics, subjects, and real-world problems that are inherently interdisciplinary. These courses explore subjects, topics, and real-world problems from the perspective of at least three integrated disciplines, drawing from the arts, the humanities, the sciences, the social sciences, and professional studies. Students are expected to not only gain knowledge and skills from a variety of integrated disciplines, but they are also expected to learn to think from cross-disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary perspectives, which are all germane to interdisciplinarity.<\/p>\n

Mission<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Objectives<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Learning Outcomes for Students in World Languages<\/u>
\n<\/strong>The Department of World Languages,\u00a0 Cultures & Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Connecticut State University adheres to national standards for foreign language learning determined by ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) for language proficiency and cultural competency through the: Communication, Cultures, Comparisons, Connections, and Communities<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The ACTFL proficiency scale<\/a> from 2012 established guidelines for language proficiency at the following levels:<\/p>\n