Language Literature and Culture Major

Language, Literature and Culture Overview

Undergraduate Program

The mission of the Language, Literature and Culture Department is to advance the linguistic and cultural competencies of students in one or more foreign languages. Mastering a foreign language includes speaking and writing proficiency, but also increases one’s appreciation and critical analysis of the cultures that share that language. The Language Literature & Culture Department is part of the Alice Coonley Higgins School of Humanities.

The major is offered in Spanish and French. It is also possible, at the department’s discretion, to major in more than one language, the Combined LLC major, with a focus on two of the languages we teach at Clark.

There are majors available in Comparative Literature and Ancient Civilization as well. Though based in Language, Literature and Culture these two programs-together with the minor offered by ancient civilization-are described elsewhere in the catalog under their own headings.

For more information, please visit the Foreign Languages and Literatures Department’s website.

Major Requirements

1.  Eight courses above the intermediate level. In French, major credit is given for courses above FREN106; in German, above GERM102; in Spanish, SPAN 117 or any course above SPAN127.

• above  FREN 106 - Intermediate French II
• in Spanish, SPAN 117 Field Work in the Latino Community  or any course above  SPAN 127 - Practice in Oral and Written Spanish

The eight required courses include:

• An introductory-level course in French literature (FREN 131  or FREN 132)
• A course in culture criticism, in French (FREN 137  or FREN 140  )
• For Spanish majors, an advanced grammar and composition course (SPAN 237 or the equivalent)
• The Advanced Topics course (297) or equivalent
• At least two courses taken in a Clark-sponsored or Clark-approved study-abroad program (This requirement may be waived in special circumstances.)

At least four of the eight required courses must be taken in residence at the Worcester campus.

2.  Five related courses, at least one of which must be CMLT 130 - The National Imagination. These five related courses are to be selected with the major adviser. These are courses that explore human activities and knowledge as related to cultural practices. They might be courses in other languages and literatures or in areas that are broadly related to cultural studies such as: writing/rhetoric/English, the arts (drama/music/art), history/politics/philosophy/religion, some social science courses but not methodologies or field work in social sciences and usually not hard sciences/math. When the major program is concentrated in one language, a reading knowledge of a second language is strongly recommended. Only course grades of C or better may be counted toward the major.” 

Combined Languages Major

Honors

This honors program is for LL&C majors only. By November 1 of the capstone semester, faculty will identify qualified senior majors (with a minimum GPA of 3.5) and invite them to work on a semester-long honors thesis during the spring of their senior year. Other students who wish to take honors should identify an area of interest during the capstone semester, consult with the capstone professor and/or an appropriate honors adviser, and submit a proposal by December 1 to the professor they would like to direct the project.
Proposals will be approved at the discretion of the individual professor.
The Department Chair must also approve the project.
The honors candidate and adviser will decide on a work schedule, but a preliminary draft must be completed by the first week of April.
The final version is due one week before the last day of classes.
A second faculty reader will participate in the final evaluation of the honors project.
An honors project counts as one unit of credit.

Language, Literature and Culture Faculty

Languages, Literature and Culture Courses