Diploma in Modern Languages

The Department of Modern Languages provides its students with the opportunity to study various languages and to obtain a good grounding in these, but sees languages within its appropriate cultural contexts, i.e., the acquisition is seen as a vehicle to enter the thought, history, literature, cinema, etc., with which each of the languages is associated.

Whenever circumstances warrant it, the Department offers courses in languages other than French, German or Spanish. In the past introductory courses have been offered in Chinese, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Mi'kmaq, and Scottish Gaelic. For Japanese or other Asian languages see Asian Studies.

Language Studies have always been an integral part of university studies. Such studies complement many areas of study and are recommended by other disciplines such as:

• English
• Music
• History
• Philosophy
• Religious Studies
• Fine Arts
• Social Sciences

Language studies are seen as preparation for graduate studies, education programs, travel, and work abroad. They form a unique addition to a student's university education, with a variety of teaching and learning techniques adding variety, balance, or counter-balance to the education process.

Global markets are competing for supremacy, in Europe (with Germany as the pivotal point), the Americas (North and South America), and Asia (Japanese). Prince Edward Island is not removed from this struggle of the internationalization of commerce. Learning a language also helps alleviate, to varying degrees, a lack of knowledge regarding the intricacies and elementary aspects of English on the part of our students.