Languages and Cultures


109 Main Hall
West Chester University
West Chester, PA 19383
610-436-2700
Dr. Williams, Chairperson
Dr. Moscatelli, Assistant Chairperson
Dr. Pauly, Graduate Coordinator

Professors [top]

Erminio Braidotti, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Margarete Landwehr, Ph.D., Harvard University
Frederick Patton, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania
Rebecca Pauly, D.M.L., Middlebury College
Stacey Schlau, Ph.D., City University of New York
Alice Speh, Ph.D., Bryn Mawr College
Andrea Varricchio, Ph.D., Temple University
Maria Van Liew, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego
Jerome M. Williams, Ph.D., Yale University

Associate Professors

Charles Grove, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh
Anne-Marie Moscatelli, Ph.D., Bryn Mawr College
Michel H. Sage, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley

Assistant Professors

Mahmoud Amer, Ph.D., Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Maria José Cabrera, Ph.D., Rutgers University
Marcos Campillo-Fenoll, Ph.D., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cathryn Crosby, Ph.D., Ohio State University
Gloria Maité Hernández, Ph.D., Emory University
Israel Sanz-Sánchez, Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley
Chui Kian Smidt, Ph.D., University of Minnesota

Instructor

John P. Rosso, M.A., University of Pennsylvania

Programs of Study [top]

The Department of Languages and Cultures offers two degree programs, one leading to the master of arts in French or Spanish, and the other to the master of education in French or Spanish. Both degrees can be taken with or without K–12 Pennsylvania teaching certification. Admission to either program is through the Office of Graduate Studies and Extended Education. A placement test in the language will be required of all candidates, including native speakers. Applicants must have an undergraduate major in the language, or native fluency and a related four-year university degree or the equivalent. Students may transfer in 6-9 semester hours from another master’s degree-granting institution. Candidates for the M.A. and the M.Ed. are required to pass a capstone assessment in the language, both written and oral.

The State Board of Education adopted changes that affect all of Pennsylvania’s teacher certification programs by adding nine credits or 270 hours or equivalent combination for adaptations and accommodations for diverse students in an inclusive setting, and three credits or 90 hours or equivalent combination to meet the instructional needs of English language learners. Additional program requirements will be developed and incorporated into the certification programs to comply with new regulations that became effective January 1, 2011.

Students must consult the University’s Certification Office and the College of Education for formal admission to teacher education (FATE). Students must take the Praxis I exams before they apply for FATE through the College of Education. Students are encouraged to complete any unmet undergraduate course requirements before entering the master’s program since they will be charge graduate tuition once they are admitted, and grades for these courses will be factored into their graduate GPA.

Certification may be completed separately from the M.Ed. Students may transfer in 20% of their course work (three courses) from another graduate school if those courses are not already part of another graduate degree.

Language students have six years to complete their degree and may apply for a leave of absence (up to two semesters) without having to reapply to the University. They may apply for a half-time graduate assistantship, including a two-course tuition waiver and $1,250 per semester in exchange for 10 hours a week of work with the program faculty..

Until further notice, no new students will be admitted to the M.Ed. in German or Latin.

Master of Arts in French[top]

Curriculum (30 semester hours)

  1. Required courses (21 semester hours)
    Three core genre courses: FRE 510, 512, 513 (appropriate topics courses may be substituted) (9 semester hours)
    Four additional seminars chosen from FRE 501, 511, 514, 515, 516, 520, 521, 522, 523 (12 semester hours)
  2. Electives (9 semester hours)
    Three electives, which may include a six-hour thesis (LAN 610)
    Other electives may include, but are not limited to, LAN 500, LAN 503, LIN 501, HIS 534, PHI 515, or advanced courses in a second language (limit of two 400-level courses in degree program)
    A LAN 525 internship for up to 9 semester hours also can be arranged.
  3. Other requirements
    Exit assessment exam in French on master’s thesis, exit research paper, or portfolio of three research papers in three different graduate French courses
    Optional immersion study abroad or participation in an American program

Master of Arts in French (with K–12 Certification)

Curriculum (36+ semester hours)

  1. Required courses (24 semester hours)
    Three core genre courses: FRE 510, 512, 513 (appropriate topics courses may be substituted) (9 semester hours)
    Four additional seminars chosen from FRE 501, 511, 514, 515, 516, 520, 521, 522, 523 (12 semester hours)
    LAN 503 (3 semester hours)
  2. Professional education requirements* (18 semester hours)
    EDA 541; EDP 531, 550, 569; EDR 545; EDT 500
    Courses necessary for FATE: EDA 303**, EDS 505 **, LAN 503***, and LIN 501 (for those who have never had linguistics)
  3. Student teaching (12 semester hours)
    EDS 411-412
    Note: Student teaching is a certification requirement and does not count toward the graduate degree.

Master of Arts in Spanish (Thesis or Nonthesis Options)

Curriculum (30 semester hours)

  1. Required core courses (9 semester hours)
    SPA 512, 520, and 543
    Note: These required courses provide a common program experience for all students and should be taken within the first two years of program enrollment. Any exception to this requirement must be obtained in writing from the language coordinator or department chairperson.
  2. Additional language courses (15 semester hours)
    Select courses from each of the following groups:
    1. Group A – 16th and 17th century literature (select two): SPA 530, 532, 533, 541, 556, 557 (6 semester hours)
    2. Group B – 18th and 19th century literature (select one): SPA 535, 536, 556 (3 semester hours)
    3. Group C (thesis option) – modern literature/contemporary (select two): SPA 537, 542, 543, 544, 545, 556, 557 (6 semester hours)
      4. OR
    4. Group C (nonthesis option) – modern/contemporary literature (select two): SPA 537, 542, 544, 545 (6 credits)
  3. Additional requirements (6 semester hours)
    Thesis option
    LAN 610 (40-50 page thesis in Spanish)
    Exit research paper or portfolio (may use thesis) and oral examination in Spanish
    OR
    Nonthesis option
    Select two electives: SPA 510, 514, 547, 549, 556-I, 556-II, or two seminars in a second language, or two courses not already selected in groups A, B, and C
    Exit research paper or portfolio and oral examination in Spanish
    Language immersion program encouraged

Master of Arts in Spanish (with K–12 Certification)

Curriculum (36+ semester hours)

  1. Required core courses (12 semester hours)
    SPA 512, 520, and 543 (9 semester hours)
    LAN 503 (3 semester hours)
    Note: These required courses provide a common program experience for all students and should be taken within the first two years of program enrollment. Any exception to this requirement must be obtained in writing from the language coordinator or department chairperson.
  2. Additional language courses (15 semester hours)
    Select courses from each of the following groups:
    1. Group A – 16th and 17th century literature (select two): SPA 530, 532, 533, 541, 556, 557 (6 semester hours)
    2. Group B – 18th and 19th century literature (select one): SPA 535, 536, 556 (3 semester hours)
    3. Group C (thesis option) – modern literature/contemporary (select two): SPA 537, 542, 543, 544, 545, 556, 557 (6 semester hours)
  3. Professional education requirements* (18 semester hours)
    EDA 541; EDP 531, 550, 569; EDR 545; EDT 500
    Courses necessary for FATE: EDA 303**, EDS 505 **, LAN 503***, and LIN 501 (for those who have never had linguistics)
  4. Student teaching (12 semester hours)
    EDS 411-412
    5. Note: Student teaching is a certification requirement and does not count toward the graduate degree.
  5. Additional requirements
    6. Exit research paper or portfolio and oral examination in Spanish

Master of Education in French (with Certification)

Curriculum (36+ semester hours)

  1. I. Required core (18 semester hours)
    Three core genre courses: FRE 510, 512, 513 (appropriate topics courses may be substituted) (9 semester hours)
    Three additional seminars chosen from FRE 501, 511, 514, 515, 516, 520, 521, 522, 523 (9 semester hours)
    LIN 501 (for those who have never had linguistics)
  2. Professional education requirements* (18 semester hours)
    EDA 541; EDP 531, 550, 569; EDR 545; EDT 500
    Courses necessary for FATE: EDA 303**, EDS 505 **, LAN 503***
  3. Student teaching (12 semester hours)
    EDS 411-412 (with or without internship, which count toward certification but not the degree)
  4. Additional requirements
    Exit research paper, or portfolio of three research papers, and oral exam (in French) with French faculty

Master of Education in French (without Certification)

Curriculum (36 semester hours )

  1. Required core (18 semester hours)
    Three core genre courses: FRE 510, 512, 513 (appropriate topics courses may be substituted) (9 semester hours)
    Three additional seminars chosen from FRE 501, 511, 514, 515, 516, 520, 521, 522, 523 (9 semester hours)
  2. Pedagogy courses (18 semester hours)
    LAN 500, LAN 503, and three other graduate courses in pedagogy
    LIN 501 (for those who have never had linguistics)
  3. Additional requirements
    Exit research paper or portfolio and oral exam (in French) with French faculty

Master of Education in Spanish (with K–12 Certification)

Curriculum (36+ semester hours)

  1. Required core courses (9 semester hours)
    LAN 500 and 503, and SPA 512
    Note: These required courses provide a common program experience for all students and should be taken within the first two years of program enrollment. Any exception to this requirement must be obtained in writing from the language coordinator or department chairperson.
  2. Additional language courses (15 semester hours)
    Select courses from each of the following groups:
    1. Group A – 16th and 17th century literature (select one): SPA 530, 532, 533, 541, 556, 557 (3 semester hours)
    2. Group B – 18th and 19th century literature (select one): SPA 535, 536, 556 (3 semester hours)
    3. Group C – modern literature/contemporary (select two): SPA 537, 542, 543, 544, 545, 556, 557 (6 semester hours)
    4. Group D – electives (select one): SPA 510, 514, 547, 549, 556–I, 557–II, or any two courses not already selected from groups A, B, or C (3 semester hours)
  3. Professional education requirements* (18 semester hours)
    EDA 541; EDP 531, 550, 569; EDR 545; EDT 500
    Courses necessary for FATE: EDA 303**, EDS 505 **, LAN 503***, and LIN 501 (for those who have never had linguistics)
  4. Student teaching (12 semester hours)
    EDS 411-412
    Note: Student teaching is a certification requirement and does not count toward the graduate degree.
  5. Additional requirements
    Exit research paper or portfolio and oral examination in Spanish

Master of Education in Spanish (without K–12 Certification)

Curriculum (36 semester hours)

  1. Required core courses (9 semester hours)
    LAN 500 and 503, and SPA 512
    Note: These required courses provide a common program experience for all students and should be taken within the first two years of program enrollment. Any exception to this requirement must be obtained in writing from the language coordinator or department chairperson.
  2. Additional language courses (15 semester hours)
    Select courses from each of the following groups:
    1. Group A – 16th and 17th century literature (select one): SPA 530, 532, 533, 541, 556, 557 (3 semester hours)
    2. Group B – 18th and 19th century literature (select one): SPA 535, 536, 556 (3 semester hours)
    3. Group C – modern literature/contemporary (select two): SPA 537, 542, 543, 544, 545, 556, 557 (6 semester hours)
    4. Group D – electives (select one): SPA 510, 514, 547, 549, 556–I, 557–II, or any two courses not already selected from groups A, B, or C (3 semester hours)
  3. Professional and secondary education courses (12 semester hours)
    May choose professional education courses (EDA 541; EDP 531, 550, 569; EDR 545; EDT 500), or other LAN or LIN department pedagogy courses, or those in the M.A. TESL program
  4. Additional requirements
    Exit research paper or portfolio and oral examination in Spanish

*Graduate-level professional education requirement, effective fall 2009, which are required for all students planning to receive certification after August 2013.
** Formal admission to teacher education (FATE) required to take the following courses: EDA 303, EDS 505, LAN 503
*** Requires FATE as well as completion of language courses through the advanced level, LIN 501 (with a minimum C grade), and professional education courses, including EDS 505 but excluding EDS 411-412)

Certification-Only Program

Students may enroll in a certification-only program that is completed separately from the M.Ed.
Students who are already certified in a language may elect to complete the M.Ed. education courses, offered through the College of Education, that meet their interests, or courses in the M.A. teaching English as a second language program. ESL courses include ENG 575, 576, 587; LAN 500, 503; and LIN 501, 540. Students completing this course work will earn a professional certificate in ESL, which does not currently enable the candidate to teach in the public schools without formal certification in another area. There is no separate certification in ESL in the state of Pennsylvania.

Course Descriptions [top]

Courses Common to all Languages
Symbol: LAN

500 Methods and Materials of Research in Second Language Education (3) Techniques of research in language education, including sources, design, interpretation, evaluation, and reporting of data.

502 Second Languages in the Elementary School (3) Problems in teaching second languages in the elementary school. Curriculum design, bilingual education, classroom techniques, articulation, materials, and testing. Preferably, LIN 501 or equivalent should precede LAN 502.

503 Techniques of Second Language Teaching (3) Advanced course in recent theoretical bases, methods for teaching beginning and advanced levels, curriculum design, and evaluation. PREREQ: LIN 501 or equivalent.

504 Use of Media in Language Teaching (3) Role of media in language instruction including the tape recorder, language laboratory, television, and the computer.

505 Introduction to Bilingual/Bicultural Education (3) Introduction to history, philosophy, current status, and future directions of bilingual/ bicultural education. Survey of materials, tests, techniques, instructional processes, and instructional patterns. Overview of testing, placement, and pupil evaluation.

511 Roman Civilization (3) Roman civilization and its influences on Europe. This course may be taken again for credit.

525 Internship (3-12) A structured and supervised experience for students wishing to enhance their language study directly in the workplace. Credits earned are based on time spent on the job. For approval, students must apply to the department chair or language section coordinator.

527 Introduction to Applied Linguistics for Foreign Language Majors (3) An introduction to applied linguistics structured to meet the needs of language majors and future world language teachers. Examples are drawn from the languages of expertise of the students.

550 Seminar in Methods and Materials of Research in Language and Literature (3) The principal tools of research in the field of language and literature. Methods of conducting and reporting research, emphasizing correctness of form and mechanics of scholarly writing.

560 Directed Studies (3) To provide an opportunity for students to pursue areas of study not regularly provided by the department. Focus of course to be announced when offered.

580 Seminar in Second Language Education (1-4) Specialized workshop seminar devoted to a particular area of language education.

582 Sociolinguistic Issues in ESL/Second Language Education (3) Introduction to social, historical, legal, and cultural issues influencing minority communities, schools, and homes. Introduction to issues in bilingual education and language programs for immigrants around the world. Crosslisted as ENG 582. PREREQ: LIN 501.

583 Second Language Acquisition (SLA) (3) Introduction to key issues in SLA research and theory. Analysis of SLA studies in connection to second language teaching. Design of original mini-study of second language learning. Crosslisted as ENG 583. PREREQ: LIN 501.

585 Institute in Second Language Education (4-8) In-depth study of a particular area of language education.

590 Independent Study (1-3)

600 Research Report (1-2)

610 Thesis (6)

612 Assessment of ESL/Second Language Students (3) Selection, evaluation, adaptation, and creation of assessment instruments for ESL/second language students. Practice administering tests and interpreting results. Overview of issues in assessing second language students. Crosslisted as ENG 612. PREREQ: LIN 501. See also Linguistics (LIN)

French
Symbol: FRE

501 Commercial French (3) A study of French economic and business systems, with extensive practice in business correspondence.

510 French Theater (3) Principal French dramatists analyzed against the social, political, literary, and critical backgrounds of their age.

511 Modernism in French Literature (3) Close consideration of some prime innovative texts of fiction, poetry, film, and polemic as manifestations of the spirit and aesthetic of modernism.

512 French Narrative (3) A study of prose texts, their ethos, and their narrative techniques, from the epics and contes of the Middle Ages to the experimental works of the late 20th century.

513 French Poetics (3) An intensive survey of French poetry, its theory and practice, using models drawn from the whole tradition, from Villon to Bonnefoy.

514 Contemporary France (3) A study of France since 1945, with emphasis on current events and social changes.

515 French Civilization (3) A study of France since 1789, with emphasis on social, political, economic, and educational institutions.

516 Writing Literary Criticism: Theory and Practice (3) Study of various fields of literary theory, including structuralism, semiotics, Marxism, narratology, psychoanalytic criticism, and deconstruction. Techniques of textual interpretation.

520-521-522 Topics in French Literature and Language (3) Course topics courses will vary by semester and instructor, and may include titles such as genre studies, film study, women writers, francophone writers, the study of literary periods or movements, and structural and applied linguistics. This course may be taken again for credit.

523 Translation Techniques (3) A theoretical and practical study of modes of lexical and syntactic transposition, from L1 to neutral zone to L2. Extensive practical exercise in diverse types of translation.

Spanish
Symbol: SPA

510 Spanish Phonetics and Applied Linguistics (3) A study of Spanish morphology, phonology, and syntax (sound, word, sentence formation). The structure of the language will be studied from a theoretical and practical perspective.

512 Advanced Spanish Grammar and Stylistics (3) An informal, rapid review of Spanish grammar, with emphasis on problems fundamental to the American classroom. Exercises include idiomatic expression, various levels of style, and translation.

514 The Hispanic World (3) Major philosophical and artistic contributions of the Hispanic world to Western civilization. The social and economic institutions of the Hispanic world.

520 Medieval and Renaissance Literature (3) Analysis of major Spanish texts and authors from 1100-1500, including Mío Cid, la Celestina, Alfonso X, Manrique, Don Juan Manuel, Berceo, Encina, and Juan Ruiz.

530 Spanish "Comedia" of the Golden Age (3) Survey of the comedia before Lope de Vega; the contributions of Lope de Vega; Tirso de Molina and Ruiz de Alarcón; the Baroque theatre of Calderón de la Barca.

532 Spanish Literature of the Golden Age (3) Novel and poetry. Spanish literature of the 16th and 17th centuries: mysticism, poetry, novel.

533 Cervantes (3) Life and works of Miguel Cervantes Saavedra: Novelas ejemplares, Ocho comedias y otro entremeses, La Numancia, La Galatea, all of which lead to the study of the meaning, philosophy, and influence of Don Quixote.

535 19th-Century Spanish Literature (3) An analysis of the major movements of the century, including Romanticism, "Costumbrismo," Realism, and Naturalism.

536 The Generation of 1898 (3) The revitalizing forces which took hold in the late 19th century, and a study of the works of Unamuno, Azorín, Menéndez Pidal, Pio Baroja, Valle Inclán, Benavente, Martínez Sierra, and Rubén Dario.

537 20th-Century Spanish Literature (3) Introduction to representative works of 20th-century Spanish literature. Authors studied include Arrabal, Cela, Delibes, Lorca, Goytisolo, Matute, Sender, and others.

541 Colonial Latin American Literature (3) A study of colonial Latin American literature within the context of conquest and colonization, with emphasis on religious, historical, and literary aspects of the New World as seen through primary authors and readings.

542 Modern Latin American Literature (3) Spanish-American literature, thought, and culture as revealed in outstanding works representative of major authors and movements from the Independence to 1950 (including Romanticism, Modernism, Regionalism, and avant garde).

543 Contemporary Latin American Literature (3) A study of major authors and literary movements in contemporary Latin America, including magical realism, theatre of the absurd, and poetic movements.

544 Latin American Theatre (3) A study of theatre as a reflection of social realities and of dramatic movements and techniques in Latin America. The cultural history of the Latin American stage also will be examined.

545 The Latin American Novel (3) The development of the novel in Latin America. The colonial period, the period of independence, the romantic period; realism, modernism, criollismo, and naturalism.

547 Hispanic Women Writers (3) An examination of representative women authors and their prose, poetry, and theatre from the 17th century to the present in Spain and Spanish America.

549 Masterpieces and Movements in Spanish Literature (3) A seminar on the development of Spanish thought and artistic expression through selected masterpieces of literature and art.

556 Seminar I (3) This course may be taken again for credit.

557 Seminar II (3) This course may be taken again for credit.

560 Nobel Laureates in Hispanic Letters (3) A course devoted to study those Spanish-language writers from Spain and Spanish America who won the Nobel Prize in Literature during the 20th and 21st century for their literary achievements; to analyze their works and the sociopolitical context of their writings; and to examine the politics of literary awards and the significance of their recognition.