2017-2018 Catalog: August 2017 Edition [ARCHIVED]
Languages
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 Return to: School of Languages and Learning Resources: Programs, Degrees and Certificates
Interim Dean: Brooke Choo, PhD
Academic Chair: Jeanne Egasse, Beatrice Tseng
Faculty: Joanne Chen; Jeanne Egasse; Keith Gamache; Fumiko Ishii; Emiko Kiyochi; Anca Popescu, PhD; Beatrice Tseng
Courses
The department offers courses from beginning through intermediate level courses in French, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. In addition, the department offers courses in American Sign Language at all levels for those wishing to develop receptive and expressive skills for communicating with the hearing impaired. All courses are designed to develop the student’s listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing skills, as well as to provide a general overview of civilization and culture. Curriculum in all languages includes lower-division courses that are fully transferable to a four-year college or university.
Major
Students who major in a foreign language at the lower-division level concentrate on learning to understand, speak, read, and write a foreign language. In the process, students develop a more profound understanding of the world and gain insights into its complexities-culturally, politically, economically, and socially. Of course, as our world grows increasingly interdependent and international travel readily accessible, the knowledge of a foreign language will prove of benefit to all.
Students at Irvine Valley College may choose to major in Chinese, French, Japanese or Spanish. The faculty recommends that majors do not select a language course to meet the arts and languages general education requirement, but instead choose a course in one of the arts that is of interest to them.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
American Sign Language
Upon completion of the American Sign Language program, students will be able to
- Identify and use ASL manual alphabet.
- Analyze and interpret meaning of narrative passage in ASL based on the topics in the course outline of record.
- Compose and perform a narrative using conceptually accurate ASL.
Chinese
Upon completion of the Chinese program, students will be able to
- Listen and comprehend a passage in the target language in a variety of contexts and formats.
- Write clearly and accurately in a variety of contexts and formats in the target language.
- Read and comprehend a passage in the target language from a variety of contexts and formats.
- Speak clearly and accurately in both formal and informal settings in the target language.
- Demonstrate awareness of cultural conventions.
French
Upon completion of the French program, students will be able to
- Interpret a passage of native spoken French in a variety of contexts and formats.
- Read and interpret written material in French of at least six paragraphs.
- Write a four-paragraph essay in French, clearly and accurately, in a variety of contexts and formats.
Japanese
Upon completion of the Japanese program, students will be able to
- Communicate with native speakers of Japanese using appropriate language, styles, sensitivity and level of respectfulness for various situations.
- Read and write Japanese symbols clearly and accurately in a variety of contexts and formats.
- Demonstrate knowledge of Japanese society, culture and history, and will be able to analyze and discuss cultural differences and similarities.
Spanish
Upon completion of the Spanish program, students will be able to
- Interpret a passage of native spoken Spanish in a variety of contexts and formats.
- Read and interpret written material in Spanish of at least four paragraphs in length.
- Write a four-paragraph essay in Spanish, clearly and accurately, in a variety of contexts.
Potential Careers
In the past, many students who majored in foreign languages chose a teaching career. This continues to be an excellent option, given the shortage of well-qualified teachers, especially in the areas of bilingual and bicultural education. In an increasingly economically interdependent environment, however, market globalization has opened up many new and exciting opportunities for foreign language majors in areas such as the following:
- Communications
- Foreign Service
- International Affairs
- International Business and Banking
- International Studies
- Journalism
- Marketing and Sales
- Publishing and Editing
- Social Work
- Translation and Interpretation
- Transportation and Travel
In combination with other areas of study, the foreign languages major provides a very strong preparation for professional schools such as business, law, and diplomacy.
ProgramsAssociate in ArtsAssociate in Arts for Transfer
Return to: School of Languages and Learning Resources: Programs, Degrees and Certificates
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