FLORENCE – A recent accreditation approval from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) means the University of North Alabama Department of Foreign Languages will be able to offer more variety to students.
UNA Department of Foreign Languages Chair Dr. Claudia Vance said in the past students received a degree in foreign languages with an emphasis on a specific language; now, thanks to ACHE approval, the department will offer separate majors in French, German and Spanish. Vance said the majors will be added to the department’s existing offerings and are similar in structure to the current combined Foreign Languages major.
UNA Department of Foreign Languages Chair Dr. Claudia Vance
“The difference in the combined foreign language major and the separate language majors is that with the separate majors students more strongly focus on the principal language of study,” said Vance. “The Department of Foreign Languages satisfies the global competency mission of UNA by graduating students who are prepared to meet the challenges of a multicultural society in the age of globalization.”
“This includes gaining adequate proficiency in the target language and cultivating sensitivity to cultural difference and an appreciation for the languages and cultures of the world. Students who major or double major in a foreign language have an important advantage in any area of specialization over students who do not,” she said.
Vance said the department has already seen an increase in students taking introductory language courses, and she said these new separate majors will continue to attract students to the program who want to earn a B.A., or a minor.
For more information on Foreign Languages at UNA: https://www.una.edu/foreign-
MEDIA RELEASE/UNA COMMUNICATIONS/Bryan Rachal
