Through innovative and substantive pedagogies, the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures seeks to promote communicative and cultural competency and to cultivate a life-long appreciation and spirit of inquiry for languages and the cultures they reflect. We believe that all students can learn a new language and that a global mind-set is a necessity and an asset in today’s democratic society. Courses in WLLC intrinsically promote issues of diversity and underscore themes of social justice. Faculty members are committed to providing experiential opportunities that serve as a bridge to local, regional and international concerns. Interdisciplinary approaches modeled in the classroom help students develop a comprehensive world view and acquire both knowledge and empathy toward others.
The WLLC department offers a major in Hispanic Studies, and minors in Hispanic Studies and Japanese Studies. Lower-level courses (numbered 100/200) develop an awareness of cultural and linguistic diversity in the world as they develop all four language skills (speaking, reading, listening, and writing). Upper-level courses (numbered 300/400) deal with cultural history, literature, film, popular culture, contemporary social and political issues as well as the intellectual traditions that have shaped the societies where these languages are spoken.
In today’s global society, knowledge of languages and cultures is increasingly important in business, industry, and the professions. Courses in World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures are an integral part of the IWU Liberal Arts experience, and directly support the University’s mission of preparing students for democratic citizenship and life in a global society.
The language courses offered in the Basic Sequence and for Shared Curriculum credit are American Sign Language, French, Japanese, and Spanish.
Courses in Arabic and Chinese, which also provide shared curriculum credit (LA), are also available to IWU students through a consortium with Bradley University. Please contact the basic sequence coordinator, Cristina Almeida-Vélez, for more information.
IWU has compiled over 10,000 of our alumni's career biographies and paired them with
their major (or majors) at Illinois Wesleyan. You may be interested to see that Illinois
Wesleyan alumni work in virtually any career field you can imagine, and that a college
major doesn't always coincide with a specific career. Have fun exploring your many options at Illinois Wesleyan!
Students develop language skills and cultural competency for situations that focus on social justice. Fieldwork in one of the following areas: immigration, housing, education, employment and voter rights is a key part of the course. Learn more about this course.
Jessie Dixon - Chair of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures and Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies
Department - World Languages, Literatures And Cultures