Being conversant in other languages not only helps you communicate with native speakers, it also provides insight into the people, traditions, and culture of communities and countries where those languages are spoken. As a combined languages major pursuing a bachelor of arts degree, your knowledge will broaden exponentially as you master two languages and cultures of your choosing.
Why study combined languages at Clark?
- Test your command of one of your chosen languages by completing two units of study abroad in a country where it is spoken, and take advantage of community-based learning opportunities in the Worcester area.
- Explore and critique how national languages have been used to build and promote cultural continuity and identity through texts, films, and documentaries.
- Build on your skills by taking higher-level language classes at other colleges within the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts, or engage in directed studies with individual professors.
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Are you ready to take the first step?
Featured Courses
Hispanic Literature of Political Commitment
In this course, conducted in Spanish, you’ll read and reflect on the work of Spanish-language poets, writers, and playwrights, on both sides of the Atlantic, during times of 20th-century revolutionary change.
German Film and the Frankfurt School
Use psychoanalytic and Frankfurt School criticism to gain insight into masterpieces of German-language cinema, including those by expressionists, Nazi, and queer German filmmakers, and post-WWII directors.
Translation Workshop
See what it’s like to be a professional translator! Explore the theory, techniques, and dilemmas of translating a variety of texts — from advertising and journalism to theatre and fiction — from French into English.
As a combined languages major, you’ll study two (or more!) of the languages that Clark offers: American Sign Language (ASL), Chinese, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish. You’ll focus on building linguistic and cultural competencies while you work closely with a faculty adviser to choose your course of study.
Career Communities are industry-focused groups designed to support your professional exploration and narrow down your career interests within specific fields. You’ll connect to opportunities, professionals, and information that will support your career development. The following communities may be of interest:
Government, International Affairs, and Law
Non-Profit, Human Services, and Education
You can access higher-level language classes at other colleges within the Higher Education Consortium of Central Massachusetts, and/or engage in directed studies with individual Clark professors.
The Clark Experience
The Clark Experience brings together the exceptional education you’ll receive in the classroom and so much more. Through focus and flexibility, it ensures you’ll leave Clark with the creativity, confidence, and resilience to succeed and lead a life of meaning and consequence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with a major in combined languages?
At Clark you’ll get more than a great education; you’ll also be prepared for a long, productive career and life of consequence. And once you’ve completed your degree, you can join other Clark alumni who have gone on to work for great organizations and attend some of the best graduate schools in the world.
What skills will I learn as a combined languages major?
- Translation; writing, oral, and reading comprehension in multiple languages; linguistics; and cultural competency and understanding
- The basic building blocks of language: listening, speaking, reading and writing
- Exploration of how national communities are constructed and critiqued through cultural artifacts
What facilities are available?
Located in the Goddard Library, the Language Arts Resource Center is a multimedia language instruction center. With its extensive collection of computer programs, audio, and videotapes, students studying a new language can access multiple sources of learning. A satellite dish receives international news broadcasts from more than 25 countries though SCOLA, a nonprofit educational organization that receives and re-transmits foreign TV programming from around the world.
Is there an honors program for language majors?
During your junior year, you might be accepted into the combined languages honors program. Joining the program means you’ll work closely with a professor to create a thesis on a topic of your choice.
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