Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Student working on laptop — Faculty of Arts

Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Arabic, Celtic languages, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Yiddish, and cultures around the World. Here's what the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures offers to help you carve out a special place in today's world.

Why study in modern languages and literatures?

With global economic integration and the proliferation of communication technologies, the ability to speak, read and write at least one language other than English or French has become one of the most sought-after abilities in the eyes of employers the world over. Here in Canada, closer ties between North America, Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East are making it essential to learn foreign languages and cultures.

Knowledge of other cultures and the ability to communicate with their members will help you to actively find your way in a world where all aspects of life, including the arts, politics, trade, and environmental issues, are crucially shaped by international and transnational as well as local and national dimensions.

Through our courses, you will be able to:

Speak, understand, read, and write one or several international languages at defined levels of competency, ranging from A1 to B2 according to the European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Identify and assess challenges and opportunities of cross-cultural understanding and communication. apply knowledge of linguistic and cultural differences in academic and professional projects and research.
Engage and work effectively with others in cross-cultural and multicultural contexts.
Conduct multilingual research in the discipline, i.e. gather, review, evaluate and interpret information relevant to the study of the cultural history, literature, film, and further cultural expressions of other societies, and then formulate and answer appropriate research questions.