The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures / Département de langues, littératures et cultures is committed to promoting and teaching modern and classical languages, literatures and cultures as an indispensable part of the University's advancement of internationalization and as a centre of humanistic inquiry. In a culturally diverse environment and with an international student body, the Department plays a pivotal role in providing students with links to past and diverse communities, here and abroad.
Within this broader context, our mission is:
- to engage students in the study of Greek and Roman civilizations, as well as the ancient Greek and Latin languages
- to prepare students in communicative skills and cultural knowledge thereby furthering their ability to use French in their daily and professional lives
- to engage students in the study of German, Italian and Spanish, developing skills in these languages and holistic knowledge of these cultures
- to introduce non-Arabic speakers to the language, to improve heritage Arabic speakers’ abilities in writing and speaking and to develop in both an understanding and appreciation of the rich culture and literature of the Arab world
- to encourage students to gain a profound appreciation of the complexity of language, the art of literary expression and the richness of cultural traditions
- to foster students' abilities to think critically about other cultures and to use the knowledge of these other cultures to reflect critically on their own culture
- to create an environment that helps students to embrace diversity and develop empathy for non-native speakers of English, having undergone a similar experience while learning their second and possibly third languages
- to offer opportunities to qualified students to study abroad to further their ability to function multi-lingually and multi-culturally
- to promote excellence in teaching, learning and academic scholarship among both students and faculty members
- to enrich campus life and the community beyond by actively promoting the values contained within the mission statement of the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures / Département de langues, littératures et cultures