Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics

The mission of the Department of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics is to foster in students an appreciation of both languages and literatures of the world (both Western and non-Western) through the acquisition of multiple languages and the close analysis of literary texts and other cultural documents, to promote an interest in the way different literatures relate to one another across national and cultural boundaries, and enter into dialogue with other disciplines, media, or forms of art. Such study often tracks the influence or affinity of works of literature from different languages and cultures through literary and artistic movements, and different historical periods (from ancient to contemporary), under the global concept of World Literature. This study entails critical awareness of the necessity, with both merits and limitations, of translations of literature from the original languages.

The department supports the vision of the ACLA to "promote the study of intercultural relations that cross national boundaries, multicultural relations within a particular society, and the interactions between literature and other forms of human activity, including the arts, the sciences, philosophy, and cultural artifacts of all kinds."

The language programs in the department of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics endeavor to develop the comprehension and communicative skills of all its students from the introductory level through advanced language study.  By the end of the most advanced level of instruction for languages other than ancient Greek and Latin, students should be able to hold meaningful conversations with native speakers of the languages they have studied in that language or those languages on topics of mutual interest, in accordance with the performance descriptions of language use in the Proficiency Guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).  In addition, through the study of language, literature, and linguistics, students will enhance their understanding of a culture that is not their own and their own identities as global citizens in the development of compassion for people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The department prepares students for the BA in Asian Studies, Chinese, Classics, Comparative Literature, German, Japanese, Linguistics, and Russian and Post-Soviet Studies. The department prepares students for undergraduate minors in Arabic, Asian Studies, Chinese, Classics, Comparative Literature, German, Modern Hebrew, Japanese, Linguistics, Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, and World Literature. The department also administers Hofstra University’s English as a Second Language program (ESL) and graduate programs in Linguistics: Forensic Linguistics.

1. Learning Goal: Writing Skills
   Objectives: Students should be able to:
   1. write grammatically coherent sentences;
   2. write about linguistic and literary phenomena with scholarly and disciplinary-appropriate terminology;
   3. document primary and secondary sources responsibly and correctly;
   4. defend their thesis statements with literary and linguistic evidence.
2. Learning Goal: Speaking Skills
   Objectives: Students should be able to:
   1. express their ideas clearly before an audience;
   2. talk about linguistic and literary phenomena with scholarly and disciplinary-appropriate terminology;
   3. incorporate visual technology in the presentation of their ideas.
3. Learning Goal: Linguistic Skills
   Objectives: Students should be able to:
   1. demonstrate grammatical aptitude in the target language;
   2. interpret a range of meanings of individual words and phrases in context.
4. Learning Goal: Cultural Sensitivity and Familiarity
   Objectives: Students should be able to:
   1. describe intelligently the culture(s) of the target language or text;
   2. demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences.
5. Learning Goal: Critical Thinking
   Objectives: Students should be able to:
   1. evaluate evidence and sources rationally and/or scientifically;
   2. develop a sound thesis and persuasive argument.

Welcome to the Department of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics at Hofstra University. Our department houses many innovative and challenging programs, including Asian Studies, Chinese, Classics, Comparative Literature, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Linguistics, and Russian. The department also has a combined BA/MA in Linguistics/Forensic Linguistics. Students in our programs receive training in modern and classical languages and cultures, as well as in comparative literature and linguistics. Many of our students are double majors in the department and in another area, including business, history, biology, psychology, film and video studies.

Our students have had success in many areas after graduation. Many are in graduate school, as well as law school, business school, and medical school. Others have found employment in various fields in New York and around the world.

WHY STUDY LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE?

Knowing another language will enrich your personal life and provide you with an expanded range of professional opportunities. At Hofstra, you can choose to continue with a language you have already studied or to begin a new language. The benefits of language study are tremendous. With language study, you can:

• Improve your career prospects in an increasingly globalized world. Not only will fluency in a specific language help you find employment, language study provides many indirect benefits too, including improved problem-solving skills and improved communication skills.
• Enrich and transform your life. Since language is the key to the human mind, the study of language is life enriching. It helps provide expanded understanding of culturally rooted behaviors and attitudes, including those that stem from one's own language. You will gain greater appreciation for the cultural products (literature, film, poetry, anime) of your own and other countries.
• Use what you learn. You may have the opportunity to study abroad, an experience that provides you with firsthand experience of the relationship between language and culture. Internships, both in foreign countries and domestically, often require fluency or competency in another language.
• Explore linguistics. Linguistics is the scientific study of language. Linguistics helps provide us with a vision of how human language works. Students of linguistics develop skills in data analysis, problem solving, and logical thinking that can be applied to many fields. Increasingly, linguistics is being used as a tool by legal professionals, corporations, law enforcement, governments, and by the intelligence community.

After exploring the links to our various programs, feel free to contact the Department of Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics to find out more about our programs.

Call or visit our offices for more information about the various courses and majors in Comparative Literature, Languages, and Linguistics.

John Krapp
Department Chair
Associate Professor of Comparative Literature