In a world brought ever closer by technology, trade, and transportation, fluency in a foreign language will make a tremendous difference in your earning power, how high you can climb the corporate ladder, and your ability to expand your professional and personal networks.
The study of languages will help you understand the world better, become more culturally sensitive, and train you to adjust to new environments quickly. Learning languages will improve your writing and train you to look at things from many points of view.
Language Offerings
At Hofstra, we offer instruction through two academic departments: Comparative Literature, Languages and Linguistics and Romance Languages and Literatures. All our language programs are designed to give you an education in both foreign language and culture. Cultural fluency and sensitivity are essential for virtually every industry, including banking, information technology, health care, education, law, media, marketing, and public relations.
Comparative Literature, Languages, & Linguistics
Romance Languages and Literatures
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures houses the following programs:
French
Italian
Spanish
The department also features Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) which examines the region's geography, politics, economies, histories, cultures, and literatures.
Study Abroad
All students are encouraged to participate in a study abroad program at some point during their time at Hofstra. When a young person is immersed in a foreign culture and experiences the world from a new perspective, the result can be transformational.
The Outlook
Students who graduate with a degree in languages have a competitive edge in the workforce. They can deal with an international clientele, can represent their employer abroad, and are open to job and academic opportunities around the globe.
Recent languages alumni are working in the United States and abroad, in government, private industry, and the nonprofit sector in a variety of roles, including teaching, translating, editing, banking, and finance.
The Student Experience
Internships
In addition to coursework and study abroad programs, students may add an internship to their academic experience at Hofstra. More than half of Hofstra students majoring in a language complete at least one internship.
Events On and Off Campus
Language studies are also complemented by seminars, lectures, and other campus programming presented by the academic departments, the Hofstra Cultural Center, and Intercultural Engagement and Inclusion.
Professors take advantage of the University's proximity to New York City and arrange for trips to plays, museum exhibitions, film screenings, and tours of ethnic neighborhoods.
Student Clubs, Organizations, Honor Societies
We also have various student organizations and honor societies on campus; among them are Hofstra Hillel (the Center for Jewish Life on Campus), the Nippon Culture Society, the Hofstra University Hellenic Society, Lushan Society, Gamma Kappa Alpha (the national Italian honor society), Pi Delta Phi (the national French honor society) and Sigma Delta Pi (the national Spanish honor society).