Message from the Chair

The Department of World Languages and Cultures provides opportunities to develop and enhance functional linguistic and cultural capabilities, fostering and nurturing communicative growth to prepare world citizens for the interconnected global community. The Department supports cultural competencies and prepares students for meaningful academic, professional, and personal experiences in a variety of contexts.

In doing so, we emphasize the development of speaking skills, cultural understanding, and responsible global citizenship. Our students also focus on all other aspects of developing language skills for communicative purposes. Many of our students study abroad, obtain employment with companies that have international interests, earn scholarships such as the Fulbright, and attend graduate school in areas that incorporate their language abilities.

Our dedicated faculty and provides a welcoming environment for students to expand their developing competence in language and culture. We currently offer courses in American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Those interested in teaching a language can obtain an endorsement through Drake’s School of Education. Students who excel in their language studies are also able to join a national honor society that recognizes their excellence and actively promotes language learning in a variety of ways throughout the academic year. Many languages also have weekly conversation tables available even for those not enrolled in classes.

Students can earn minors in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, East Asian Studies, and Latin American Studies.  We also now offer a Spanish Major and a Minor in Spanish for the Medical and Health Professions.

We invite you to examine our site and course offerings. Should you have any questions or wish for more information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Dr. Chinatsu Sazawa Bachmann
Chair, World Languages and Cultures
Associate Professor of Japanese
worldlanguages@drake.edu