Live it and learn it!

Experience language, culture, literature, cinema, and art both inside and outside the classroom with other students and faculty who are passionate about them. Visit museums, attend Fiesta Indianapolis, study abroad in Spain, Cuba, or France, live in the Modern Language House, conduct undergraduate research and more. Develop your language skills, engage in critical thinking, and build cultural awareness, all of which are essential tools for caring and committed local, national, and global citizenship.

Research shows that studying a foreign language improves mastery of a native language and develops creativity, cognitive flexibility, special reasoning skills and intercultural awareness.

Departmental Highlights

Why do students choose Modern Languages at Franklin College?

• Students conduct an independent senior research project.
• Majors and minors live in the Modern Language House, a community-living, language and culture themed-house.
• Learners study abroad with a variety of flexible and affordable options, such as France, Guatemala, and Spain.
• Students complete internships, including the International Center in Indianapolis, the Indiana Latino Institute, and Alliance Française d’Indianapolis.
• Learners take unique classes involving community service, conversation via internet with native speakers, one-act plays, visual art, and film and literature of the Hispanic and Francophone worlds.
• A major or minor in French or Spanish complements any other area of study.

The opportunities of today’s world call for individuals who embrace language and cultural diversity. Whether you are interested in education, medicine, business, non-profit leadership, conservation, politics, criminal justice, or an array of other fields, the learning experiences we explore through modern languages will be indispensable.

Interacting with ideas through art, cinema, literature, personal connections from community and professional involvement, and study abroad helps us achieve a more nuanced understanding of diverse peoples. This, in turn, builds cultural sensitivity and awareness that potential employers, community leaders, and graduate programs value highly, while also fostering independence and greater self-awareness — a sense of our own culture, our own language, who we are, and what we value.

The Department of Modern Languages at Franklin College prepares global citizens for active and meaningful contributions, whether at home or abroad, to a diverse and interconnected world.

Student-Learning Outcomes

• Engage with diverse viewpoints, individuals, cultures, and experiences in order to grow personally and intellectually.
• Develop linguistic fluency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in the target language.
• Plan, research, write, and present polished academic research.
• Apply skills, knowledge, and content beyond the classroom setting.
• Connect language study with other disciplines.

There are a host of opportunities available to modern languages students at Franklin College.

Internships

Alliance Française d’Indianapolis
Bedford Regional Medical Center
Cincinnati Magazine
Esperanza Ministries
Mexican Consulate, Indianapolis
Wheeler Mission
WindRose Health Network
The International Center in Indianapolis
Southport High School World Languages
Southport High School English as a New Language
Indiana Latino Institute
Joseph Maley Foundation
Teaching Assistant Program in France

Graduate and Professional School Participants

Medical School
Master’s in psychology
Master’s in public health
Master’s in Spanish
Master’s in Marriage and Family Studies
Dental School
Master’s in Latin American Studies

Practical Experiences

Study Abroad: recent destinations include France, Belgium, Spain, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Guatemala
The Modern Language House: French and Spanish residents can earn academic credit and promote language and culture on campus
Culture/Language Activities: such as Immersion Day, Game Night, and film screenings
Supplemental Instruction Leaders: student opportunities for leading peer tutoring and conversation tables
Butler Undergraduate Research Conference Presentations
English Teaching Abroad: recent destinations include France, Spain, Costa Rica, Japan