Modern Languages and Literatures Department

The Modern Languages and Literatures Department is one of eighteen academic departments at Knox. It offers five majors and four minors, as well as additional coursework in other subjects. The department is located on the second floor of GDH.

Department Faculty

Current

• Bruce Davis, Department Chair, Associate Professor (French)
• Caesar Akuetey, Associate Professor (French)
• Gisela Benson, Lecturer (German)
• Carol Chase, Professor (French)
• Jessie Dixon, Associate Professor (Spanish)
• Tim Foster, Associate Professor (Spanish)
• Fernando Gomez, Assistant Professor (Spanish)
• Hideki Hamada, Visiting Instructor (Japanese)
• Sonja Klocke, Assistant Professor (German)
• Ryohei Matsuda, Assistant Professor (Japanese)
• Jerome Miner, Associate Professor (Spanish)
• Antonio Prado, Visiting Instructor (Spanish)
• Robin Ragan, Assistant Professor (Spanish)
• Shuyan Gao Shipplett, Visiting Instructor (Chinese)
• Susan Thompson, Lecturer (Spanish)
• Ross Vander Meulen, Professor Emeritus (German)

Former

• Katja Grosche, Teaching Intern in German (2006-2007)
• Charles Mills, Assistant Professor in Russian (1999-2007)
• Karl-Heinz Maurer, Assistant Professor in German (2001-2005)
• Susanna Meerman, Teaching Intern in German (2005-2006)
• Andrea Reimann, Visiting Instructor in German (2005-2007)

Language Coverage

The Modern Languages department teaches only those modern languages in which a major is offered. Until Spring 2007, the department also taught Japanese and Russian; Russian was eliminated in favor of Chinese, and both Chinese and Japanese and their faculty are now primarily administrated under the Asian Studies Program, while nominally working in the Modern Languages department. Latin and Greek, being ancient languages, are taught by the Classics Department, although a shared Modern Languages and Classics major exists.

Modern Languages

See main page at Modern Languages.

The department offers two general modern languages related majors..

Modern Languages (major)

This major allows advanced study in one language with additional study in a second language.

Courses Required for the Modern Languages major

11 to 14 credits, depending on existing language knowledge:

• One complete major in either French, German, or Spanish
• Two courses at the 200- and 300-level in another language, excepting those taught in English

Modern Languages and Classics (major)

This major pairs study of a modern language with study of a classical language (Latin or Greek). Either can be the primary language.

Courses Required for the Modern Languages and Classics major

11 to 14 credits, depending on existing language knowledge:

• Either:
  • One complete major in either French, German, or Spanish
  • Two courses at the 200- and 300-level in Latin or Greek
• Or:
  • One complete major in Classics
  • Two courses at the 200- and 300-level in a modern language

French

See main page at French.

There is one major and one minor offered in French.

French (major)

This major allows for advanced study of French language and literature.

Courses Required for the French major

10 credits:

• All of the following:
  • FREN 210 (French Conversation)
  • FREN 211 (Intermediate French Grammar and Composition)
  • FREN 399 (Senior Project)
• One 200- or 300-level literature course
• One 200- or 300-level civilization course
• Five additional 300-level elective credits

French (minor)

This minor allows for intermediate study of French language and literature.

Courses Required for the French minor

5 credits:

• Three 200-level French courses
• Two 300-level French courses (One if MODL 260E is taken)

German

See main page at German.

There is one major and one minor offered in German.

German (major)

This major allows for advanced study of German language and literature.

Courses Required for the German major

10 credits:

• All of the following:
  • GERM 202 (German Literature)
  • GERM 210 (German Conversation and Composition)
• One of the following:
  • GERM 399 (Senior Project)
  • GERM 400 (Advanced Studies)
• Five additional 300-level German elective credits
• Two credits from allied fields, as approved by the program chair. The following courses are pre-approved:
  • ANSO 270 (Language and Culture)
  • ENG 200 (Ways of Reading)
  • ENG 334 (Literary Criticism)
  • HIST 105 (European Civilization ca. 800 to ca. 1715)
  • HIST 106 (European Civilization ca. 1715 to the Present)
  • HIST 320 (Germany 1914-1945)
  • MODL 260E (Introduction to General Linguistics)

German (minor)

This minor allows for intermediate study of German language and literature.

Courses Required for the German minor

5 credits:

• Three 200-level German courses
• Two 300-level German courses (One if MODL 260E is taken)

Spanish

See main page at Spanish.

There is one major and one minor offered in Spanish.

Spanish (major)

This major allows for advanced study of Spanish language and literature.

Courses Required for the Spanish major

9 to 10 credits, depending on existing language knowledge:

• All of the following:
  • SPAN 202 (Hispanic Literature 1140-1700)
  • SPAN 203 (Hispanic Literature 1700 to Present)
  • SPAN 210 (Conversation and Composition)
  • SPAN 399 (Advanced Seminar)
  • A period-appropriate 300-level course may replace either SPAN 202 or SPAN 203, but not both
• One of the following:
  • SPAN 305 (Spanish American Literature Through Modernismo)
  • SPAN 306 (Twentieth Century Spanish-American Literature)
• One of the following:
  • HIST 121 (Introduction to Latin American History)
  • HIST 314 (offered in Buenos Aires)
  • HIST 315 (offered in Barcelona)
  • HIST 317 (offered in Barcelona)
  • PS 222 (Introduction to Latin American Politics)

Spanish (minor)

This minor allows for intermediate study of Spanish language and literature.

Courses Required for the Spanish minor

5 credits:

• Three 200-level Spanish courses
• Two 300-level Spanish courses (One if MODL 260E is taken)

Meeting the Competency Requirements

Each language has designated several courses that meet Knox's Key Competency Requirements.

French

• Writing Requirement: FREN 211, FREN 399
• Oral Requirement: FREN 210
• Information Literacy Requirement: All 300-level courses are designed to develop the skills required.

German

• Writing Requirement: None listed
• Oral Requirement: GERM 210
• Information Literacy Requirement: All 300-level courses are designed to develop the skills required.

Spanish

• Writing Requirement: SPAN 302, SPAN 399
• Oral Requirement: SPAN 210
• Information Literacy Requirement: All 300-level courses are designed to develop the skills required.