World Languages & Cultures

• Mission Statement

  The Department of World Languages & Cultures promotes global awareness and intercultural understanding by providing instruction in various languages. We prepare majors and minors to function effectively in a foreign language by offering courses in literature, culture, linguistics, pedagogy and language for professional purposes.

• Student Learning Outcomes
  • Certificates

    Students completing the American Sign Language, Chinese, German, French, Japanese, and Spanish Certificates will demonstrate the following outcomes:

    • Demonstrate speaking and listening proficiency in the language they are studying.
    • Demonstrate writing ability, including a command of grammar and appropriate usage to express their ideas.
    • Demonstrate the ability to write in different styles. (3000 level courses)
    • Write an analysis or a literary or cultural work in the language.  (3000 level courses)
    • Describe and explain aspects of the culture(s) of the language being studied.
  • Associate Degrees

    Students completing the Associate of Arts in American Sign Language will demonstrate the following outcomes:

    • Demonstrate speaking and listening proficiency in the language they are studying.
    • Demonstrate writing ability, including a command of grammar and appropriate usage to express their ideas.
    • Describe and explain aspects of the culture(s) of the language being studied.

     

    Students completing the Associate of Arts in Chinese, German, French, Japanese, and Spanish will demonstrate the following outcomes:

    • Demonstrate speaking and listening proficiency in the language they are studying.
    • Demonstrate writing ability, including a command of grammar and appropriate usage to express their ideas.
    • Demonstrate the ability to write in different styles.
    • Write an analysis or a literary or cultural work in the language.
    • Describe and explain aspects of the culture(s) of the language being studied.

     

    Students completing the Associate of Arts in Localization will demonstrate the following outcomes:

    • Demonstrate speaking and listening proficiency in the language they are studying.
    • Demonstrate writing ability, including a command of grammar and appropriate usage to express their ideas.
    • Explain the linguistic and cultural knowledge needed in adapting a product or service for specific locales associated with the language they are studying.
    • Explain the application of localization in global technology (such as software engineering, web development, digital media, programming, etc.).
    • Describe and explain aspects of the culture(s) of the language being studied.

  • Bachelor Degrees

    The Foreign Language Department has established five learning outcomes for Bachelors Degrees and made some changes to them in 2013-14; they are presented below with expected student documentation:

    Student Learning Outcomes Graduating majors will:	Evidence Students will:
    1. Demonstrate speaking and listening proficiency in the language they are studying.	Take an oral test administered on a computer.
    2. Demonstrate writing ability, including a command of grammar and appropriate usage to express their ideas.	(This skill will be evaluated based on documents submitted for outcomes 3, 4 and 5).
    3. Demonstrate the ability to write in different styles.	Submit at least three documents written in at least three different styles. Students will label each document with their determination of its style.
    4. Write an analysis or a literary or cultural work in the language.	Submit a written analysis of a literary or cultural work. (What qualifies as a “literary work” may be interpreted broadly).
    5. Describe and explain aspects of the culture(s) of the language being studied.	Submit one sample of their work (written paper, film, pamphlet, etc.) in which they describe or explain an aspect of a target culture.

     

    Students completing the Bachelor of Arts in French for Translation and Global Industry will:

    1.    Demonstrate speaking and listening proficiency in the language they are studying.
    2.    Demonstrate writing ability, including a command of grammar and appropriate usage to express their ideas.
    3.    Demonstrate the ability to write in different styles.
    4.    Describe and explain aspects of the culture(s) of the language being studied.
    5.    Demonstrate proficiency with technological tools and methodologies used to perform tasks within the context of specific professional fields, including translation, business, and international relations.

     

    Students completing the Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Translation will:

    Student Learning Outcomes Graduating majors will:	Evidence Students will:
    1. Demonstrate linguistic proficiency and cultural awareness in the language pair.	- Take an oral test administered on a computer, and - Submit a written analysis of a cultural practice or product from the Spanish-speaking world.
    2. Demonstrate writing ability in the language pair, including a command of grammar and appropriate usage to convey the intended message.	- This skill will be evaluated based on document submitted for outcome 1.
    3. Translate and interpret general and specialized texts in various domains and in a variety of translation and interpretation contexts from the source language into the target native language.	- Submit text translations from at least three various domains. Students will label each document with their determination of its domain. - Complete an interpreting simulation administered on a computer.
    4. Demonstrate understanding of translation and interpretation principles and of text features relevant in translation and interpretation practices.	- This skill will be evaluated based on documents submitted for outcome 3.
    5. Demonstrate understanding of the technical tools and computer applications used by translators, interpreters, and language industry professionals.	- Submit one sample of their work with technical tools and computer applications.

    
     

   

• Curriculum Grid

• Assessment Plan

  The Department of World Languages & Cultures continues to assess its graduating seniors through WLC 4990—Senior Assessment. During the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years, we piloted using ePortfolio as a platform to gather students’ written samples. However, full implementation was not possible because the faculty member leading this initiative left the university. Additionally, we concluded that ePorfolio does not work well for the department’s assessment practices. As a result, we continued using Canvas. This platform has proven effective, as it allows us to collect both written samples and oral proficiency assignments. Although we use a shared course shell for students graduating from the French, German, and Spanish programs, students respond to oral assessment prompts in their respective target languages.
   
  The department’s assessment approach is outcome-based for graduating seniors. Additionally, we conduct a course-based assessment for 2020 HU because it serves two key purposes:

  1. It is the final lower-division course students complete before progressing to upper-level core courses.
  2. It can fulfill the Humanities General Education requirement.
      

  Since our last biannual assessment report, we have introduced a one-credit course: FRCH, GRMN, SPAN 2960—Intro to World Languages & Cultures. This course serves two purposes:

  1. It introduces students to the concept of being a language major and explores careers in the language sector, fostering a sense of belonging and community.
  2. It acts as a pre-assessment, particularly for evaluating oral proficiency among language majors.
      

  Students take 2960 concurrently with the required core course 3060—Grammar and Composition, which is often the first upper-level course for majors (many of these students are returning LDS missionaries or heritage speakers). Completion of 3060 qualifies students to earn an AA in a language (if General Education requirements are also met). 2960 will be used to evaluate the oral proficiency of students graduating with an AA and serve as a “freshman” assessment for students who choose to declare a language major. By comparing oral proficiency levels from 2960 with those from WLC 4990—Senior Assessment, we aim to identify whether students advance on the oral proficiency scale during their studies at WSU. Since fall 2024 is the pilot semester for 2960, we do not yet have sufficient data to compare oral performance before and after their BA studies.

  In spring 2025, the department’s assessment committee will develop criteria and supporting evidence to evaluate the learning outcomes of students graduating from our applied and career-focused programs, including Localization, French for Translation and Global Industry, and Spanish Translation. Data collection for these programs will begin in spring or fall 2025.
  
  Faculty in the French, German, and Spanish sections actively participate in assessment and data review. Each program assigns faculty members to review a set number of senior assessment documents using a common evaluation rubric. The results are submitted to the department’s assessment committee chair, who compiles a report and shares it with the department head.
   

• Program and Contact Information

  The Department of World Languages and Cultures promotes global awareness and intercultural understanding by providing instruction and study abroad opportunities in various languages. We prepare majors and minors to function effectively in a foreign language by offering courses in literature, culture, linguistics, pedagogy and language for professional purposes.

  Contact Information:
  
  Dr. Isabel Asensio
  Weber State University
  1395 Edvalson St., Dept. 1403
  Ogden, UT 84408-1403
  801-626-6777

  World Languages and Cultures Department Website

• Assessment Report Submissions

  2023-24
  2021-22
  2019-20
  2017
  2016
  2015

• Program Review

  2019-20

  2014-15
   

This information is part of the cyclical program review process. Details such as mission statements, learning outcomes, etc., are updated as part of the biennial assessment reporting process, an integral component of program review.