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Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (AP) – Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

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Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics offers one of the widest selections of languages of any Canadian university: American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), German, Greek (both Classical and Modern), Hebrew, Hindi-Urdu, Jamaican Creole, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili and Yiddish. The ESL section fosters the developing abilities of domestic and international students to use English for academic purposes, allowing them to engage more fully in their programs. The study of foreign languages and literatures makes communication possible among people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds and fosters intercultural understanding. This enables our students to engage the global community thoughtfully and creatively.

The department also offers courses in linguistics, the discipline concerned with discovering the organizing principles of human language and applying these principles to the description of individual languages. Linguistics attempts to answer questions about the structure of languages, about how languages are alike and how they differ, about how children acquire language, about the relation between language and thought, language perception and production, as well as language and society. As a result, the study of linguistics can provide new perspectives on almost every aspect of the humanities and social sciences.

The department offers courses leading to Honours BA and BA degrees in German Studies, Italian Culture, Italian Studies, Linguistics, Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian Studies and Spanish, as well as graduate MA and PhD degrees in Linguistics and Applied Linguistics. The department also offers Certificates of Language Proficiency in Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Modern Greek, Modern Hebrew, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Students may also take courses in Hebrew towards an Advanced Certificate in Hebrew and Jewish Studies, offered by the Department of Humanities. The department’s language programs, through their various courses and language proficiency certificates, contribute to a variety of area studies and interdisciplinary programs: African Studies, Business and Society, Classical Studies, East Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, European Studies, Hellenic Studies, International Development Studies, Jewish Studies, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, South Asian Studies, Religious Studies and Women’s Studies. The department's language programs may also contribute to a variety of graduate programs such as Development Studies. For specific program requirements, certificate requirements and course listings, please consult the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies Programs of Study section.

Courses in Language, Literature and Culture

General Regulations

1. Entry to Language Courses

Any student may enrol in a language course at any level, subject to the conditions enumerated below.

a) Admission to a student’s first course in a language at York is by placement questionnaire and/or interview, or departmental authorization slip.

b) In most cases, students who have completed a 1000-level language course with a grade of at least C are automatically admissible to a course at the next level in the same language, but may be pre-tested for purposes of course or section placement.

c) Registration in any language course may be limited at the discretion of the department.

d) Students intending to major or minor in German Studies, Italian Studies, Italian Culture, Japanese Studies, Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian Studies or Spanish are encouraged to begin study of the relevant language in their first year.

2. Credit for Language Courses

A language course may be taken for credit in any year of any undergraduate program. Credit is given for a course if a grade of D or better is achieved. However, to advance from one level to another level, a student must achieve at least a grade of C.

3. Language of Instruction

Some literature and culture courses are given in English. In others, instruction is given in the relevant language, and entry to courses and programs depends upon the student’s ability to function in that language. The department may require a student to demonstrate language competence before granting admission to a course. For details, please consult the department’s online supplemental calendar.

4. Frequency of Course Offerings

Not all of the courses will necessarily be offered in any given year. For details of courses to be offered, please consult the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics online supplemental calendar.

The following degree programs are associated with the Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics:

  • German Studies
  • Italian Culture
  • Italian Studies
  • Japanese Studies
  • Linguistics
  • Portuguese and Luso-Brazilian Studies
  • Spanish

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics offers a variety of courses in the following language areas:

  • American Sign Language
  • Arabic
  • Chinese
  • English as a Second Language
  • German
  • Classical Greek
  • Modern Greek
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi-Urdu
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Jamaican Creole
  • Korean
  • Latin
  • Persian
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Spanish
  • Swahili
  • Yiddish

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics also offers the following certificate programs:

  • Certificate of Proficiency in Chinese Language
  • Certificate of Proficiency in German Language
  • Certificate of Proficiency in Italian Language
  • Certificate of Proficiency in Japanese Language
  • Certificate of Proficiency in Modern Greek Language
  • Certificate of Proficiency in Modern Hebrew Language
  • Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese Language
  • Certificate of Proficiency in Spanish Language
  • Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

For more information, please consult the listings for specific programs and certificates.

DLLL and General Education Courses

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Linguistics also offers the following General Education Courses that satisfy the Humanities or Social Science requirements.

DLLL

AP/DLLL 1000 6.00 World Literatures in Perspective (fulfills the Humanities General Education requirement)

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

AP/ESL 1000 9.00 Canadian Language and Culture (cross-listed with AP/HUMA 1220 9.00; fulfills the Humanities General Education requirement)

AP/ESL 1450 6.00 Thinking about Contemporary Canada (cross-listed with AP/HUMA 1745 6.00; fulfills the Humanities General Education requirement; course credit exclusion AP/ESL 100 6.00)

GERMAN

AP/GER 1791 6.00 The Fairy Tale: From Grimm to Disney (fulfills the Humanities General Education requirement)

ITALIAN

AP/IT 1751 9.00 Italian Culture: The Great Ideas and the Masterworks (cross-listed with HUMA 1761 9.00) (fulfills the Humanities General Education requirement)

AP/IT 1761 9.00 Italian Cinema, Literature and Society (cross-listed with AP/HUMA 1761 9.00; fulfills the Humanities General Education requirement)

AP/IT 1791 9.00 Migration, Immigration and Beyond: Italians in North America (fulfills the Social Science General Education requirement)

Notes:

  1. Students who are exempted from one or more of the courses required for the degree must still complete the total number of credits required for the program. Please consult the department’s annual supplemental calendar for more detailed information regarding degree requirements.
  2. Students who wish to study abroad should consult the appropriate section coordinator and York International well in advance of the academic session in which they wish to study away from York.

Rules and regulations in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies
Other programs offered in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies