The World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department offers courses, majors, teacher certifications, or minors in the following languages:
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers several courses in ASL, as well as Undergraduate Minor. These courses satisfy the university language requirement and can be a very valuable complement to majors in social services professions such as nursing, counseling, teaching, interpretation.
ASL is the most common language used by deaf communities not just in the USA, but also in other parts of the world. According to some sources, it was originally developed at the American School for the Deaf, in Hartford, and it is most closely related to the French Sign Language.
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers several courses in Arabic, as well as Undergraduate Minor.
Arabic courses satisfy the university language requirement and can be a very valuable complement to majors in social and international studies as well as political science.
The Arab world spreads all the way from the Arabian Peninsula to Morocco in the north-west of the African continent. Although all the inhabitants of the many countries in this area speak the same language, Arabic, people need to know two different "species" of a language to be fully functional: a formal language called Fusha (also known as standard or classical) which everyone learns at school, reads in newspapers, or uses in presentation mode (speeches, lectures, sermons, newscasts, etc.), and an informal language called "aammiyya" (also known as colloquial, vernacular, or a dialect) which people use at home and in the street for interpersonal communication, and to express identity, intimacy and emotions.
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers several courses in French, as well as Undergraduate Majors in French and French for Secondary Teaching, a minor, and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in French. The French language can be used to fulfill the university language requirement at Central and can be an excellent complement to majors in art, theater, philosophy, design, engineering, fashion and hospitality. Students with an interest in Africa can use French in their studies. French is the official language in 29 countries. La francophonie is the community of French-speaking countries. Countries where French is spoken are located in Europe, North America, Africa and South East Asia and Oceania.
According to demographic projections, French speakers will number approximately 500 million in 2025 and 650 million by 2050. The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie estimates 700 million by 2050, 80% of whom will be in Africa.
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers several courses in German, and a minor. German language can be used to fulfill the university language requirement at Central, and can be an excellent complement to majors in philosophy, sciences, engineering, technology and design. German is a classic second foreign language in the western world. German ranks second (after English) among the best known foreign languages in the EU (on a par with French). In terms of student numbers across all levels of education, German ranks third in the EU (after English and French) as well as in the United States (after Spanish and French). In 2015, approximately 15.4 million people were in the process of learning German across all levels of education worldwide. German was once, and still remains to some extent, a lingua franca in Eastern Europe.
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers several courses in Italian, as well as an Undergraduate Major, a Minor, and a Graduate program and Teacher Licensure Program in Italian. The Italian language can be used to fulfill the university language requirement at Central, and can be an excellent complement for majors in business, design, plastic and performing arts, as well as literature. It is not difficult to find opportunities to use the language in Connecticut. The Italian American ethnic group comprises Americans who have full or partial ancestry from Italy, especially those who identify with that ancestry, along with their cultural characteristics. Italian Americans are the fourth largest European ethnic group in the United States. About 5.5 million Italians immigrated to the United States from 1820 to 2004.
Italian presence in American culture is visible in all cultural aspects: music, food, the arts, sports...
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers several courses in Japanese, as well as an Undergraduate Minor. Japanese satisfies the university language requirement and can be a very valuable complement to majors in international studies, politics, marketing, business, engineering and design. The first program aimed at training secondary school Japanese language teachers was established at the University of Hawaii under the provisions of the National Defense Act of 1958; it initially admitted 20 students. Enrollment in Japanese language courses in US high schools had the fastest growth rate out of all languages during the 1980s. During the 1990s, The College Board, a United States standardized testing agency, began to offer an SAT Subject Test in Japanese and conducted the first sitting of the Japanese Advanced Placement exam in May 2007; these examinations enable high school students to obtain college credit for their prior study of the Japanese language.
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers courses in Latin and a minor in Latin. Latin satisfies the university language requirement and can be a very valuable complement to majors in the natural sciences, philosophy, English, and the arts. Latin satisfies the university language requirement and can be a very valuable complement to majors in the natural sciences, philosophy, English, and the arts.
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers multiple courses in Polish. The University also offers a minor in Polish Studies. Polish satisfies the university language requirement and can be a very valuable complement to majors in social services professions, the arts, and English. Departments of Polish Studies exist in all major universities in many academic institutions across the world. Modern Languages at Central offers a Minor in Polish.
The largest group of European immigrants to New Britain was Polish, so Polish heritage is most important there. Attracted to the opportunities which the city afforded, they, like many other immigrants, flocked to New Britain to fill the need of the large industrial complexes that dominated the economy of the city as the twentieth century began.
The department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers multiple courses in Spanish, as well as an two Undergraduate Majors,a Minor, a Teacher Licensure Program, and a Graduate Program. The Spanish language can be used to fulfill the university language requirement at Central, and as a minor, can be an excellent complement for majors in criminal justice, sociology, nursing, business, tourism, communication, psychology, geography, history, and more. Central is located in an area where Spanish is widely spoken, and students can easily use the language in their daily lives.