MCL World Languages Library

This year, MCL is highlighting a new initiative to build a World Languages Library in our media lab. The Department would like to purchase materials written in all of our offered languages at a variety of comprehension levels in order to provide more access to primary sources for language students. The World Languages Library is designed to encourage students to build a relationship with language beyond textbooks and the classroom, and we will be creating a catalog of fiction and nonfiction that emphasizes culture, history, diversity, and inclusivity.

About

We provide Western students the skills to learn firsthand about major world societies. The department believes that the best way to understand a culture directly is through its language. The modern languages offered in the department – Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian and Spanish – are native languages to nearly two billion people. Latin and Classical Greek provide students the tools to study directly written works that form the foundation of Western civilization. In keeping with the aim of providing the skills needed to learn about a culture, the department trains in the areas of language structure and literary analysis. Language structure is taught both holistically and analytically.

Impact

Your gift to the Department of Modern and Classical Languages this year will fund student-faculty projects and initiatives, guest speakers, student travel to conferences, career networking opportunities, events highlighting the different languages and cultures in the department, and most importantly, scholarships.

Scholarships

We have a number of scholarships named in honor of beloved Faculty, Alumni and Supporters. You can choose to support anyone of these named scholarships, including a new scholarship for Spanish and/or linguistics majors we are starting in honor of Shaw Gynan and his retirement from Western.