“As many languages one speaks, as many times one is a human being.”
Language Study at UC Santa Barbara
In today’s global culture and economy, knowing a foreign language is an increasingly valuable skill. Mastering a foreign language will enhance your career options in areas as diverse as international marketing, government service, and teaching (whether here or abroad). A foreign language will expand your horizons and will allow you to think, speak, and write about life from a new perspective. It will open the door to studying the art, music, literature, film, popular culture, and philosophy of other nations and peoples. Immersing yourself in a different language and culture will also enable you to gain a better understanding of your own. Variations of the proverb “as many languages one speaks, as many times one is a human being” exist all over the world.
In that spirit, we invite you to discover the rich foreign language offerings at UCSB. The campus offers a wide variety of programs where you can study one or more languages. You should plan to get an early start, which will make it easier to major or minor in a particular area and to take advantage of UC Education Abroad (a great way of expanding your language training). Also keep in mind that for many languages, the first and second year sequence begins only in the Fall Quarter of any given year. Placement testing is available.
“Knowing another language enriches your personal life, expands the range of professional opportunities open to you, and increases your power to act as a citizen of the world. Exposure to another culture through its language will position you more favorably for success in your career, whatever career you may choose. Studying even one language will dramatically increase your sensitivity to linguistic and cultural differences; it will make you more aware of how you use your own language as well. Many people who study languages and cultures are surprised to find the experience transformative. Students of language discover ways of seeing the world that they did not expect.”
Languages offered
Germanic and Slavic Studies
www.gss.ucsb.edu
Languages: German, Russian
Majors: German, Russian & East European Studies
Minors: German Studies, Russian
Religious Studies
www.religion.ucsb.edu
Languages: Arabic, Hebrew, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, Tibetan
Minors: Iranian Studies, Jewish Studies
Spanish and Portuguese
www.spanport.ucsb.edu
Languages: Basque, Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish
Majors: Portuguese, Spanish
Minors: Portuguese, Spanish
Classics
www.classics.ucsb.edu
Languages: Ancient Greek, Latin
Major: Classics
Minor: Classics
East Asian Languages and Cultures
www.eastasian.ucsb.edu
Languages: Chinese, Japanese, Korean
Majors: Chinese, Japanese, Asian Studies
Minors: Chinese, Japanese
French and Italian
www.frit.ucsb.edu
Languages: French, Italian
Majors: French, Italian Studies
Minors: French, Italian Studies
The UC Education Abroad Program offers many opportunities for you to immerse yourself in the study of your language.
Languages at UCSB - News and Features
