For Current Students

At Lewis & Clark, we believe that language is the key to understanding the world, which is why we offer study in nine languages: Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, French, German, Spanish, Latin and Classical Greek. Learning a language other than English opens the mind, broadens one’s sense of culture and history, and—in an increasingly global society—gives students a post-graduation edge in a wide array of professional fields.

Through on-campus and overseas study, the Department of World Languages and Literatures at Lewis & Clark enables students to learn to think, write, speak, and read critically in a second (or third, or fourth, or fifth…) language. Because we believe that learning in the classroom must be supplemented with learning in the field, we require all majors to study abroad, and offer semester and year-long programs in eleven different countries. Students regularly report life-changing experiences during their time abroad, and all return with greater fluency and confidence.