Modern Languages Department
Modern Languages Department Mission Statement
The purpose of the Modern Languages Department is to teach languages and culture to
a diverse community of learners to meet the needs of a globalized society by instructing
and assisting students to be proficient in more than one language. The MLD prepares
students to become proficient in foreign languages to meet the occupational and personal
needs of students living in a linguistically and culturally diverse society. Learning
a second language opens opportunities for students to participate in the global economy
and to study abroad. The department offers diversity in language courses, which include
American Sign Language, Arabic, French, Mandarin and Spanish. The department offers
a Spanish AA-T, which prepares students to transfer to four-year universities.
Learn a New Language
The Modern Languages Department at San Bernardino Valley College offers American Sign
Language, Arabic, French and Spanish.
The ever-increasing role that the United States takes in global affairs, international
trade, and the growing numbers of immigrants dictate the need for knowledge of a modern
language. The primary objective of the Modern Languages Department is communication
at an acceptably correct and comprehensible level with an understanding of culture.
Teaching methods incorporate critical thinking activities and include the direct approach,
lectures and language laboratory assignments. Courses are offered in American Sign
Language, Arabic, French, and Spanish.
Students planning to transfer to a four-year institution and major in a modern language
should consult with a counselor regarding the transfer process and lower division
requirements. Positions for which four-year graduates in modern languages are qualified
are teaching, business, foreign services, law enforcement, nursing, hospitality services,
and secretarial services.