The School of Modern Languages is a national leader in the study of cultures, languages, linguistics, and media. Our faculty are consistently recognized for their cutting-edge and interdisciplinary research, artistic creation, innovations in curriculum development, expertise in study abroad, and close collaboration with industry professionals. The expertise of our faculty spans six continents and more than fifteen languages, with a focus on contemporary cultures in Latin America, Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Arctic. Scholarship includes groundbreaking works across a range of fields in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, funded by numerous domestic and international grants and fellowships.
Research Strengths:
- Cultural studies, cultural theory, and critical theory
- Cinema, documentary, media, and literary studies
- Sustainability, globalization, and climate change in society
- Theoretical, comparative, and applied linguistics, particularly sociolinguistics, computational linguistics, language contact, and bilingualism
- Interdisciplinary connections between linguistics, psychology, computer science, and the study of specific foreign languages
- Gender, memory, race, and urban studies
- Popular culture and music, visual arts, poetry, and performance
- Digital humanities and new media
- Career education and humanities for the professions
- Instructional technology, foreign language pedagogy, and curriculum development
- Cross- and inter-cultural communication in context
- Science, technology, and environmental studies
- Service learning, community engagement, and social justice