Foreign Language Honors Courses aim to provide students with the opportunity for extended, in-depth exploration of languages and cultures. In addition to attending and doing the required work for a regular language class, Honors students will further enrich their language learning experience by completing challenging yet level-appropriate assignments, and by meeting regularly with their professors for discussion and conversation.
What are the requirements?
- Students must take the Web-Cape placement exam and score in the highest range of the language level they wish to take.
- Students who have taken language courses at GSC must receive a favorable recommendation from their previous professor.
- Students will meet with the Honors professor for a short interview prior to enrolling in the course.
How much time outside of class should I plan for?
Honors students should be available to meet with the professor outside of class on a regular basis. The frequency and duration of these meetings will be determined by the professor in consultation with the student at the beginning of the semester. It is not uncommon for Honors students to meet with their professors for up to an additional eight hours during the course of the semester.
What will I be doing?
The Department of Foreign Languages hopes to offer Honors students an individualized learning experience that takes into consideration their particular interests. Students will be encouraged to discuss these interests with their professor during their initial interview or first meeting. Honors assignments and projects include but are not limited to the following:
- Writing Portfolio
- Stories
- Short essays/journals
- Poetry
- Cultural Portfolio
- Exploration of a particular culture or country.
- Reports on a series of movies or songs.
- Extra readings with questions for student to answer and to discuss with professor during meetings.
- Investigate student’s career goals for using the target language here and beyond. Compare and contrast student’s chosen field with the same field in the area(s) where the target language is spoken.
- Interview a member (or members) of the community and write a report.
- Watch a target-language TV program during the course of the semester and write a report (or a series of short essays) about it.
- Conduct ongoing, online cultural, political and historical research to be discussed in weekly meetings.
- Video project presentations of approved research topics.
- Written and oral reports on community research investigations, including but not limited to historical community connections, business/financial/economic links, or civic and educational opportunities.
- Linking language studies with scientific or humanistic inquiry (e.g., environmental impact investigations, human rights, sociological interests).
- Collaborative projects involving all or most honors students during a particular semester. Examples include creating cultural “information stations” (to be displayed at the Language Lab) on different countries, celebrations or traditions.