FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES

 

Collection Development Policy Statement

 

 

Library's Collection Development Objectives

 

LSU Libraries seeks to support teaching and research in Classics, Spanish language and Hispanic literatures, German language and literature, Italian language and literature, and Russian language and literature, as well as literary theory, criticism, and cultural studies relevant to these areas. This includes support for undergraduate majors and minors, a Master's program (Spanish), and faculty research. Language courses in Chinese, Japanese, Swahili, Arabic, and Portuguese are supported to the extent that LSU Libraries selectively collects reference materials pertaining to those languages and cultures, and makes other purchases in response to specific requests from faculty. This policy seeks primarily to support the curriculum of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, but the library's collections in the above-mentioned areas also support interdisciplinary and interdepartmental programs including those in Linguistics, Comparative Literature, Women's and Gender Studies, Russian Area Studies, Asian Studies, and International Studies. Additionally, materials collected in the subject areas included in this policy support some courses and research in the Departments of English, Theatre, Curriculum and Instruction, Philosophy and Religious Studies, and History. Works of major classical and international authors in English translation are used by students and faculty from many other departments as well. This policy does not address children's literature in Spanish, German, or Russian (housed in the Children=s Literature Collection in the Libraries= Education Resource Center) nor Special Collections materials.

 

Curriculum Program Descriptions

 

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures is a part of the College of Arts and Sciences. The department's curriculum includes language courses (Latin; classical Greek; Spanish; German; Russian; Italian; Portuguese; Chinese; Japanese; Swahili; Arabic) at beginning through advanced levels, with the exception of Chinese, Japanese, Swahili, Portuguese, and Arabic, offered at beginning and intermediate levels only. Courses in beginning and intermediate biblical Hebrew are cross-listed under Religious Studies. The department also offers courses in classical literature and civilization; all periods of Spanish and Latin American literature, German literature, Italian literature, and Russian literature; literary theory and criticism; cultural studies; women's studies; applied and theoretical linguistics; and comparative literature. Some of the classics, literature, and cultural studies courses are offered in English. The department's strengths are in undergraduate teaching and interdisciplinary studies. The undergraduate enrollment in Latin courses at LSU is among the highest at U.S. public universities.

 

There are 153 undergraduate courses and 17 graduate courses offered by the department. Degrees offered are the B.A. in German, Latin, or Spanish, and the M.A. in Spanish. Minors are offered in Classical Civilization, Greek, Italian, and Russian. Additionally, the department participates in the interdepartmental programs in Russian Area Studies (B.A.); Linguistics (M.A., Ph.D.), Comparative Literature (M.A., Ph.D.), and Asian Studies.

 

There are 46 faculty members in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, of whom 11 are graduate faculty. One faculty member holds a joint appointment in the Department of English. Several faculty members also teach in the Honors Program and in the interdepartmental programs in Comparative Literature, Linguistics, Russian Area Studies, Asian Studies, and Women's and Gender Studies. Occasional courses are offered on topics falling under the Jewish Studies program as well. Faculty are engaged in research and publication in the areas of classical literature and civilization, literary and cultural studies, linguistics, and foreign language teaching.

 

Degrees Awarded

 

 

German, Latin, and Spanish Majors

 

 

 

New and Expanding Areas of Interest

 

A trend toward more interdisciplinary teaching is likely to continue, for example in cultural studies and classical studies. The department is expanding its Chinese program, and a Chinese minor is under consideration. Beginning and intermediate Portuguese courses were reintroduced in 2000 after a lapse of many years. The Italian program was moved to the Dept. of Foreign Languages and Literatures from the French department in the same year; enrollment in Italian courses has increased, and new courses are under consideration.

 

Areas of Specialization / Major Faculty Research Interests

 

§         Classical Latin and Greek literature; classical civilization

§         Medieval literature (Spain)

§         18th-20th century literature of Spain and Latin America

§         Renaissance studies (Spain, Italy)

§         Spanish Golden Age literature

§         Applied linguistics; second language learning; Spanish in the U.S.

§         18th-20th century German literature; German children=s literature

§         Russian literature and culture

§         Women's writing (Spanish, German)

§         Literary theory and criticism

§         Film studies

§         Comparative literature

§         Chinese literature

§         19th-20th century Italian literature

 

Treatment of Subject Depth / Specific Delimitations

 

LSU Libraries collects generally at the level of instructional support in most of the areas relevant to the curriculum of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Faculty research is supported as funds permit, and in response to specific requests from faculty. Collecting is primarily of 20th-century, in-print monographs published in the U.S., Great Britain and Canada. Publications in languages other than English, and works published in continental Europe or Latin America, are purchased selectively. Dictionaries and other reference works are collected selectively, as are serials.

Overlap with Other Subjects or Collections

Portions of the following areas are of some interest to the curriculum of the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, but other policy statements and selectors have the primary responsibility for collection development:

 

§         Philosophy and religion

§         History; archaeology

§         Anthropology

§         Women's and gender studies

§         Linguistics

§         Education

§         Literary theory

§         Fine arts

§         Film

§         Children's/young people's literature in German, Spanish, Russian

 

 

Classed Analysis