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Job applicants with World language skills are in demand. Your future employer knows that you...
With 2 or 3 years of Spanish, French, or German in high school (or 2 semesters of language study in community college), students usually...
With 4 years of Spanish, French, or German in high school, students can start at the 3000-level.
Study Abroad programs
Earn credits even faster with our exciting programs that accommodate your budget and goals.
Excellent opportunities for heritage speakers of Spanish
Students with intermediate (or advanced) proficiency through home background learning skip courses and instead take our proficiency exams that provide full course credits. Inquire about our proficiency exams for WLS 3000 (4 credits) and WLS 3050 (4 credits).
Advanced Competency Credit
Students receive up to 6 credits free of charge for language study completed in high school. Applied after completing two courses at EIU and no prior college credit.
During my time at Eastern, adding a Spanish Minor was one of the best things I could have done. My Major is Criminology. Adding the Spanish Minor helped me perfect my Spanish, but also helped me stay connected to my culture.
Through the wonderful World Language Department I was able to grow my Spanish language skills and expand my knowledge in Spanish literature. The professors are amazing and always willing to help in and out of the classroom. Now that I have graduated (May ‘23), I will be working at Cunningham Children’s Home, for their Caminos program where I will be working with migrant children.
A German Minor was a perfect combination for a History major like me. My area of interest is Germany during Word War II and the Cold War era. I was always conducting research with various primary sources such as newspapers and speeches that were in German. So studying German as a second language opened opportunities for me to conduct and expand my research.
Also, I liked how I was able to integrate my History research into my German classes. For example, for my current German class, I presented on the former Palast der Republik in East Berlin and its controversial successor, the newly opened Humboldt Forum. I also served as president of German Club for the past year, which added to the fun of being a German Minor. We had lots of events, films, cooking nights, and cultural celebrations. And I just became a member of Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honor Society. All set to graduate!
I currently work for State Farm Insurance as an Auto Claims Representative in the Total Loss department. My “zone” handles vehicles that are total losses in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. When I applied for this job, the interview team saw my resume and that I noted that I studied Spanish and had it as a minor in college. They saw too on my resume that I studied abroad in Salamanca, Spain. The job posting didn’t say they were looking for Spanish speakers, nor did it say that they preferred them. To my delight, in my interview, they inquired about it, and said they drastically need Spanish speakers in the department. All I would have to do is pass an oral proficiency exam and I would be full time on the Spanish Claims Team for my department. How cool!
Since then, I have helped out with claims in my department whenever there are Spanish speakers that prefer to handle their claim in Spanish rather than English. I have found much joy in assisting those who need Spanish speakers to handle their business.
I think it’s fascinating that I have been able to incorporate the language I love into my career, which makes it very rewarding for me. To hear the relief that comes from the people I assist while speaking Spanish is a clear indicator that I’m helping them through a difficult time in a way that they feel comfortable. I wouldn’t be able to do that if I hadn’t studied Spanish or studied abroad in Spain.
Since being here in the company, I have learned that because I speak Spanish, there are more opportunities for me than those who speak just English. Not only are there more opportunities, but there are more people reaching out to me simply because I speak Spanish, and that in itself is a good sign that whatever my future holds, I know that I will be able to use my Spanish, and maybe even more than my English.
Majoring in English (Teacher Education). Working as a French tutor in our Department.
"I am a senior. I chose to study French because in high school I enjoyed both the beauty of French and the process of language learning. I knew that French was also a language that opens up the world. Did you know that it has been projected that by 2050, 750 million people around the world will be French-speakers? That's 750 million people I'll be able to talk to, and all the possible jobs, opportunities, and communities that come with that. The ability to speak French means I can teach English to French speakers around the world, which is my hope and plan. "
Majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Hospitality, and Minors in Business Administration and Spanish.
“I am a senior. Having a minor in Spanish demonstrates fluency, which makes job applicants more desirable. Speaking Spanish has provided me with so many opportunities.
I have recently been accepted into the Disney College Program. On my application I noted that I am fluent in Spanish. During my phone interview, the interviewer expressed that I am eligible to complete an assessment for my nametag to indicate that I speak Spanish. Being that Walt Disney World is one of the top vacation destinations in the world, I will be encountering guests whose native language is something other than English.”
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217-581-3021
Fax: 217-581-3113
ckeydt@eiu.edu
