Good Language Colleges? (11)

1 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-06 05:31 ID:ujN3Id8c

What are good language colleges (American colleges)?
Im majoring in German.
Im hoping for one in New York perferably, near Syracuse.

Any suggestions?
Where did you graduate from/are currently going too?

I would go abroad, but, so its much money to live in another country! Even with scholarships, its craaazy money.

2 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-09 02:51 ID:AOIPka08

I know jack shit about colleges for German, but I bet the Goethe-Institut in New York would.
http://www.goethe.de/Ins/us/ney/enindex.htm
See what they might tell you?

3 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-09 16:33 ID:m/eqoDMk

Go to Cornell. Among the best schools for languages and linguistics on the planet. You could major in German and study some combination of the 50 other languages they teach. I took Thai, Khmer, Romanian, Russian, and Zulu there.

Ithaca's a little over an hour from Syracuse, and, frankly, less of a dump.

Otherwise, Syracuse U. has a German major available.

4 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-10 21:16 ID:WmGFK8kT

Go to a school that features a mandatory year abroad, so you'll actually experience the language.

5 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-11 17:15 ID:m/eqoDMk

>>4

>>Go to a school that features a mandatory year abroad, so you'll actually experience the language.

A mandatory year abroad? Never heard of such a thing. But almost any school in the country has optional year- or semester-abroad programs available.

6 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-12 06:14 ID:WmGFK8kT

>>5

At my university, if you want to do single honours in a foreign language, then you have to spend a year abroad to proceed to honours.

7 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-14 17:44 ID:m/eqoDMk

>>6
Ah. That's not the way it works in the U.S., but it's clear from your use of the term "single honours" (not a phrase we use, nor the way we spell honors) that you're from somewhere outside Yankland. Study abroad programs are popular, expensive options rather than core requirements here.

Honors programs in the U.S. generally require additional some additional courses, and usually some kind of thesis or independent research project.

8 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-14 17:47 ID:m/eqoDMk

>>7
*some additional courses. Typed a little too fast.

9 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-15 03:52 ID:mOqE+99Y

>>3

totally agree. Cornell's great for languages.

I suggest NYU as well - it has a LOT of branches abroad, and I believe one of them is in Berlin (http://www.nyu.edu/studyabroad/berlin/) and you're mandated to take classes in German and German history there, so its great if you want to specialize. A warning though - NYU classes are reputedly a lot more intensive than your normal foreign language classes, so beware. Otherwise, any top-tier college is great.

10 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-20 15:35 ID:4gJ9KOfT

>>7

Correct, I'm from Scotland. Our university system seems to be more focused than the US system, i.e. we don't have liberal arts universities, depth rather than breadth etc. Our honours degrees also require a dissertation/research project (e.g. I do geology, so I have to do a mapping project and a research dissertation). Languages students have to do the same, but one year is spent abroad, which usually isn't too expensive, but our university system is generally more affordable than N. American systems, although foreign students pay out their asses for tuition: I don't pay any, because I'm Scottish.

11 Name: Anonymous Linguist : 2008-04-24 20:02 ID:Heaven

I've heard anecdotally that Middlebury has an excellent language programme, though I'm not sure of their strength in German specifically.

This thread has been closed. You cannot post in this thread any longer.