Skip to main content
Loading

About the school of languages and cultures

MISSION

The mission of the School of Languages and Cultures is to push the boundaries of discovery and expand knowledge through impactful cross-disciplinary research; to provide our students with learning opportunities of the highest quality and relevance through courses in languages, linguistics, world literature and cultures, and international film studies; and to engage with our local, regional, and global communities to support linguistic and cultural diversity. We equip students for success as responsible global innovators by fostering their linguistic abilities, critical thinking skills, and intercultural competence. In all our efforts, we promote the values of inclusivity, curiosity, and diversity across boundaries.
SLC offers instruction in 15 modern and classical languages and cultures through face-to-face classes on Purdue’s campus, online coursework, and Study Abroad programs.  Other curricular options include courses in linguistics, languages for specific purposes (business, engineering, health sciences, etc.), world   literature, cinema, global cuisines, and material culture. The student-to-instructor ratios in SLC classes are relatively small, allowing for more individual attention and promoting the development of communication skills and empathy.

Modeling the public land-grant university’s mission, SLC offers engagement opportunities such as innovative guided research projects, service-learning courses, and community involvement, all of which rely on students’ linguistic and cultural knowledge and skills. 
Our faculty and lecturers are campus leaders in promoting cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity, and our students become the ambassadors of these values.   SLC's programs give students a competitive edge on the job market due to their written and oral language skills and increased cultural awareness. Our graduates succeed in careers as business leaders, entrepreneurs, diplomats, intelligence analysts, administrators of foreign aid programs, research scholars, teachers, translators, military leaders, and community aid workers.

SLC faculty members cover a richly diverse range of research areas and have received international acclaim for their scholarship, as well as many prestigious teaching awards for their performance in the classroom. (PSRL) is a renowned book series published by Purdue University Press and edited by faculty and staff in SLC.
One of SLC’s strengths lies in its offering of classes in languages for specialized purposes ( LSP). These classes equip students with the practical communication skills they will need for using the target language while studying or traveling abroad, participating in internships, or preparing for globally oriented-career paths. Such classes include business and scientific language classes at various levels and languages and Medical Spanish and Spanish for the Professions. Certificates of achievement in languages for specialized purposes are in development and will give students tangible documentation of their practical language coursework; for example, click here to view the one already available in German. The Center for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning and Instruction ( TELL Center) supports technology-oriented research and development applicable to language instruction.  
Studying abroad is an important part of language education, and our faculty and staff work in close collaboration with the Office of Programs for Study Abroad to find our students the best university programs in other countries.   We are housed in Stanley Coulter Hall, near the Purdue Bell Tower, and right behind the Lion Fountain. We look forward to meeting you and sharing our languages and cultures with you!