The term “foreign languages” does not fully reflect all that the Department of Foreign Languages at West Virginia University has to offer.

Because of this, the department decided to make a change and has now more fittingly become the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Linguistics.

“The former name lacked inclusivity,” said �ngel Tuninetti, chair of the department. “We have offerings such as linguistics, the Intensive English Program, the Teaching English as a Second Language minor, and the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages graduate concentration.”

“We needed to make the name more modern and inclusive enough to represent all we have to offer.”

The name change became official Sept. 9 and was approved by the WVU Board of Governors after a months-long process that started with a discussion within the Department’s faculty as to whether the change were necessary.

“The selection process wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t perfect, but this new name is the best we could do to cover the diversity of our department,” Tuninetti said.

This new name, he added, also is more compliant with the state Department of Education, which lists language initiatives under “World Languages.”

This is just one more in a series of initiatives within the department as it strives to continue enlarging students’ understanding of and appreciation for other countries. In addition to expanding its teaching corps, in the past four years the department has grown to include a Chinese studies major, a Japanese studies minor, an Italian studies major, Arabic and Portuguese language offerings, and new study abroad opportunities.

The department will gradually phase in the new name and has plans to have all digital media transitioned by the end of the fall semester. “World Languages, Literature and Linguistics” already appears on its website, although the program’s previous name will likely still appear in existing printed documents until those materials are used and new ones can be ordered.

For more information, contact �ngel Tuninetti, chair of the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, at angel.tuninetti@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

aw/9/14/11

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