Each year a Hartwick graduate is selected as a paid intern to teach English to university students in Nice, France. The internship provides a salary to cover living expenses and free health care benefits for one full year. This is an excellent opportunity to gain work experience speaking in French as preparation for an international career. It is also an ideal location for exploring the Mediterranean and other parts of Europe.

Learn French in the heart of France! Students will take intensive language courses, live with host families, visit spectacular monuments and castles, and spend an extended weekend in Paris. The program is open to students at all levels, from first-years to seniors, and will allow you to fulfill the LAiP language requirement during one January Term.

The ability to communicate effectively in a language other than English is a skill employers value. According to a recent study, French will be the most widely spoken language in the world by 2050. Learning French now will pay big dividends for a career in international trade, development and diplomacy. If you want to work in Africa for the Peace Corps, knowing French will make you more competitive for volunteer openings. Job applicants with language skills can receive preferential consideration for employment at the US State Department and other federal agencies.

Language, Art, and Cultures of Spain is a hybrid course that provides students with language immersion, experiential cultural education, and exposure to contemporary and historical art as a month-abroad course in Alicante, Spain. Students enrolled in this course will participate in homestays with native speakers and attend daily language learning classes. On afternoons and weekends, students will visit art and cultural museums and contemporary artist’s studios as well as historic sites of traditional Islamic architecture (such as ancient mosques and castles in Alicante and surrounding cities).

Internationally, and in the United States in particular, the knowledge of the Spanish language and of the Spanish-speaking world has become increasingly important. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, Spanish-speakers living in the U.S. has grown 233% since the 1980s. A report titled “Languages for the Future” by The British Council highlights Spanish as “the most important language for the people in the UK to learn.” Currently, over 400 million people speak the language world-wide. Among a variety of career paths that benefit from being bilingual are: Education, not only as a Spanish or ESL teacher but also at the administrative level within school districts with a high Spanish-speaking population; Translation and Interpretation, in particular in the medical and legal fields, and community advocacy; Marketing and Advertising, within a company’s in-house marketing division or advertising agency; Business, international or within the U.S.; Media, the United States is home to a vast network of Spanish-media outlets (radio, television, print media, and online); Government Agencies, domestic or abroad; Non-profit Sector, local community advocacy organizations or NGOs abroad. Fluency in Spanish will make you more competitive for opportunities with entities such as, the Peace Corps and federal agencies like the US State Department.

Global studies majors and minors complete off-campus programs, service learning projects and internships that emphasize practical global experiences. Since the program is interdisciplinary, course work prepares students work in international business, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the foreign service.