Romance Languages
Talented and dedicated faculty engage students in the study of the languages, literatures, and cultures of the diverse populations that once spoke the Latin of the Roman Empire. Majors in Spanish and French learn to speak a second language fluently, explore the history and culture of its speakers through coursework and study abroad, and gain expertise in the literary arts by reading and analyzing texts produced from the medieval to the post-colonial periods.
Students may combine two languages in a Romance Language major, as well as study Italian and Portuguese language and literature. The affiliated Latin American and Caribbean Studies program provides the intellectual excitement of an interdisciplinary approach to the exploration of multicultural societies that speak French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Casa Hispánica, where students live and speak Spanish, annual dramatic performances in French and Spanish, ESOL outreach, and the National Symposium on Theater in Academe, all provide unparalleled opportunities for students of Romance Languages to actively prepare for the multicultural world that awaits them.
News & Announcements
- Romance Languages Celebrates Poetry
Winged words stirred passions and emotions as Romance Languages students and faculty read and recited poems in Italian, Portuguese, French, and Spanis in the Commons Living Room.
- Clase de cocina española en la Casa Hispánica
Residents of Casa Hispánica try their hand at preparing delicious Spanish cuisine.
- Mis días en el extranjero
Casa hispánica hosted a reception for students to share their experiences abroad.
- 25 Romance Languages Majors Join in Graduation Celebration
The morning of commencement Romance Languages hosted its annual breakfast for graduating majors. Faculty and staff greeted some two hundred family and friends of graduating majors, and expressed their best wishes for continued success to the graduates as they reminisced about the past four years at Washington and Lee, and shared their plans and hopes for the future.
News
French Film Festival Begins March 4 at Washington and Lee University
The department of Romance languages at Washington and Lee University will show five recent French films in the Stackhouse Theater of the Elrod Commons at 7 p.m. on the Tuesdays and Thursdays from March 4 to March 18.
W&L's Ellen Mayock Receives SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award
Ellen C. Mayock, professor of Spanish at Washington and Lee University, has received a 2010 Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). As Virginia’s highest honor for faculty at its public and private colleges and universities, the award recognizes superior accomplishments in teaching, research and public service.
W&L's Domnica Radulescu Receives 2009 Fiction Prize from Library of Virginia
Washington and Lee University professor Domnica Radulescu was awarded the Library of Virginia's 2009 fiction prize for her novel, Train to Trieste, during a banquet in Richmond on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Five Members of W&L’s Faculty to Retire After Teaching a Total of 193 Years
Five members of Washington and Lee’s faculty are retiring June 30 after teaching at W&L for a total of 193 years. They are Philip L. Cline, business administration and economics, 34 years; A.G. Fralin Jr., Romance languages, 34 years; John S. Knox, biology, 33 years; Joseph F. Lyles, physical education, 50 years; and Thomas O. Vinson, mathematics, 42 years.
