The Department of World Languages and Cultures offers a range of programs exploring globalization and cross-cultural connections. Undergraduate students in the department pursue majors and minors in Arabic, Comparative Literature, French, Global Studies, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish, developing international experiences and perspectives as well as advanced language skills that prepare them to build careers in a wide range of social and professional settings in the United States and abroad. Graduate students may pursue a degree in Translation & Interpreting Studies.

Arabic is the primary language of the Middle Eastern and North African region of the globe, with over 430 million speakers, and is designated a “critical language” by the U.S. government. Additionally, its spiritual significance resonates as the liturgical language for over 2 billion Muslims globally. The Arabic program offers six semesters of language instruction along with a minor, integrating Modern Standard Arabic with exposure to the Levantine dialect, enhancing career prospects in fields such as education, international development, diplomacy, security, business, and engineering.

Comparative Literature is the study of literature and other art forms across national and linguistic borders. Students of Comparative Literature explore and analyze writing across history and around the globe while developing a global and cross-cultural perspective on human expression. This cultural dexterity, paired with the critical thinking and interpretive skills developed within the minor, prepares students for the kind of intercultural and transnational work vital to the 21st century workplace.

French is the official language of twenty-nine countries and spoken by more than 300 million people around the globe, the second-most used official language after English. Students in the French program examine French language and culture in a global context. Majors and minors develop advanced linguistic competency while developing the cultural training necessary to work or travel in the Francophone world and explore culture and society in a language that is central to art, business, and international relations.

The Global Studies program offers students a unique blend of courses across disciplines, in preparation for a career abroad or within the U.S. that crosses borders and cultures. Majors choose one of five tracks for the interdisciplinary program, specializing in Global Communications, Global Health, Global Management, Global Security, or Global Sustainability. Each track emphasizes the acquisition of leadership, systems thinking, and communication skills with an emphasis on language skills and experiential learning leading to an in-depth understanding of a particular set of global issues.

Italian is a beautiful language of global communication, business, technology, and the arts. More than 1,000 Italian companies operate in the United States and more than 7,000 American companies operate in Italy; countless artistic masterpieces have also been produced in Italian, so speaking and understanding Italian can be a valuable asset for both your career and for pleasure and enrichment. Majors and minors learn to speak, read, and write Italian while becoming familiar with Italy's cultural history and Italian influence across the globe.

Japan is a global leader in pop culture, technology, and business, and Japanese majors and minors graduate with the cultural and linguistic fluency to thrive in a Japanese environment. Students develop written and spoken Japanese to a high level while learning both Japanese cultural history and contemporary norms and etiquette. Graduates have gone on to utilize their linguistic and cultural fluency through employment in business, international relations, and education: our alumni are based in Southeast Wisconsin, across the United States, and abroad in Japan. 

Spanish is the fourth most widely spoken language in the world; Portuguese has nearly 270 million speakers worldwide. Through effective communicative instruction, we prepare students to read, speak, write, and understand these languages. Our course offerings reflect and respond to the diversity of our students, who include: heritage speakers, non-traditional students, professionals in a variety of fields, as well as traditional students. We encourage students to participate in study abroad programs and second-language activities as a means of improving proficiency. Faculty are actively engaged in advancing knowledge in their respective areas of expertise and striving to link, in the manner most beneficial for students, critical and scholarly work to classroom instruction and advising activities. We assume a leadership role in disseminating Hispanic, U.S. Latino, and Luso-Brazilian culture, not only to the campus community but to the Milwaukee area and the state of Wisconsin as well.

The Translation & Interpreting Studies programs offer professional translator and interpreter training in a dynamic environment. Students collaborate with faculty and classmates from around the world to develop the skills they need to succeed in a thriving international market. Learn how to translate and/or interpret, and how to be a language professional through using leading industry computer-assisted translation tools and completing internships that often lead to employment. Our program can prepare you to:

  • be an in-house translator
  • be a freelancer
  • be a translation company owner
  • specialize in your area of interest
  • pursue doctoral studies
  • develop your professional skills without pursuing a degree

Programs

Arabic Courses

Comparative Literature Courses

French Courses

Global Studies Courses

Italian Courses

Japanese Courses

Portuguese Courses

Spanish Courses

Translation and Interpreting Courses

NameRankDegreeSchoolGraduate FacultyEmeritus Faculty
Anita Alkhas Associate Professor PhD Michigan State University Yes No
Eric Anderson Teaching Faculty III MA No No
Susana Antunes Associate Professor, Portuguese Coordinator PhD University of Massachusetts-Amherst Yes No
Lawrence Baldassaro Professor Emeritus PhD Yes Yes
Viktorija Bilić Associate Professor PhD Heidelberg University Yes No
Nancy Bird-Soto Professor Emerit PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison No Yes
Daria Bzeniuk Teaching Faculty III MA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
Christopher Celi Teaching Faculty III MA University of Wisconsin-Madison No No
Sarah Davies Cordova Professor PhD University of California-Los Angeles Yes No
Santiago Daydi-Tolson Professor Emerit PhD No Yes
César Ferreira Professor PhD University of Texas-Austin Yes No
Alison Ferrentino Teaching Faculty III MA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
Anne O. Fisher Senior Lecturer PhD University of Michigan No No
Mary laquinta Teaching Faculty III MA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
Khouloud Labanieh Lecturer (Arabic) MA Cardinal Stritch University No No
Masako Lackey Senior Lecturer (Japanese) MA University of Wisconsin - Madison No No
Simonetta Milli Konewko Associate Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Yes No
Larry Kuiper Associate Professor PhD Michigan State University Yes No
Allison Libbey Teaching Faculty III, First and Second-Year Spanish Coordinator PhD University of Virginia No No
Fahed Masalki Lecturer (Arabic) MA University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee No No
R. John McCaw Associate Professor PhD Princeton University Yes No
James Mileham Associate Professor Emeritus PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes Yes
Drago Momcilovic Senior Lecturer PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes No
Ismael Márquez Professor Emerit PhD No Yes
Amy Olen Assistant Professor PhD University of Texas Yes No
Robin Pickering-Iazzi Professor PhD University of Washington Yes Yes
Kristin Pitt Associate Professor PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes No
Aragorn Quinn Associate Professor PhD Stanford University Yes No
Julio Rodríguez-Luis Professor Emerit PhD No Yes
Laura Martinez Geijo Roman Teaching Faculty III MA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
Nicolas Russell Associate Professor PhD University of Virginia Yes No
Kathryn Scholz Senior Teaching Faculty MA University of Minnesota No No
Caroline Seymour-Jorn Professor PhD University of Chicago Yes No
Lucia Soldati Teaching Faculty III No No
M. Estrella Sotomayor Teaching Faculty III PhD University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No No
Ester Suárez-Felipe Teaching Faculty Emerit MA University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee No Yes
Lorena Terando Professor PhD and MT State University of New York Yes No
Katie Vater Associate Professor, Spanish Coordinator PhD Pennsylvania State University Yes No
Madeleine Velguth Professor Emerita PhD University of Wisconsin-Madison Yes Yes
Gabrielle Verdier Professor Emerita PhD Yale University Yes Yes
Yuko Wert (Kojima) Senior Lecturer (Japanese) MA Obirin University, Japan No No
Kathleen M. Wheatley Associate Professor PhD University of Michigan Yes No
Demetrius Williams Associate Professor ThD Harvard Divinity School Yes No
Jian Xu Associate Professor PhD University of Iowa Yes No
Magaly Zeise Teaching Faculty III MA Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia No No