The World Languages Associate in Arts - Direct Transfer Agreement (AA-DTA) allows you to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a Bachelor’s degree with a major in a World Language. With this AA degree, you will complete the lower-division general education requirements of a Bachelor’s degree and be able to transfer at the junior level.
If you continue to study the language at a four-year university, you could develop a career as a teacher, interpreter, translator, professor and researcher.
Moreover, a major in a World Language is instrumental for students who will earn a graduate degree in Linguistics, Humanities, Health, Business, Political Science, Law, Social Work, Public Policy, International Relations, Communication, Art, and other fields.
If your studies at a four-year university include a double major, and one of them is a language, you could later work as a health professional, business leader, legislator, lawyer, social worker, non-profit organizer, diplomat, journalist, artist and more.
Olympic College offers American Sign Language, French, German, Korean, Japanese and Spanish courses. Click on any of the languages to see the language map or plan of studies.
What to expect?
Learning a foreign language (French, German, Korean or Spanish), you will develop the four skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Learning the visual language of American Sign Language, you will acquire the necessary reception and expression. The study of a new language will enhance your consciousness of your native language.
In the process of the language acquisition, you will also live the culture of that language. This will lead you to observe and contrast the new culture and your own with multicultural awareness. You will develop critical thinking as you gain cultural insight in the appreciation of the multiple expressions of another culture.
Why learn a foreign language?
- Broaden your career opportunities
- Communicate with individuals of diverse backgrounds
- Appreciate foreign literature, film, music and other arts
- Gain cultural insight
- Increase your global perspective
- Improve your perception of American culture
- Improve your native language skill
As you explore the language and the culture, you will have other experiences that will contribute to your enrichment such as group collaboration and learning how to learn.
Who should take a World Language?
World Language courses are for students who wish to major in a language and complete a four-year degree, and also for students who will major in another field, but have an interest in a language.
You are going to take a World Language because:
1. You want to fulfill the transfer requirement of four-year institutions.
(Attention: Many four-year universities require two quarters of a language to transfer, but require three quarters to graduate. It is wise to take the three courses at Olympic College and save in costs).
2. You need to fulfill the humanities distribution requirement for an Associate degree or you choose the language as an elective course.
3. You wish to learn a language for personal enrichment: for travel or recovery of your family’s cultural heritage.
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