Modern Languages Department

Students and professor looking at a Day of the Dead ofrenda.

Día de los Muertos celebration

Students and faculty built ofrendas on campus to celebrate the Day of the Dead

Spring Open House

Modern Languages students and staff welcomed prospective students at the Spring Open House

Shena Driscoll Salvato speaks about Embracing the Freedom To FLIT: Follow Leads Intuitively Trusting

SUNY Cortland TEDx

Shena Driscoll Salvato, spoke at the 2023 SUNY Cortland TEDx

Dr. Codruta Temple and Former Students at Virginia Levine SLE Conference

Virginia Levine Second Language Educator's Conference

Students, alumni and faculty joined together for the annual Virginia Levine Second Language Educator's Conference

The ability to speak another language and understand its culture becomes your passport to greater global awareness. With majors in Spanish, Adolescence Education: Spanish (7-12) and Teaching English as a Second Language (K-12), as well as courses in French, German, Italian and American Sign Language, Cortland provides an international perspective.

Because nothing builds language skills like immersion in another culture, we encourage you to study abroad through our programs in Spain, Mexico, Venezuela, Germany and France. Whatever choices you make, your Cortland degree will provide a solid foundation for foreign language teaching or careers in international business and other professions.

Whether it is our international faculty supporting you in achieving your goals, connecting with multilingual students on campus, or studying abroad yourself, there are many ways to explore the world through the Modern Languages department.

Get inspired by Ryan Lerner's 2024 SUNY Cortland TEDx talk!

Ryan is an Adolescence Education: Spanish major.

Majors

Graduate Programs

Department Updates

Students! Apply for 2025-2026 Scholarships between Friday, Nov. 15-Saturday, Feb. 1. Go here for details.

The 2024 Virginia Levine Second Language Educators' Conference was held on Saturday, September 21, 2024. An enriching day of learning, networking, and inspiration was enjoyed by the many attendees from around the region. Save the date for the 2025 conference--September 20th!

Ryan Lerner, an Adolescence Education: Spanish major, was one of 6 speakers selected to deliver a talk at TEDx SUNY Cortland 2024! Access the video of his talk above.

The recipient of the 2024 Excellence in Teaching Award — Non-Tenure Track is Shena Driscoll Salvato, Lecturer IV: TESOL.

Congratulations to our 2024 recipient of the Virginia Levine, Ph.D. Scholarship, Ryan Lerner!

As featured in the March 5, 2024 issue of The Bulletin, Christopher Gascón, Professor: Spanish, wrote and recorded a song inspired by Cortland’s common read, Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The single, “Hold On,” was released in February, 2024, and can be heard on all major music streaming services under artist name Juniper Salute.

Giovanni Dettori, Lecturer: Italian, published "Italian Literature outside the National Literary Canon: The Case of Bellas Mariposas by Sergio Atzeni" as part of the multi-volume work The Many Languages of Comparative Literature / La littérature comparée: multiples langues, multiples langages / Die vielen Sprachen der Vergleichenden Literaturwissenschaft.
Dr. Colum Yip and his colleague, Dr. Laura McGarrity (University of Washington), presented a talk on teaching linguistics to hearing-impaired and low vision students at the Linguistic Society of America 2024 Annual Meeting on January 5.

Clubs/Societies

Our language clubs celebrate languages and cultures—join us!

Contact Us

Chair: Codruta Temple
Main Office: Old Main Building, Room 228
Phone: 607-753-4303
Fax: 607-753-5965
Email Modern Languages Department