Languages at Smith

Word cloud depicting the word "hello" in multiple languages

Smith College offers a variety of languages with a focus on relevant cultural, historical and global issues. By studying foreign languages, you will enhance your understanding of the world and gain a deeper insight into your own culture. You will learn to navigate and take advantage of transnational, translingual and transcultural networks. The knowledge of a foreign language will enrich your engagement with your specific field of study, whether in STEM, social sciences or humanities. Study language: it will be your passport to global citizenship!

Why Study Languages at Smith?

Smith has a rich tradition of language learning, with options also available through the Five Colleges.

Classes are small and taught by a gifted and dedicated faculty that offer real-world experiences.

Study abroad and internship programs offer a wide variety of exciting opportunities.

Explore Language Programs

Classical Languages & Literatures: Greek and Latin
East Asian Languages & Cultures: Chinese, Japanese, Korean
French Studies
German Studies
Italian Studies
Jewish Studies: Hebrew

Middle East Studies: Arabic
Portuguese
Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies: Russian Language & Literature
Spanish
Translation Studies

Words & Pictures

Discover why learning a language at Smith is fun, effective, and rewarding. See a representative sample of projects that feature language learning and experiences on campus and out in the world.

Arabic

Mary-Kate Wilson ’25 on the joys of learning a new language—and winning a medal at an Arabic debate championship.

Chinese

Videos and resources, part of the Chinese Character Literacy Project.

French

Skyping with the French is a course where students examine French culture beyond simply looking at music, food, and language.

German

Produced by Judith Keyler-Mayer’s GER200 class, demonstrating a pilot project for contextual and interdisciplinary learning and teaching of languages.

Italian

Discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on Northampton, as part of a final project for ITL220.

Maria Succi-Hempstead and Frank Sleegers in downtown Northampton, recording a film dialouge

Japanese

Fun and original Tadoku books created by students under the supervision of their language professors.

Korean

A makeup tutorial filmed by a student as a final project for KOR101.

Portuguese

A collective project website for POR 228, taught for the first time at Smith in Spring 2020.

Liana Amin Lima, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Russian

Students discuss the rewards of learning Russian at Smith.

Spanish

“Alas de Resistencia,” a project by Alicia Argueta ’23.

Rural farm scene with road, barn, cows and silo

Translation Studies

Enjoy the poems and the beauty of some of the languages that are spoken at Smith, as part of a celebration of International Poetry Day.

Bicycle near train tracks with sun setting by Liliana Wollheim Martinez

“I couldn’t have been happier with my experience at Smith. Many of the language skills, literary references, and cross-cultural understandings that I used while living abroad, post-graduation, and in my present career stem directly from my years as a French major.”

Christianne Beasley ’12

Global Encounters

The Global Encounters Photo & Video contests provide a venue for Smith students to share their experiences of living and learning beyond borders and boundaries. From Nepal to Croatia to Cuba, these images and stories offer a unique view of the world.

See Photos & Videos