Group photo of 2023 Arabic house students.

World Languages, Literatures, & Cultures Department

Meet the Department Chair

Professor of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and Department Chair

Overview

At McDaniel, we teach not only proficiency in language, but also an understanding of a culture from its own perspective. Students learn to see and understand other ways of being and thinking that challenge and nuance how they currently experience the world. This process clarifies and transforms us in a world where boundaries between groups, countries, and cultures are increasingly complex.

Arabic Minor: Arabic is the fifth most-spoken language in the world and the most widely used Semitic language today. The Arabic minor offers a strong base in language study and an opportunity to explore the music, literature, and politics of Arabic-speaking countries.
Latino and Latin American Studies Minor: McDaniel College's minor in Latino and Latin American Studies is a dynamic program focused on the history, culture, and politics of Latin America, with the aim of understanding the experiences of Latin Americans on a global perspective.
European Studies Minor: Explore Europe’s history and culture from a number of fields, including: art history, cinema, history, literature, music, political science, and more. Study abroad at McDaniel Europe in Budapest or an exchange program for immersive learning.
Asian Studies Major: Major or minor in Asian Studies for a comprehensive, multicultural, and multidisciplinary examination of the history, society, arts, cultural traditions, and contemporary significance of the nations and peoples of Asia, especially India, China, and Japan.
Spanish Major: Provides courses from beginner to advanced for students passionate to learn the Spanish language from a variety of proficiency levels. Spanish majors also study abroad in a 12-week residency for full immersion in a Spanish-speaking household.
Spanish Minor: The Spanish minor pairs an in depth language study with an exploration of the history, culture and politics of Spain and Latin America.
French Minor: A rich engagement with French language and culture using film, multimedia strategies, and other contemporary sources.

Meet the Department Chair

Martine Motard-Noar, Ph.D.

Professor of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures and Department Chair

Faculty Spotlight Amy McNichols, Ph.D. Professor of Spanish and Director of Global Fellows Program

Amy McNichols is invested and innovative in her role in the World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Department. She dives into deeper issues like migration and communities and has taken a group of students to learn firsthand in Mexico City and Puebla. Whether students are just learning the language, a heritage learner working on their writing, or an advanced learner exploring cultural history through the writings, film, art, and music of Latin American and U.S. Latinx cultures, they may find themselves in her classes.

Read a Q&A with Amy McNichols, Ph.D.

Faculty Spotlight Carol Zaru Senior Lecturer in Arabic

As a Senior Lecturer in Arabic at McDaniel College, Carol Zaru has built the Arabic program from its early beginnings into a thriving academic offering that now includes both a minor and an interdisciplinary major in Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies. Drawing on her Palestinian-American heritage and lifelong bilingualism, she brings cultural depth and personal experience to her teaching, helping students connect language learning with broader perspectives on the Arab world. Deeply committed to fostering understanding and compassion through education, she views teaching Arabic not just as a profession but as her true calling — inspiring students to embrace new cultures, challenge assumptions, and build bridges across differences.

Alumni Spotlight Alum earns prestigious Boren Fellowship to study in Senegal

Yelli Coulibaly ’20, who majored in Political Science with a specialization in International Studies and minored in French, was awarded a Boren Fellowship to travel to Senegal, where she will intern with the National Democratic Institute and study the Wolof language for a six-month term.

Read "Alum earns prestigious Boren Fellowship to study in Senegal"

Meet Graduates of the World Languages, Literatures, & Cultures Department

We're proud to call these recent graduates alumni, and prouder still to share a selection of their stories here – told as only they can tell them, in their own words.