LANGUAGE PROGRAM INFORMATION FOR INCOMING CADETS

All cadets are required to take four semesters of a foreign language in residence.  The heavy load of some technical majors only allows them to fit two foreign language courses into their academic schedule.

HOW CAN I BENEFIT FROM FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY?  Beyond helping to understand culture and broadening your worldview, studying a foreign language can influence your military career.  Our ever-expanding global Air Force mission not only demands increasing foreign language capability to support national security strategies, but also provides challenging assignment opportunities for those looking for experience and diversification.  Moreover, someday you may want to return to USAFA as a language instructor, a position that is both rewarding and career enhancing while providing the opportunity to influence other cadets toward becoming language-qualified Air Force officers.
By speaking a foreign language, you become an "ambassador" helping to shape the opinions that others will have of our country and its armed forces...a crucial role in our increasingly interdependent world.

WHY STUDY A FOREIGN LANGUAGE? 
" Americans' scandalous incompetence in foreign languages explains our dangerously inadequate understanding of world affairs.  Our schools graduate a large majority of students whose knowledge and vision stop at the American shoreline, whose approach to international affairs is provincial, whose heads have been filled with astonishing misinformation....The United States requires far more reliable capacities to communicate."
--The President's Commission on Foreign Languages and International Studies

"Just as we were ill-equipped to deal with the technological threats of the Cold War era, today we lack the linguistic and cultural skills and resources fundamental to competing in the new international environment."
--Former Senator David Boren (D-OK) Chairman,  Senate Intelligence Committee

"In the post-Cold War world, the most important distinctions between peoples are no longer ideological, political, or economic.  The distinctions are cultural."
--Samuel P. Huntington

"We need policy-makers, diplomats and intelligence analysts expert in cultures and languages that encompass all regions of the world."
--Former Senator Sam Nunn

 WHAT LANGUAGES ARE TAUGHT AT USAFA?  You may study Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese or Spanish--eight of the most important languages in the world.  Within each language there is a broad spectrum of courses. The 100, 200 and 300 level courses are primarily skills development courses. The remaining courses are regarded as enhancement courses and are designed to develop a broader based appreciation of a particular culture, history, and literature.  These courses also provide additional opportunities to develop and refine your language skills. The following courses comprise the curriculum of the Department of Foreign Languages (DFF):
SKILLS DEVELOPMENT COURSES
            For Lang 131/132    Basic Sequence
            For Lang 221*          Intermediate I:  Refinement of Grammatical/Structural Growth
            For Lang 222*          Intermediate II:  Continued Development of Language Skills
            For Lang 321*          Intermediate III:  Focus on Conversational Practice
            For Lang 322*          Advanced:  Capstone Course for Skills Development
ENHANCEMENT COURSES
            For Lang 365*          Civilization and Culture (contemporary issues)
            For Lang 370*          Specialized courses in German, French, Spanish and Japanese
            For Lang 376*          Introduction to Literature
            For Lang 377           Introduction to Latin American Literature
            For Lang 491*          Advanced Readings
            For Lang 492*          Exchange Programs
            For Lang 495*          Special Topics
            For Lang 499*          Independent Study/ Normally offered only to those students who have completed all courses
Note:  Enhancement courses may be taken out of sequence with DFF approval.
The chart below clarifies the articulation of courses from the 100 to the 200 level:

COURSE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE MINOR:  Cadets majoring in any academic division or discipline may earn a minor provided they complete a minimum of 4 semesters in residence of the same language at the 200 level or higher with a grade of C or higher. The Foreign Language minor is an excellent complement to the Foreign Area Studies major.
The course sequences for the Foreign Language minor are listed in the table below:

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