Languages at Dartmouth
Some cultures, ideas, or moments in history are so inextricably linked to their context that they must be explored and shared within it. Language learning at Dartmouth happens in many ways (and in many places), but all of them give students a new lens on the world, the way they study it, or both.
Explore languages as a major, minor, or part of another program of study:
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Arabic
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Chinese (m)
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French (M/m)
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German Studies (M/m)
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Greek
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Hebrew
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Italian (M/m)
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Japanese (m)
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Latin
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Portuguese (m)
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Russian (M/m)
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Spanish (M/m)
Key: M= Major, m = Minor. Learn more about Dartmouth's language requirement and the many ways students can complete it here.
Learning Languages at Dartmouth
Dive deeper into the student experience with foreign languages at Dartmouth by exploring stories and profiles from our admissions magazine, 3D.
Gabe ’23: Unlimited Possibilities
LINGUISTICS AND NATIVE AMERICAN AND INDIGENOUS STUDIES (NAIS) DOUBLE MAJOR
"Indigenous communities are on the front lines of language revitalization, fighting to preserve their endangered languages in a rapidly globalizing world. It felt right when I chose my linguistics and Native American and Indigenous Studies double major."
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Diana '23: Pushing The Boundaries
Government modified with Economics; Asian Societies, Cultures, and Languages with a focus in Chinese
"Professor Washburn is a leading expert on Japanese translation and set aside class time for us to read his translation of The Tale of Genji, the world’s first novel! To this day, it remains one of my favorite classes."
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Professor El-Ariss: Creating Common Experience
THE JAMES WRIGHT PROFESSOR AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE PROFESSOR OF MIDDLE EASTERN STUDIES
Professor Tarek El-Ariss collaborates with artists, scientists, and scholars in too many disciplines to count. That’s what’s special about teaching here at Dartmouth, he says. “I would like my students to see connections between the sciences and the humanities and literature and physics.”
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Elina '22: Engaging Class
Biology with a minor in Spanish on the Pre-Health Track
"Professor del Pino did an excellent job of engaging the small class in discussion about how 'The Spanish Craze' has shaped the relationship between Spain and the U.S. to this day. Fun fact: the author of the textbook we read for this course visited one of our classes!"
Read MoreFeatured on our Blog
For the first time in my life, I genuinely want to keep up with my resolutions this year. After all, so much has changed since last year! This week, I want to share with you the ways in which I get to fulfill my resolutions at Dartmouth.
Batuhan Saridede
2026
As I grew older within my small town in the southern United States, I developed a desire to travel the world. Although I was only in Italy for the summer, living in a foreign country has been an influential experience I will never forget.
Chase Harvey
2025
You may or may not have heard that Dartmouth has a language requirement, and you may or may not (if you are like me) be slightly intimidated by that – but fear not! Languages at Dartmouth are actually fun! Here are my thoughts on Italian so far…
Luke Grayson
2025
One of the cornerstones of a Dartmouth education is our foreign language requirement!
Love Tsai
2023
Drill is part of every introductory language course at Dartmouth. This (remote) term, I decided to become a Drill Instructor.
Robin Martinez
2023
Growing up with a multilingual mom, I've always had a vested interest in languages. Now at Dartmouth, I can teach myself Hawaiian to fulfill the language requirement for graduation.
Gabriel Gilbert
2023
This week, the French and Italian departments hosted a visit to the Hood Museum at Dartmouth. There, we had the opportunity to discover and learn more about Francophone art.
Shuyi Jin
2023
Dartmouth students learn foreign languages through the Rassias Method, a technique that was coined by former Dartmouth professor John Rassias. Drills are designed to help students improve their pronunciation through repetition and exposure.
Diana D'Souza
2023
Have you ever heard of 'drill'? John A. Rassias, a former professor at Dartmouth, developed an innovative language learning strategy known as the Rassias Method (or the Dartmouth Intensive Language Model) that we use in these drill classes.
Lamees Kareem
2022