“It’s a heavy major, but worthwhile because you get so much out of it,” said Blythe Milbury-Steen, three languages major advisor and world languages education program coordinator with the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures. “It attracts ambitious students who have fallen in love with language. Maybe they’ve had some experience abroad or had an amazing language teacher in high school.” 

That includes aspiring polyglot Donovan Warshaw, a first-year student from Newark, Delaware, who came to UD specifically for the three languages major.

Warshaw will study Spanish, French and Chinese and is looking forward to the faster pace of college-level courses, compared to high school, and the rush that comes from understanding a language without having to translate it in his head.

“Getting to the point where it feels natural and you don’t have to think in English before you say something is great,” he said. “Before you get to that point it is sort of like speaking English with other words instead of really speaking another language.”

Even though many students start the major with experience in at least one language, it is possible to do it from scratch. The structure enables students to build proficiency, while still having room in their schedule to double major and add minors, or participate in World Scholars or the Honors College. 

Students come to the program with various goals: entering the foreign service, teaching, studying art history, managing travel or hospitality, but they share a commitment to understanding the world through building their language literacy. 

“These students want to be global citizens and culturally competent, and they are dedicated to being truly multilingual,” Milbury-Steen said. 

Making conversation

Keeping track of different vocabulary, sentence structure and grammar rules can be challenging for three languages majors, but senior Riley Bell said the department sets students up to succeed. 

It includes learning through making mistakes. Bell is an honors double major in English with minors in linguistics and Asian studies. He is studying Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

“I’m in a Chinese conversation class, and it can be a little bit scary to speak up and make a mistake,” he said. “But I’ve had the professor for a few semesters, so I feel comfortable and I’m not going to feel bad if I make a mistake.” 

Senior Carson Ziluca said the major isn’t as intimidating as it sounds, and after taking the foundational courses, being able to practice speaking is rewarding. 

“I visited Puerto Rico before I had taken a conversation class, and I was kind of lost in trying to talk to anybody there and then. I traveled to Spain this past winter, after having taken two conversation classes, and I was way more comfortable speaking,” said Ziluca, who is studying Spanish, Italian and Russian, and has minors in global students and event management.

Cultural success

More than 89% of UD language majors who test earn the Global Seal of Biliteracy, an internationally recognized credential, and three language majors often earn the seal in multiple languages. 

“Employers look for people who are adaptable, flexible and quick learners — people who are willing and able to go out of their comfort zone,” Milbury-Steen said. “Students who have a language background can do all of those things.”