English and Modern Languages
Welcome to the Department of English and Modern Languages at Lamar University! We also house Philosophy. Our department represents a cornerstone of the humanities, which is the acquisition, study, and application of language in writing, critical thinking, literature, communication, and teaching.
Our majors go on to teach, research, and write, but they also move into business, legal, technological, and medical careers, where all types of communication are critical to success. Here you will learn to speak and listen well and to hone your critical thinking and inquiry skills--all of which are highly valued by a broad spectrum of potential future employers.
Careers for English and Modern Languages Degree Holders
- Magazine Publishing
- Library
- Publishing
- Newspaper Publishing
- Advertising
- Mid-Level Management
- Intelligence Research
- Teaching
- Public Service
- Editing
- Technical Writing
- Law
- Public Relations
- Business, Multinational Corporations
- Government, Military Service
- Airline Industry
- Retail Management
- Communications
- Disneyland/Disneyworld
- Travel Agencies
- Medicine
- Law Enforcement
- Hospitality Industry
I love English majors. I love how smart they are. I love their intellectual curiosity. And I love their bold choice for a major.
Most of all, I love to hire them.
from "Why I Hire English Majors", Steve Strauss, columnist and best-selling author
Spanish: A Global Language
Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world and the most spoken language in the Americas. It is a useful language to know when doing business with Spanish or Latin American firms and a skill that strengthens your resume and improves your career prospects. In the U.S. alone, there are over 50 million people who speak Spanish as their native or second language, so the need for teachers and bilingual professionals and their marketability will continue to increase. In general, CNN Money recently reported fluency in a foreign language as the "hottest job skill."
French: Diplomatic Darling
French is the procedural language for the European Union, the only language used for deliberations in the EU’s Court of Justice, and one of the working languages of the United Nations. Its historical importance is also immense, particularly across Africa, where the colonial period – and the use of French by the French and Belgian colonialists – connected ethnic groups under one French-speaking umbrella. Because of this, learning French will allow you to connect far beyond France itself, an exciting prospect for anyone interested in history and culture.