The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures promotes an awareness and an appreciation of and a respect for other cultures through language acquisition and stimulates students’ perspectives and knowledge of other countries, other traditions and other practices. The department strives to improve the communication skills, at all levels, of the students by encouraging them to explore and understand the linguistic and cultural parameters of diverse populations and by helping them to think analytically and systemically about the importance of languages. Moreover, students will gain academic enrichment through knowledge of a diversity of cultures in any given society.

The department offers a range of second-language courses, from linguistics to literature to culture and civilization in French, Spanish and German and in introductory courses in Latin and Italian. In addition, USC Aiken students can opt to minor in Spanish. The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures focuses on the communicative approach to second language acquisition.

The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures promotes study abroad as a viable and documented means by which students learn the nuances and linguistic differences of the targeted second language through active and total immersion in the country where the language being studied is utilized as the primary means of communication.