The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures is committed to helping students become informed and liberally educated citizens of the world. Through the acquisition of language skills and cultural awareness, our students prepare for careers that have an international dimension. To that end, we strongly encourage students to spend their junior year abroad in order to immerse themselves in a foreign culture and perfect their language skills. We offer eight Study Abroad opportunities within the department.Â
We work closely with other university departments and interdisciplinary programs as well as with the cultural institutions of University Circle to provide students with a broad understanding of the many opportunities that language and culture study offer. The department has strong interdisciplinary ties with the college’s programs in Asian studies, French and Francophone studies, German studies, international studies, women’s and gender studies, and world literature. Students also gain practical experience in different cultural and language environments through service learning in the Spanish-speaking and Russian-speaking communities of Cleveland.
Start your search or request more information: Student Inquiry Form
News
Women’s Literary Friendship Lecture
Please join us for a lecture with Victoria Gutsche Tuesday, February 24, 2026.
New Book Publication
German Studies’ Professor Susanne Vees-Gulani Icon Dresden is published.
CAS Outstanding Staff Awards
Daisuke Fujimoto is a recipient of the CAS Outstanding Staff Awards.
2025 Municipal Literature Prize
Professor Cristián Gómez Olivares wins the Municpal Literature Prize in the genre of poetry.
Slow Food, DMLL, and Our Sustainable Future
The US representative to Slow Food International, Bilal Sarwari, visits CWRU.
US Representative to Slow Food International Visits CWRU
Please join us for a talk with Bilal Sarwari Friday, November 21, 2025.
Japanese Cultural Exchange
CWRU Japanese section meets with students from Kindai University and Chukyo University.
DMLL Faculty Pedagogical Forum
Dr. Ching-Hsuan Wu discusses OPI results at the first Faculty Pedagogical Forum.
CWRU at Terra Madre Americas in CA
Professor Denise Caterinacci is a CWRU delegate to Terra Madre Americas.
Pop up Letterpress at the West Side Market
Gutenberg Annex participates in the Rust Belt Humanities Lab.
Alumni Douglas Gurdak Wins Fulbright U.S. Student Award
Douglas traveled to Bolivia and Peru to conduct public health research.














