Foreign Languages

Learning a new language widens your perspectives and deepens your appreciation for other peoples and cultures. As a student preparing for your future, knowing another language will enhance your relationships with people of diverse backgrounds, prepare you for further study and academic research and better equip you to serve or travel overseas.

At Biola, your undergraduate degree includes a foreign language requirement. Core curriculum classes require eight credits in a foreign language, all of which must be completed in the same language. Biola offers language classes in Spanish, French, American Sign Language, Greek and Hebrew. Please note that the foreign language requirement is determined by the degree (e.g. B.A. or B.S.) you are pursuing and your level of proficiency in a second language.

Because of the nature of learning a foreign language, all students are strongly encouraged to satisfy their language requirement during their first or second year. If you’ve previously studied or trained in a language while in high school, you can consult with the Department of Modern Languages to determine your placement. For more details on placement and foreign language opportunities, please consult Biola’s academic catalog. 

Domestic or international students whose native language is not English may be eligible for the English Language Scholars (ELS) program. Please ask your admissions counselor if you are interested.

Quick Facts

• With 329 million native Spanish-speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world (after Chinese) in terms of number of native speakers, currently exceeding English by 1 million (Source: Instituto Cervantes).
• In the United States, there are more than 41 million native Spanish speakers and 11.6 million bilingual Spanish speakers, bringing the nation’s Spanish-speaking population to over 52 million, making the United States the second largest Spanish-speaking country after Mexico.
• California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas have the highest concentrations of Spanish speakers. In California, 38 percent of the population is Spanish-speaking. It is predicted that by 2050, the United States will have more Spanish-speakers than any other country.
Spanish is the official language in 21 countries, with at least 3 million native speakers in 44 countries and is ranked the fourth most widely spoken language behind English, French and Arabic (Source: Ethnologue).

What Spanish courses are offered at Biola?

For students looking to fulfill the core curriculum foreign language requirement, or seeking a foundation for upper-level Spanish language study, the department offers three semesters of Spanish, including SPAN 100, SPAN 200 and SPAN 201.

Successful completion of these three courses will satisfy the foreign language requirement and will prepare you to live, work and serve in a country where Spanish is spoken. This course of study will also prepare you to broaden your Spanish language education to interact with advanced grammar, vocabulary, conversation, composition, Spanish-American literature, Latin-American faith and culture, drama and history.

Thinking about a major in Spanish?

You can receive a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish by majoring in Spanish with a concentration in Secondary Instruction. All students are expected to maintain a portfolio with the department that will cumulatively showcase their progressive language development over time; the portfolio will also provide students the opportunity to integrate faith and discipline. For concentration course requirements, visit the degree page for Spanish. All Spanish majors are strongly encouraged to take SPAN 335 Spanish Study Tour, SPAN 334 Community Spanish and/or to study abroad for a semester. See the Department of Modern Languages for more information.

Quick Facts

• There are multiple sign language systems in the United States alone, and worldwide, but American Sign Language (ASL) is the majority choice of deaf adults. Learning ASL will enable you to communicate with the widest range of sign language speakers.
• According to the Survey of Income and Program Participation, there are 1 million functionally deaf adults in the United States alone.
• ASL is a dynamic language, developing and expanding all the time. It also communicates more visually than written or spoken languages can.
• It is more than just "signed English" or a kind of shorthand. ASL is distinct from any other language, and like spoken languages, it comprises many accents or dialects depending on the region.

Why should you learn American Sign Language?

Preparation and study at the university level will prepare you to communicate with ASL speakers throughout the world and help you recognize and appreciating the diversity of dialects. The quickest way to learn ASL is through language immersion. Classroom time that involves real practice with other students and professors will provide an incomparably richer learning experience than to learn from DVDs or textbooks alone.

Students majoring in education, communication studies, or communication sciences and disorders will find ASL a valuable tool in major-related careers. As a means of communication, ASL will equip you in making an impact on the world for Christ.

View catalog for more details.

You can study the Bible in the the language it was written. Greek and Hebrew are offered by the Division of Biblical and Theological Studies, an undergraduate division of Biola’s Talbot School of Theology. In either language, whether it’s Hebrew for the Old Testament, or Greek for the New Testament, you will learn the language’s grammar and syntax. You will also learn how to use helpful tools for more in-depth study and interpretation of the Scriptures. By taking eight units of either language, you can fulfill your foreign language requirement.

Upon the successful completion of the four-course sequence in either language, you should be able to read and translate the original text using standard lexical and grammar tools, explain the text’s basic grammatical and syntactical features, accurately exegete a biblical text and undertake further language-based research in biblical and related background material. In short, you’ll be prepared to enjoy an enriched study of God’s Word in a language in which it was written, and you’ll also have the tools you need to pursue further studies in the biblical and theological disciplines.