African Languages Major

The African Languages major aims to enrich students’ knowledge of the nature, structure and history of the African languages. It is important for prospective students to understand that studying African Languages is not a matter of learning to speak many languages; rather, the major is a theoretical discipline, akin to philosophy, anthropology, and cognitive psychology.

Preparation for the Major:

Required: Linguistics 20, nine courses from African Languages 1A through 42C and 199 (six courses must be in one language, and three in another).

The Major:

Required Upper Division Courses:
A minimum of 13 upper division courses, including

• Three courses in an African language; African Languages M187, Linguistics 103

• Two courses from French 121, Film and Television 106C, Theater 102E, and World Arts & Cultures 134, or one or more special four-unit African Languages 197 tutorials focusing on literature in an African language

• Three courses from Ethnomusicology 136A, C136B, History 121A, 121B, 121C, 122A, 122B, 123A, 123B, 124A, 124B, Linguistics 110, 120A, 120B or 127, C140, M146, 170, Political Science 151A, 151B, or 151C

• Two additional upper division African Languages courses

• Linguistics 165A or 165B (or 200A or 200B with a grade of A in 120A or 120B respectively and consent of instructor) and completion of the sixth term in one of the following non-African languages are strongly recommended: Afrikaans, Arabic, Dutch, French, German, Portuguese.

The African Languages major will soon be re-launched as the African Languages and Cultures major. The renaming reflects a revision to the requirements listed above that will emphasize the use of African languages in their cultural contexts, rather than the formal structure of African languages.