Languages, Literatures, and Cultures

We begin with the recognition that cultures do not exist in isolation but are, in some measure, shaped as a reaction or response to other cultures and forces in the world. Thus the study of the interconnectivity of cultures is of paramount import to our major. Our curriculum steers away from the purely instrumental study of language, that is, the idea that language is simply a tool to study other subjects, and instead stresses that language acquisition ought to be conceived in a more integrative way, that language and its cultural products are deeply related, and therefore must be studied together.

In that vein, we recommend that no essential distinction be made between a language itself and the full extent of its culture: these two aspects need to be studied concurrently and constantly.

Because of our belief in integrative competence, we have moved from the more traditional reliance on the study of language leading to the analysis of literature to one encompassing a much broader mandate of cultural and inter-cultural studies, including popular culture. These cultural and inter-cultural studies are by definition inter-disciplinary, and thus reach across many departmental and programmatic boundaries!

Majors: Spanish and ASL/English Interpreting

Positions that may require additional education, training or licensing are indicated by an (*). Job qualifications are based not only on degree program, but on skills and experience. Students should seek out as many experiential opportunities in their fields of interests as possible, including co-op and internships.

Websites for Career Exploration

• Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Handbook
• MassCIS – Massachusetts Information System
• O*NET
• ACTFL
• ATA American Translators Association
• Omniglot
• Tesol International Association
• Transitions ABROAD.com
• Vistawide World Languages and Cultures

Career Development Videos

• Building An International Career
• Careers in Advertising, Part 1
• Careers in Advertising, Part 2
• Careers in Fundraising & Development
• Careers in Non-Profit 1
• Careers in Non-Profit 2
• Careers in Non-Profit 3
• Careers in Non-Profit 4
• Careers in Non-Profit 5
• Careers in Non-Profit 6
• Careers In Product Development, Design, Marketing or Management
• Careers In Public Administration
• Careers in Public Policy:  Part 1
• Careers in Public Policy:  Part 2
• Careers In Think Tanks and Other Research Organizations
• Communications Freelance
• Environmental Justice
• SheLEADS

Websites for Job Search

• Eslcafe.com
• Idealist
• Jobs Abroad
• Lang Jobs
• MULTILINGUALVACANCIES.COM
• OverseasJobs.com
• Tesol International Association
• Transitions ABROAD.com

Professional Associations

Find valuable industry information, job sites, and professional networking opportunities.

• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages
• American Foreign Service Association
• American Translators Association
• American Association for Applied Linguistics
• Linguistics Society of America

Campus Organizations & Activities

• Global Brigades
• Interpreting Club at Northeastern University (ICNU)
• United Nations Association of Northeastern University

For additional student organizations click here.  

For additional student involvement opportunities click here.

Social Media

Sample industry specific LinkedIn groups and Twitter handles. Stay on top of industry trends, company information, job listings and networking opportunities. Visit the Social Media and LinkedIn pages for more information on how to leverage your social media network.

LinkedIn Groups

• Language Awareness/Cultural Diversity Group- 100+ Languages
• Languages at Work- Multilingual, Bilingual, Language Job Seekers
• Professional interpreters- all languages
• World Citizens at Work