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The Department of Modern Languages emphasizes the growing importance of effective communication skills for college graduates. Increasingly, employers prioritize and reward strong language capabilities in their recruitment and career advancement decisions. These organizations understand how foreign language education enhances such skills. Additionally, bilingual proficiency often serves as a career accelerator or becomes an essential requirement for specialized roles. In our globally connected economy, foreign language and cultural knowledge creates career possibilities that were nearly unavailable decades prior, including positions like international trade specialist, global advisor, diplomat, and cross-border agricultural expert. The demand for multilingual abilities will only intensify in coming years. The department provides degree programs in French and Spanish, while German courses extend to intermediate proficiency. Through Tri-College University partnerships, NDSU students can additionally pursue Japanese and Chinese studies. Classroom instruction focuses on mastering four core competencies: auditory comprehension, verbal expression, reading comprehension, and written composition. Advanced courses maintain small class sizes to facilitate personalized language learning approaches.