1. We cannot truly understand a culture without knowing something of its languages, nor have a genuine understanding of the languages without knowing about the culture.
2. The most effective way to learn and develop a real understanding of a culture and its language is by becoming immersed in it.

Are you having trouble maintaining your enthusiasm for learning a new language? Try this: Create a special interest in the people, their culture, their history, their arts, their geography, their daily news. Meet them, online or in person. Do this, and the language comes naturally. It's all here at Free-Ed.Net—it's up to you to make it happen.

Now for a brief word from our sponsors ...

Language and Cultural Immersion by Online Media

Until the late 1900s, the only means for immersion learning was by subscribing to magazines and newspapers from the places of interest; or better,  by visiting, working, or living there. Things are far more convenient and less expensive today--we can read newspapers and magazines and visit web pages produced in virtually any major language. As an added bonus, we can listen to their radio stations and watch their television programs. All this in the "comfort of our own home."

Yes, visiting, working, or living in a place is still the best immersion experience, but today's online resources are pretty good alternatives. For most of us, they are the only available options.

Here are two of the major directories for online newspapers and magazines. Use these resources to build your reading skills and cultural insight. The following listings are reasonably stable and easy to use:

• Online Newspapers
• Online Magazines

TV and radio broadcasts help build your understanding of the spoken language and often demonstrate cultural qualities with clarity that rivals "being there."  Here are two of the most popular directories. You might find them difficult to use at first; but what you need is tucked away somewhere, and worth the effort to find exactly what you need. (For various reasons, the TV offerings are often unstable--sometimes they work and  sometimes they don't. But, again, it's worth the effort and perhaps a bit of frustration).

• Online Radio
• Online TV

Virtually every nation in the world maintains a website that is packed full of information and items that you can use to build your conscious understanding of the language, the people, and their institutions. Use one of the major search engines to find them ... often no more complicated than plugging in the name of the country or a major city.

My Personal Attempt at Immersion Language Learning

David L. Heiserman

My interest in immersion language/culture learning goes back to 1961. There was no Internet and no international TV. There was short-wave radio, and I used it occasionally; but I could rarely find broadcasts in the language that interested me ... Russian.

In the summer of 1961, I was on a Navy Reserve cruise along the Atlantic coast. I was about to become a commissioned Navy officer and I had a special interest in becoming a naval attaché, working at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. Of course I was taking courses in Russian language and culture in college, but that stuff was way too tame for the realities of the Cold War. So when I had a chance to visit the Russian bookstore in New York City, I bought a couple of books on Russian and Soviet military history ... and a subscription to the daily newspaper, Pravda. Hey! I was serious about this self-directed, immersion learning stuff.

When the summer cruise was over and I returned to my off-campus apartment, I was delighted to find some of the recent issues of Pravda stuffed into my mailbox. This was really cool.

A month or so later, I finished up my morning classes and returned to my apartment for lunch. Knock-knock!  Someone was at the door. Must be the landlord, because none of my friends bothered to knock. Wrong!  There stood two "suits" flashing their badges.  Yep ... FBI. They were very interested in learning why I visited the Russian bookstore, what I talked about with the clerks (in English and my rudimentary Russian), and why I was reading Pravda.

I wasn't traumatized by the interrogation. I recall wanting to be super-cooperative. They seemed to buy my attaché story, and the visit concluded as abruptly as it began.

Whenever you step "outside the box" and take command of your efforts to turn dreams into reality, you have to be ready for the unexpected.

Postscript: I never got anywhere near Moscow nor an embassy anywhere in the world. I dropped out of college my senior year and pursued a different interest that kept me occupied for four decades -- with a lot of wonderful, crazy stuff happening. But after all that time, I am left with a sense of appreciation for the Russian culture, and I find that I'm not surprised at much that takes place on the political, economic, and military scene of post-Soviet Russia.

Now for a brief word from our sponsors ...

Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics

Foreign Languages and Literatures is a general program that focuses on one or more modern foreign languages that is not specific as to the name of the language(s) studied; that is otherwise undifferentiated; or that introduces students to language studies at the basic/elementary level.

Linguistics is a program that focuses on language, language development, and relationships among languages and language groups from a humanistic and/or scientific perspective. Studies include instruction in subjects such as psycholinguistics, behavioral linguistics, language acquisition, sociolinguistics, mathematical and computational linguistics, grammatical theory and theoretical linguistics, philosophical linguistics, philology and historical linguistics, comparative linguistics, phonetics, phonemics, dialectology, semantics, functional grammar and linguistics, language typology, lexicography, morphology and syntax, orthography, stylistics, structuralism, rhetoric, and applications to artificial intelligence.

Language Interpretation and Translation is a program that prepares individuals to be professional interpreters and/or translators of documents and data files, either from English or (Canadian) French into another language or languages or vice versa. Studies include intensive instruction in one or more foreign languages plus instruction in subjects such as single- and multiple-language interpretation, one- or two-way interpretation, simultaneous interpretation, general and literary translation, business translation, technical translation, and other specific applications of linguistic skills.

Comparative Literature is a program that focuses on two or more literary traditions in the original languages or in translation. Studies include instruction in comparative linguistics; applicable foreign languages; English/French language and literature; literary criticism; and applications to genre, period, national, and textual studies as well as literary forms such as poetry, prose, and drama.

Applied Linguistics is a program that focuses on language-related concerns in the everyday world, including language education, acquisition of first and additional languages, discourse analysis, language assessment, literacy, and language policy and planning. Studies include instruction in linguistic theory; language teaching and learning; discourse analysis; language and cognition; and language, culture, and identity.

African Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on one or more of the languages native to the African continent, including, but not limited to, Bantu languages, Nilo-Saharan languages, Niger-Congo languages, Khoisan languages, and the Chadic and Ethiopic languages of the Hamito-Semitic language family. Studies include instruction in philology, dialects, and oral and written literatures.

East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a general program that focuses on one or more of the languages of East Asia, including, but not limited to, the Sino-Tibetan, Japanese, and Korean languages. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Chinese Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the languages of China and associated dialects and literature. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Japanese Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Japanese language. Studies include instruction in philology; Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Japanese; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Korean Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Korean language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Tibetan Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Tibetan language. Studies include instruction in philology; secular and religious Tibetan; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, Buddhist studies, and other settings.

Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a general program that focuses on one or more of the Slavic languages of Central and Eastern Europe. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Baltic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on the languages of the Baltic peoples, including, but not limited to, the modern languages of Latvian and Lithuanian, and extinct languages such as Old Prussian and Curionian. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Russian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Russian language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Albanian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Albanian language. Studies include instruction in Albanian/Illyrian philology; Ghegg and Tosk dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Bulgarian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Bulgarian language. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Czech Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Czech language. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Polish Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Polish language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian Languages and Literatures is a program that focuses on the Bosnian, Serbian and/or Croatian languages. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Slovak Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Slovak language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Ukrainian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Ukrainian language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General is a general program that focuses on one or more of the Germanic languages of Western, Central, and Northern Europe. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

German Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the German language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Scandinavian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on one or more of the languages, literatures, and linguistics of the peoples of Scandinavia and associated Northern European island groups. Programs may involve multiple languages and language families, not be specific as to the name of the language(s) studied, or be otherwise undifferentiated.

Danish Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Danish language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Dutch/Flemish Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Dutch language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; Dutch Creoles; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Norwegian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Norwegian language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Swedish Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Swedish language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Modern Greek Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the development and use of the Greek language in the period dating from the late 15th century to the present. Studies include instruction in modern Greek literature, current Greek dialects, and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a general program that focuses on one or more of the languages, literatures, and linguistics of the peoples of the Indian subcontinent and associated borderlands and island groups.

Hindi Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Hindi language, antecessors, and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; Modern Hindi; Hindustani; related dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Sanskrit and Classical Indian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on Sanskrit and related ancient and classical Indo-Aryan languages. Studies include instruction in Vedic and Classical Sanskrit, Pali and other Prakrits, and the historical development of Indo-Aryan languages and their relation to Indo-European languages such as Greek, Latin and the Baltic languages.

Bengali Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Bengali language (Bangla) and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Punjabi Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Punjabi language (Punjabi) and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Tamil Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Tamil language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; Classical and Modern Tamil; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Urdu Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Urdu language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; Modern Urdu; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Iranian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on the languages used in ancient, medieval, and modern Iran and its border regions, including modern Persian, Avestan/Old Persian, and related modern and extinct languages. Studies include instruction in applications of modern Persian and other languages in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a general program that focuses on one or more of the Romance languages of Western, Central, and Southern Europe. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

French Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Studies include instruction in philology; Metropolitan French; Canadian French; African and Caribbean Creoles; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Italian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Italian language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Portuguese Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Portuguese language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; Metropolitan Portuguese; Luso-Brazilian Portuguese; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Spanish Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; Modern Castillan; Latin American and regional Spanish dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Romanian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Romanian language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Catalan Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Catalan language and related dialects. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings.

Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on the languages and literatures of the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking areas of the world, including the Iberian, Latin American, and Lusophone worlds. Studies include instruction in Spanish and Portuguese language and linguistics; regional and Latin American dialects; and Spanish, Portuguese, Spanish American, Luso-Brazilian, and Chicano literature.

 American Indian/Native American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on one or more of the languages native to the Western Hemisphere, with an emphasis on American Indian languages, but including other Native American languages. Studies include instruction in philology; oral and written literatures; Inuit and Aleut languages; Hawaiian; North American language families, including, but not limited to, Algonkian, Athabascan, Siouan, Muskogean, Iroquoian, Yuman, Mayan, Zapotecan, and Uto-Aztecan; South American language families, including, but not limited to, Andean-Equatorial, Ge-Pano-Carib, and Macro-Chibchan; and other minor languages.

Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a general program that focuses on one or more of the Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic languages of the ancient and modern Middle/Near East, Western Asia, North Africa, and Europe. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Arabic Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Arabic language. Studies include instruction in philology; Classical Arabic; Modern Standard Arabic; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Hebrew Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Hebrew language. Studies include instruction in philology; Biblical Hebrew (including Pre- and Post-Exilic scripts); Modern Hebrew; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on one or more of the extinct Semitic and/or Non-Semitic languages spoken in the ancient Near East, including those used to write historical Jewish and Christian religious texts. These languages include, but are not limited to, Egyptian/Coptic, Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Aramaic, Cannanite, Phonecian, Samarian, Ugaritic, Syriac, Mandean, Hattic, Elamite, Hurrian, Hittite, Urartian, Lydian, Luwian, Lycian, Palaic, Sabaean/South Arabian, and other associated languages. Studies include instruction in philology, epigraphy, papyrology, numismatics, and textual studies.

Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General is a general program that focuses on the literary culture of the ancient Graeco-Roman world and the Greek and Latin languages and literatures and their development prior to the fall of the Roman Empire.

Ancient/Classical Greek Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Greek language and literature from its origins through the fall of the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) Empire, as a secular and/or theological subject. Studies include instruction in philology, Attic and Hellenistic dialects, Koine (Biblical) Greek, and Medieval or Byzantine Greek.

Latin Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Latin language and literature from its origins through its decline and its current ecclesiastical usage, as a secular and/or theological subject. Studies include instruction in philology, related Italic dialects, Late Roman and Medieval Latin, and modern Church Latin.

Celtic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on the historical and modern languages spoken by the Celtic peoples of the British Isles, Continental Europe, and Asia Minor, including, but not limited to, modern languages such as Irish, Scots Gaelic, Welsh, and Breton; and extinct or revived languages such as Cornish, Manx, Galatian, and others. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Southeast Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a general program that focuses on one or more of the modern languages spoken in mainland Southeast Asia and the Indonesian and Philippines Archipelagoes, including, but not limited to, members of the Thai, Tibeto-Burman, and Malayo-Polynesian language families.

Australian/Oceanic/Pacific Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on the languages native to Papua/New Guinea, Australia, New Zealand, and the island groups of the Pacific Ocean, including, but not limited to, the Papuan languages, the Australian languages, the Micronesian languages, and the Polynesian languages. Studies include instruction in philology; linguistics; dialects and pidgins; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Indonesian/Malay Languages and Literatures is a program that focuses on the Malay and Indonesian languages. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Burmese Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Burmese language. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Filipino/Tagalog Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the modern Filipino/Tagalog language as used in the Philippines. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Khmer/Cambodian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Khmer language as spoken in Cambodia. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Lao Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Lao language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Thai Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Thai languages. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Vietnamese Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Vietnamese language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Turkish Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Turkish language in either or both of its pre-modern and modern variants. Studies include instruction in philology; Ottoman Turkish; Modern Turkish; dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Uralic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics is a program that focuses on Uralic languages, including, but not limited to, Finnish, Estonian, Karelian, and Sami. Studies include instruction in philology; oral and written literatures; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Hungarian/Magyar Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Hungarian language. Studies include instruction in philology; literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

Mongolian Language and Literature is a program that focuses on the Mongolian language. Studies include instruction in philology; dialects; oral and written literature; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings.

American Sign Language (ASL) is a program that focuses on American Sign Language as a visual and motor medium of communication and discourse for deaf individuals and deaf culture. Studies include instruction in the development of ASL, ASL morphology and syntax, signing technique, English translation of ASL, formal and colloquial ASL, and ASL transcription.

Linguistics of ASL and Other Sign Languages is a program that focuses on the scientific and scholarly study of the development, structure, and use of American Sign Language (ASL) and other visual signed languages, both as vehicles for communication within the deaf community and in relation to spoken and written languages. Studies include instruction in cognitive linguistics; ASL and sign language phonology, syntax, and morphology; sociolinguistics of the deaf community; comparative linguistics; and studies of specific sign languages, including, but not limited to, ASL, Auslan (Australian Sign Language), LSF (French Sign Language), Shuwa jiten (Japanese Sign Language), HamNoSys (German Sign Language), and Gestuno.

Sign Language Interpretation and Translation is a program that prepares individuals to function as simultaneous interpreters of American Sign Language

Area Studies

African Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of the African Continent, usually with an emphasis on Africa south of the Sahara, and including the African diasporas overseas.

American/United States Studies/Civilization is a study program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the United States and its Pre-Columbian and colonial predecessors, and including the flow of immigrants from other societies.

Asian Studies/Civilization is a study program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of the Asian Continent, including the study of the Asian diasporas overseas.

East Asian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of East Asia, defined as including China, Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Taiwan, Tibet, related borderlands and island groups, and including the study of the East Asian diasporas overseas.

Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the region encompassing Russia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and Eurasia, including the Balkan, Baltic, Caucasus, and Central Asian states that were republics of the former Soviet Union.

European Studies/Civilization is a study program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of the European Continent, including the study of European migration patterns and colonial empires.

Latin American Studies.is a study program that focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the Hispanic peoples of the North and South American Continents outside Canada and the United States, including the study of the Pre-Columbian period and the flow of immigrants from other societies.

Near and Middle Eastern Studies focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of North Africa, Southwestern Asia, Asia Minor, and the Arabian Peninsula, related borderlands and island groups, and including emigrant and immigrant groups.

Pacific Area/Pacific Rim Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of Australasia and the Pacific Ocean, related island groups and bordering coastal regions, and including pre- and post-colonial migration patterns.

Russian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of the Russian Federation and its Soviet, Czarist, and medieval predecessors and related borderlands.

Scandinavian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of Scandinavia, defined as Northern Europe including Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, related island groups (including Greenland), and borderlands.

South Asian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of South Asia, defined as including Afghanistan, India, the Maldives, Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, and Sri Lanka and related borderlands and island groups and including the study of migration patterns and overseas diasporas.

Southeast Asian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of Southeast Asia, defined as including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam related borderlands and island groups and including the study of migration patterns and overseas diasporas.

Western European Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of historical Western Europe, defined as including Britain, Ireland, France, the Low Countries, the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, the Western Mediterranean, and related island groups and borderlands.

Canadian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of Canada and its Pre-Columbian, colonial, and pre-federation predecessors, including immigrant flows and related borderlands and island groups.

Balkans Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples inhabiting the Balkan Peninsula and associated island groups and borderlands, Southern Slavic and non-Slavic, during the medieval, Ottoman, and modern periods.

Baltic Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples inhabiting the coastlands of the Baltic Sea, including Baltic, Germanic, Scandinavian, and Slavic populations, related borderlands and island groups, and problems of cultural survival and assimilation.

Slavic Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the Slavic peoples inhabiting Europe, Asia, and in immigrant groups elsewhere, including the study of the emergence and migration patterns of Slavic culture, languages, and populations.

Caribbean Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples inhabiting the major islands and archipelagoes of the Caribbean Sea and related coastal borderlands, including immigration patterns and Pre-Columbian, colonial, and modern societies.

Ural-Altaic and Central Asian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples and countries of Inner/Central Asia, including the Turkic and Mongolian inhabitants of the Caspian, Amur, Tien Shan, Baikal, Gobi, Siberian, and Manchurian areas and the historical Silk Road, in terms of their past and present development.

Commonwealth Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples and countries comprising components of the historical British Empire and modern British Commonwealth, including migration patterns, shared sociocultural and political features and problems, and contemporary relations.

Regional Studies (U.S., Canadian, Foreign) is a study program that focuses on the defined geographic subregions and subcultures within modern and historical countries and societies. Includes such topics as Acadian Studies, French Canadian and Quebec Studies, Southern (U.S.) Studies, Appalachian (U.S.) Studies, New England Studies, Southwestern Studies, Northern Studies, and others.

Chinese Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the peoples of present-day China and its historical predecessors, related borderlands and island groups, and the overseas Chinese diaspora.

French Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of France, other Francophone countries inside and outside Europe, and the French colonial experience and the associated French minorities around the world.

German Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of Germany, the neighboring countries of Austria and Switzerland, the German minorities in neighboring European countries, and the historical areas of German influence across Europe and overseas.

Italian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of modern Italy and its predecessors on the Italian Peninsula, including the overseas migrations of Italian peoples.

Japanese Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples of Japan, and related island groups and coastal neighbors.

Korean Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples of Korea, including related island groups and borderlands.

Polish Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of Poland and the current and historical inhabitants of the Polish lands, including borderlands, from earliest times to the present.

Spanish and Iberian Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples of the Iberian Peninsula and related island groups and border regions from earliest times to the present, with particular emphasis on the development of Spain and Portugal but including other historical and current cultures.

Tibetan Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of Tibet and its borderlands, with emphasis on both pre-modern and modern Tibet and associated religious and exile movements.

Ukraine Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the Ukraine and its inhabitants, and related border regions, from earliest times to the present.

Irish Studies focus on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of Ireland and the Irish Diaspora, from the early Christian period to the present.

Latin American and Caribbean Studies focuses on the history, society, politics, culture, and economics of the peoples and countries of the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies.

Ethnic Studies focus on the interdisciplinary and comparative study of the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of North American racial and ethnic groups, including African Americans, American Indians/Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans.

African-American/Black Studies focus on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of the North American peoples descended from the African diaspora focusing on the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean, but also including reference to Latin American elements of the diaspora.

American Indian/Native American Studies focus on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the American Indian, Aleut, Inuit, Hawaiian and other native peoples of the Americas from earliest times until the present, with particular emphasis on U.S. and Canadian populations and their problems but including reference to Caribbean and Latin American native peoples.

Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies focus on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of one or more of the Hispanic American immigrant populations within the U.S. and Canada, including Mexican-American Studies, Cuban American Studies, Puerto Rican Studies, and others.

Asian-American Studies focus on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of Asian population groups who have immigrated to the United States and Canada, or sought refugee asylum, from the colonial period to the present, and including Chinese-Americans, Japanese-Americans, Korean-Americans, Vietnamese-Americans, Cambodian-Americans, and others.

Women's Studies focus on the history, sociology, politics, culture, and economics of women, and the development of modern feminism in relation to the roles played by women in different periods and locations in North America and the world. Programs may focus on literature, philosophy, and the arts as much as on social studies and policy.

Gay/Lesbian Studies focus on homosexuality in history, society, politics, and cultural life usually with an emphasis on the modern emergence of gays and lesbians as a sociocultural minority movement, the identification of social, literary, and artistic themes and the definition of, and public policy and legal issues surrounding, the gay and lesbian community.

Folklore Studies focus on the study of creativity and aesthetic expression in everyday life, as expressed in narrative, literature, performing arts, culture, work, family and community.

Disability Studies focus on the nature, meaning, and consequences of what it is to be defined as disabled and explores the historical, cultural, economic, physiological, and socio-political dynamics of disability. Includes instruction in disability rights, legal issues, and public policy literature, philosophy, and the arts and/or research in the social sciences, education, and health sciences addressing social and experiential aspects of disability.

Deaf Studies focus on the sociological, historical and linguistic aspects of the deaf and hearing impaired, and that prepares individuals to work with the deaf and hearing impaired. Includes instruction in American Sign Language, deaf studies, American deaf culture, structure of American Sign Language, history of the American deaf community, and civil rights of deaf people.