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LAN 292

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Career Development for Foreign Language Majors
Spring 2016

Instructor: Laura Edwards

When and Where: Wednesdays from 10-12:15 in Stevenson 231A​

Office Hours: STV 231B; MTWR By appointment 

Phone: 438-3279

E-mail: Lcedwar@ilstu.edu

No Required texts, however readings will be required.
***I reserve the right to change dates and assignments on this syllabus at any time.***

Quick Links

Lots of Food for Thought

Schedule

Week 1:

Wednesday, January 14: Meet in STV 231A 

Read Great Jobs, Self-Assessment, pp. 2-21: Do homework on p. 5.Print out worksheet here.

Discuss self-assessment.

Monthly budget requirement

Discuss Resume andCover Letter; Refer to GJ pp. 22-47 for more info on Resume and Cover Letter.   

Print out this: What is fluency? 

Research this link:What Can I Do With This Major? 

Chapter one: Getting from College to Career pp. 1-27 (Get Started.)  Read Get Started

Chapter 3: Getting from College to Career pp. 49-88 (Figure Out What You Want and What You Don’t Want.)  Read Figure Out What You Want

Chapter 4: College to Career pp. 89-136 (Talk. Listen.Repeat. I.E., Network.)  Read Talk. Listen.Repeat

Take time to look up job postings and descriptions on eRecruiting.

Begin Resume and Cover Letter

Week 2:

Wednesday January 21:Meet in STV 231A

Presentation by CAS Career Advisor – Searching for Careers in Foreign Languages and writing and resume and cover letter, and interviewing/mock interviews

Week 3:

Wednesday January 28:MEET in STV 231A lab. Work on resumé in lab today. 

Networking (GJ pp. 66-79), Grad School (old book GJ pp. 101-112) and Teaching (GJ pp. 114-144.

College to Career: Print out this worksheet and bring to class: pp. 174-181 (Go Global.)  Read Go Global 

Take time to look up job postings and descriptions online. Continue adding to class database. 

In preparation for the Career Fair, look at the list of businesses represented there and begin to research each one, looking to see if they do international business, need speakers of other languages, are located in foreign countries, etc.

Week 4:

Wednesday February 4:Joe Wojowski will speak to the class about translation as a profession.

Week 5:

Wednesday February11:MEET in STV 231A lab. 

Chapter 6 of College to Careers: pp. 182-208 (Give Yourself An Edge.)  Give Yourself An Edge.  It is better to read what is in the new edition of the book; We will discuss the Career Fair and prep for the Mock Interview.

Week 6:

Wednesday February 18: Chapter 7: College to Career pp. 209-232 (Market Yourself On Paper and Online.)  

There is an old version of Market Yourself On Paper. It’s better to read the new edition because “online” had not yet been added.

Last day to turn in Mock Interview, Resume and Cover Letter.

Assignment due on one current job using foreign language as an auxiliary skill.

Course Objectives:

Students will research and reflect on possible job opportunities within their specific foreign language. Students will write and perfect their own resume (both in English and in their studied foreign language) and cover letter. Students will learn how to interview for a job.

Course Requirements:

In order to receive full points for Preparation and Participation, students must come to class on time, having finished the required reading for that class, and actively participate, showing that they have prepared and reflected upon the reading. Students must turn all assignments in on time. Any late assignment (after the class period) will automatically lose 5 points. Students must complete the final project by the last day of the course.

Grades will be calculated as follows:

Demonstrated Preparation and Participation: 150 pts. (25 points per week) X 6 weeks.

Mock Interview: up to 50 pts. (Read chapter 9 in College to Career pp. 238-274, Overprepare for Interviews, before this.)

(Mock Interview will be held online.) There is a required self-assessment that you must write, describing your interview experience.

Resumé: up to 25 pts.

Cover Letter: up to 25pts.

FOCUS: up to 25 pts. Must do “Explore the Possibilities”, “What Can I do w/a major in…?”  Write a summary on occupations found.

Report on one career using a foreign language: up to 50 points

TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE: 325 pts.

NGOs (Chicago’s nonprofit and philanthropic Community) Peace Corps and others

Government GJ pp. 162-186 Occupational Outlook Handbook Govt Jobs for Linguists How to write a government resume 

Interviewing; Network/Interview Follow-up; Job offers GJ pp.80-100;Networking GJ pp. 66-79

Business, Industry and Commerce GJ pp. 216-239

Translating and Interpreting GJ pp. 145-162

Educational Administration GJ pp. 187-215

Other Jobs Using Language as a Secondary Skill/ Careers 118-125

The Travel Industry Careers pp. 84-108 

Language as an Auxiliary Skill: Caregiver Jobs Clearing House

Foreign Lang. Careers Paths—Teaching GJ pp. 114-144

Grad School (GJ pp. 101-112) or Phd   Gradschools.com or Higher ed jobs 

Choose a subject from University of North Carolina Career Center

Parks and Recreation job search databases CoolWorks and JobMonkey

  1. Proposal: What you plan to research/find out about your subject
  2. Bibliography–must use at least 3 resources in addition to our class textbook.
  3. Explanation of your findings.
  4. Reflection provided by student (In your opinion, are these good/bad jobs? What are your reasons?) Explain if you (still) have interest in this career area and why.
  5. Grammar and correct organization of paper/presentation (intro, body, conclusion)

An audio track entitled: “Can you make a living loving languages?”

Foreign Service Officer link

City Year

Students present on Language as an Auxiliary Skill: Government (GJ pp. 162-186) Educational Administration (GJ pp. 187-215) Business Industry and Commerce (GJ pp. 216-239)

Other Jobs Using Language as a Secondary Skill (Careers in Foreign Languages 118-125)and the Travel Industry​ (Careers in Foreign Languages pp. 84-108)​

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