Catalog 2024–2025

Languages

Department Chair: Faith Mishina, Ph.D.
Email: mishina@hawaii.edu

Humanities Division Office:
Office: Kanakaʻole Hall, Room 214
Tel: (808) 932–7216

Website: hilo.hawaii.edu/academics/languages/

Professor Emeritus:

  • Lawrence Rogers, Ph.D.

Professors:

Associate Professors:

The Department of Languages offers instruction in Chinese, Filipino (Tagalog), Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, as well as related courses in literature, culture, and language studies. Each program is comprehensive in approach, developing the functions of speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing and enhancing knowledge of the target area’s culture, history, society and the people.

The Department’s course offerings in languages can be found under the following course prefixes:

Hawaiian Language courses offered by Ka Haka ʻUla O Keʻelikōlani College of Hawaiian Language are listed under HAW and KHAW in this Catalog.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation with a credential from this Department, students will be able to:

  1. Use the appropriate vocabulary and grammar (sentence patterns) for various contexts (i.e. informal conversation, business environments, academia, professional settings)
  2. Identify and respond appropriately to cultural and/or social contexts of language use
  3. Articulate the importance of another culture (Cultural Competency)—this may include the history and/or historical development of a foreign language; how that language may have changed over time; what important events have impacted the language, literature, and culture of a place; and, how the language is continuing to evolve vis-à-vis pop culture and current events.

The Department of Languages does not offer a Language major. It does, however, house the following free-standing interdisciplinary programs:

Curricula