The French and Spanish education majors at Mercyhurst offer students hands-on experiences as they prepare  to be language teachers in  K-12 classrooms. With practicum experiences from the freshman year, our French and Spanish Education majors graduate with strong language skills and deep understanding of best practices in world language education. As the only university to certify French and Spanish education students in the Erie region, our graduates are sought-after by area school districts. However, 45 states have signed teacher certification reciprocity agreements with Pennsylvania so language education graduates can teach all over the US.

Language education majors may also add a certification in English as a Second Language to their program, to enhance their employment options, with only three additional courses.

Learning Outcomes

French/French Education

• Speak and understand French at the Intermediate High level or better as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines

• Read and write in French at the Intermediate High level or better as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
• Demonstrate cultural proficiency in cultures that use French
• Discuss in both spoken and written French literary and visual texts or cultural artifacts of the target culture
• Conduct and produce research in French
• Demonstrate understanding of second-language acquisition and the history of foreign-language pedagogy (education majors only)
• Demonstrate the ability to apply understanding in practice teaching situations and to analyze and critique the teaching of others (education majors only)

Spanish/Spanish Education

• Speak and understand Spanish at the Intermediate High level or better as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
• Read and write in Spanish at the Intermediate High level or better as detailed in the ACTFL Proficiency Guidelines
• Demonstrate cultural proficiency in cultures that use Spanish
• Discuss in both spoken and written Spanish, literary and visual texts or cultural artifacts of the target culture
• Conduct and produce research in Spanish
• Demonstrate understanding of second-language acquisition and the history of foreign-language pedagogy (education majors only)
• Demonstrate the ability to apply understanding in practice teaching situations and to analyze and critique the teaching of others (education majors only)

Oral Proficiency Interview

All language majors sit for the Oral Proficiency Interview in their senior year. The OPI is an independent evaluation of a student’s language proficiency level by an outside evaluator. Students can use the OPI rating, which is recognized internationally, on their resumes and employment or graduate school applications.