At Swarthmore, students learn to understand, speak, think, and dream in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Russian. The study of literatures, languages and cultures broadens and intensifies the perspectives from which we view our own culture and gives us a greater understanding of our increasingly interconnected world.

With faculty representing almost 20 countries and speaking at least a dozen languages, the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures (MLL) creates a tangible plurilingual and multicultural environment. The faculty of the department believe that the development of culturally nuanced communications competencies is the best way to prepare students to become engaged global citizens.