Why Study Language at Grand Valley?
Language is considered a critical part of a liberal arts education! Part of Grand Valley State University's vision and strategic priorities is to "inspire and equip students to be active life-long learners and global citizens" and to require global learning of all undergraduate majors. This does not mean that we expect all students to become fluent, but instead to have exposure to a second language and culture, which in turn leads to practical language skills and other cognitive benefits that come with learning a second language. The Modern Languages and Literatures Department offers not just the chance to study a language, but to actively engage with another culture on its own terms.
19%
Higher Avg. Earnings
Multilingual employees vs. employees who only speak one language
(Preply, 2023)
9 out of 10
U.S. employers rely on employees with language skills other than English
(ACTFL 2018)
56%
increased demand in foreign language skills
reported U.S. employers
(ACTFL 2018)
Alumni Spotlight
Eliot Westdorp - From the West Coast of Michigan, to the West Coast of Spain (2025)
During his time as an undergraduate student at Grand Valley, Eliot Westdorp pursued Spanish and applied linguistic studies, obtaining his B.A. degree in both areas in the fall semester of 2016.
Before graduating, however, Westdorp studied abroad, per the guidance and recommendation of professors in his program, and it was this study abroad experience that encouraged him to pursue a post graduation opportunity that would temporarily relocate him to a small village in Spain's coastal Galician region. Here, he would teach English to high school students, a critical experience he attributes to the foundational skills he learned while in Grand Valley's language program.
In this position, formally referred to as an Auxiliar de Conversación, Westdorp ...
Alumni Spotlight
Victoria Sanders - When Study Abroad Turns Career Abroad (2025)
Victoria Sanders, an American-born clinical psychologist now practicing in Bordeaux, has built an international career rooted in a passion for the French language that began in her teenage years. Sanders graduated summa cum laude from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and French Linguistics, along with a minor in Applied Statistics.
Her academic trajectory shifted during a faculty-led study-abroad program in Nice and Paris in the summer of 2014. Originally a French minor, Sanders returned from France determined to pursue a double major. Immersed in French language and culture, she enrolled in courses such as French phonetics and conversation, refining her spoken fluency and deepening her commitment to the field.
Following graduation, Sanders moved to Agen, France, where she ...
Did You Know?
1 in 3 language-dependent U.S. employers report a language skills gap!
-ACTFL
About Us
The Language Resource Center, aka the “Language Lab”, is a modern learning center, rich with media and resources that will help guide you through the beginning semesters of your foreign language studies and beyond.
The LRC is open to language learners of any levels and offers an array of supplemental resources for GVSU and non-GVSU offered languages.
Don’t be shy, the LRC is also a great place to visit with an hour or two free in between classes, just to see a movie or grab a cub of tea or coffee!
Hours:
Monday - Thursday:
9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m
Friday:
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m
Saturday:
1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Sunday:
1:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where You Can Find Us:
The second floor of Mackinac Hall (D wing)
Room: D-2-221.
How to Contact Us:
