A Message from the Chair
Welcome to the Department of Romance, German, and Slavic Languages and Literatures!
Our department’s mission is to further the study of foreign languages and of the literatures and cultures created in these languages – Spanish and German, Italian and Russian, French and Portuguese. Each of our programs has a distinguished history with prominent professors and famous alumni – after all, the knowledge of a foreign language and the ability to discuss major themes of foreign literatures and cultures has always been one of the marks of an educated person!
It is particularly important to view language, literature, and culture as one, even though their respective pedagogical and research methods are different from each other. In the ideal case, a student who studies a foreign language should begin to ask questions about the country’s literature and culture, and the avid reader of Borges, Stendhal, Dante, Mann, or Tolstoy should become curious about how these authors sound in their native tongue. To facilitate such inquiries and ultimately help students develop a genuine expertise in these fields is our common goal.
Our department boasts a number of fine instructors whose pedagogical excellence has been acknowledged for many years. As a matter of fact, the first ever winner of GW’s Trachtenberg Teaching Prize was a distinguished professor in our department, John A. Frey, a specialist in French literature. Altogether, four of our faculty members have won the Trachtenberg Teaching Prize – more than in any other department at GW. In addition, more than a dozen of our full-time and adjunct professors have received Bender Teaching Awards, acknowledging their pioneering role in using technology and their talent to reach out to every student in the classroom.
Several of our professors enjoy a national and international reputation as specialists in their field. They have authored monographs and textbooks, articles and reviews, translations and encyclopedias. On our website, you can find references to their publications and links to their personal webpages.
Thousands of students are taking classes offered by our department every year. My staff and I are trying to provide the best, most user-friendly service possible. And we all are grateful for your suggestions – please e-mail us at rgsll@gwu.edu.
Best of luck for your studies and your careers – may foreign languages, literatures, and cultures play an inspiring and energizing role in them!
Cordially,
Peter Rollberg, Chair
