Announcing the Department of World Languages and Literature | College of Arts and Sciences | University of Nebraska Omaha
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Announcing the Department of World Languages and Literature

Arts and Sciences Hall in spring

What was previously known as the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature is now the Department of World Languages and Literature.

This name better reflects the languages taught at at UNO, i.e., French, German, Japanese, and Spanish. These languages are not foreign to these lands, but rather have been spoken here for centuries. French, German and Spanish have been spoken in Nebraska since the 1800s, and the first German-language press was founded in 1860.

Currently, according to census data, there are over 98 languages spoken throughout Nebraska, and in Omaha close to 15% of the population speaks Spanish as a native language. This change more accurately communicates the past and present role of these languages and the linguistic diversity in Nebraska and the United States.