The Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures is a multidisciplinary unit that offers students the opportunity to learn languages, develop an understanding of literary and cultural traditions, and pursue studies in the field of Linguistics. The Department offers language courses in Anishinaabemowin, Arabic, Chinese, German, Hebrew, Inuktitut, Italian, Japanese, Mohawk, Portuguese, and Spanish, and Degree Plans in German Studies, Indigenous Studies, Italian, Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Linguistics, Hispanic Studies, Spanish and Latin American Studies, and World Language Studies. The Department began to offer LLCU courses after its amalgamation in 2011 as a result of changing needs of students across campus and to provide more flexibility when choosing electives. These courses highlight critical thinking and expression about cultural topics in transnational perspective and are often taught concurrently with a target language component. Since the beginning, the courses enjoy popularity and generate a lot of interest among Queen's students. Some courses are offered on a yearly basis and some change bi-annually. Learning a language prepares students to travel, live, or work internationally and makes them more linguistically competent in Canada's multicultural environment. A degree focusing on languages, literatures and cultures, or Linguistics provides students with valuable transferable skills that are increasingly important in our global world. The Department encourages students in all our disciplines to participate in one of the many international study opportunities supported by Queen's.