Certification students completing either a major or minor in this subject must pass an oral proficiency examination. Exemption by examination can also be approved by the department for those who have sufficient previous experience and knowledge. Students should plan on completing this requirement before enrolling in methods and student teaching. Contact the Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies, 608-262-3204, for additional information about this requirement.
Students are required to participate in an intensive immersion experience, one of the most important and meaningful ways of developing competence in a foreign language. Students seeking certification in Hebrew must participate in an approved immersion experience emphasizing sustained and intensive interaction within the target language and culture. This experience also provides an opportunity to acquire the oral skills necessary to pass the oral proficiency examination. Students will need to complete and document this immersion experience. Most students choose to participate in a structured educational or exchange immersion program. International Academic Programs in Bascom Hall offers information on many of these programs. Participation in the Junior Year Abroad programs at the Hebrew University or the Greenberg Institute in Jerusalem is strongly recommended. Students should plan on completing this requirement before enrolling in methods and student teaching.
As a candidate for certification, the student will be expected to read, write, and speak the language with some facility, and to have a general knowledge of Hebrew literature and civilization. Students are advised to take courses in related fields, such as history, classics, comparative literature, English, music, music appreciation, and philosophy. Through course work, reading, travel, and lectures, and through informal relationships with others in the field, students will develop a depth and breadth of interest in Hebrew and Semitic Studies.