

What We Do
Today, nine out of 10 U.S. employers need employees with language skills other than English. In the Department of Modern Languages, we help students gain proficiency in a second language.
Contact Information
- local_phone401-456-8029
- placeGaige Hall
Department Chair
Jeffrey W. Farland
Higher Education Administration Assistant II
The Department of Modern Languages offers a B.A. degree in modern languages, with concentrations in French, Francophone studies, Latin American studies (with a track in Spanish-speaking Latin America and Brazil), Portuguese and Spanish. All RIC undergraduates are expected to speak and understand a language other than English at the novice-to-mid-proficiency level by the time they graduate because Rhode Island College recognizes that foreign language skills not only open up opportunities for work in other parts of the world, it helps students develop a more positive attitude toward both the language and the culture of the country where it is spoken.
Coordinators for majors and minors:
- Director of Spanish Program - Dr. Eliani Basile | ebasile@ric.edu
- Director of Latin American Studies - Dr. David Ramirez | dramirez@ric.edu
- Portuguese - Dr. Silvia Oliveira | soliveira@ric.edu

April 9, 2022, The Modern Language faculty welcome accepted students on Accepted Students Day.
Dr. Antonella Sisto, Dr Eliani Basile and Dr. David Ramirez
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Learn how RIC encourages students to Be Bold!
Rhode Island College is an exclusive member of the Common Application. All students applying for undergraduate admission must complete the Common Application. This includes freshmen, second degree students, re-admits and international applicants.
Our Faculty

Dr. Eliani Basile
- Associate Professor
Dr. Silvia A. Oliveira
- Associate Professor

Dr. David Ramirez
- Assistant Professor
Dr. Antonella Claudia Sisto
- Adjunct Faculty I
Featured News & Stories
Did you know that employers in many industries are prioritizing applicants with transferable skills found in the humanities?
“I want humanities students to graduate from RIC with a sense of adventure when they see all the career possibilities before them,” says Associate Professor Brandon Hawk.