This modern facility contains language and computer laboratories, as well as multi-standard video projectors in all classrooms. The department makes use of satellite reception of foreign television broadcasts, including transmission to individual student rooms. The Carnegie facility plays a major role in furthering St. Lawrence's commitment to international education. Foreign languages and literatures have always been important elements of a liberal arts education at St. Lawrence. They free the individual to discover the content and value of other cultures, to enrich personal experiences through contacts with others on their own terms and to enter into worlds of thought and expression that would otherwise be inaccessible.
Languages thus play a key part in reducing ethnocentricity.
In an age when almost instant communication links the peoples of the world, when the relationships among nations are evolving rapidly and when Americans are increasingly aware of the riches of their diverse cultural heritage, the ability to use a second language acquires a new importance. Any level of proficiency in a foreign language supports both international understanding and basic contacts with various language groups in the United States. High-level ability promotes meaningful, accurate communication. St. Lawrence graduates with foreign language skills have found positions in fields such as banking, education, government, law, retailing, industry and social service. Many now live abroad or have spent time working in other countries.