Students who major in a second language may be required or encouraged to spend some time living, working, and studying abroad. Most programs coordinate semester abroad or work internships. In most cases, you can participate in these after you have completed at least two years of language study.

Colleges that do not have complete programs in second languages and literature may offer elective courses as part of a major in interdisciplinary studies or liberal arts.

Some programs only focus on select languages or countries within a region. For example, Scandinavian language programs may only teach Danish and Swedish.