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"Can you imagine what it might be like to do business in China? What about being an engineer in Germany or France? How about working as an agricultural specialist in Argentina or the Middle East? How will that culture shape your professional practice as an advertising executive, salesperson, or marketing specialist?" Read Dr. Gasta's observations about WLC's unique interdisciplinary program called Languages and Cultures for Professions (LCP).
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Did you know that, as part of Educator Preparation Program, WLC offers course work for students who are pursuing a career in teaching a World Language in secondary schools? One of our current student teachers is Brittany Peterson, a senior majoring in WLC (Spanish). This semester she is student-teaching with Mrs. Jill Chongo at Ballard High School. We asked Brittany why she decided to become a language educator and what challenges and rewarding experiences she has had at Ballard so far.
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Dr. Cristina Pardo-Ballester, Assistant Professor of Spanish, has recently co-authored an introductory Spanish textbook, Pura Vida, published with Wiley, one of the most prestigious American textbook companies. We asked Prof. Pardo to tell us more about this new volume and what students taking First-Year Spanish can expect to find in it . To take a look inside the book, check out Pura Vida's sample chapter. |
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Dr. Melissa Deininger, Assistant Professor of French, joined WLC in 2009. Since then she has developed and taught over 13 new courses both in French and English, with topics ranging from “La Fantasy et le Fantastique,” to “Paris Between the Lines” and “Deviant Behaviors in French and Francophone Culture.” In this interview Dr. Deininger answers a few questions about her career and recent travels abroad.
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Mary Elizabeth (Lizzy) Curran is a 2013 graduate in Spanish and Linguistics with a special focus on Teaching English as a Second Language. In May 2013 she was named a Distinguished Student in Spanish and was awarded the ISU on the Mediterranean Summer in Valencia Undergraduate Teaching Assistantship. We asked Lizzy to tell us about her career and use of Spanish language skills since her graduation.
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Kestrel Henry is a Political Science and International Studies major and a French minor. She recently spent eight months at an Arabic language institute in Morocco where she lived with a host family in one of the oldest cities in North Africa. Read more as Kestrel shares some memories from her study-abroad experience.
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Adam Tyler is a recent graduate who majored in French and Civil Engineering. Winner of the prestigious Gillman International Scholarship, Adam spent the 2010-11 academic year studying in France, taking courses at the Grenoble Institute of Technology, Stendhal University, and Pierre-Mendès France University. Read more to find out why Tyler considers Grenoble to be his "second home."
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Global Quiz
What are the top ten most popular languages on Twitter? Find out the answer here.
Source: Delia Mocanu et al. (2013). "The Twitter of Babel: Mapping World Languages Through Microblogging Platforms." PLoS One 8(4).
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Each academic year WLC recognizes the work of its outstanding majors and minors through departmental awards and financial scholarships. Read about one of our 2013 scholarship winners, Kelly Zeiser (a senior studying Spanish and Secondary Education with endorsements in English as a second language and coaching), who was awarded the competitive Ronald A. Schubert Scholarship.
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Language in the News:
"...Today, a nation's prosperity depends on its people's ability to thrive in the global marketplace. [...] And that makes it more important than ever to provide all students with a well-rounded, world-class education – including opportunities to gain global competencies and world language skills; to understand other cultures; and to study abroad."
According to The Guardian, "international brands and overseas supply chains make languages essential for a career in fashion."
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From The Impressionists Evening with the French Club, to cooking classes with the Spanish Club, to a movie night viewing Pompeii in 3D with the Eta Sigma Phi/Classics Club, to eating borscht and shchi with the Russian Club - check out what WLC Student Clubs and Organizations have been up to. (In the photo: Kaylyn Mechem and Emery Peyton representing the Russian Club at the ClubFest, Spring '14).
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Are you an alum of our Department?
Do you have any stories about world languages and cultures in your own life and / or career that you would like to share with our readers? Please send us your stories and we would be happy to include them in future issues of the WLC newsletter. Contact us or write directly to the Newsletter editor Dr. Olga Mesropova.
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