Campus Connection

Campus event promotes languages, cultures

It’s important to raise awareness and understanding that cultures and languages infuse everything done in life. “Infused Cultures and Languages Across Majors: Students’ Perspectives” is an upcoming event relevant for all majors from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 28, in the Language Resource Center, 321 Graff Main Hall. Student presenters will share how the knowledge of cultures affects them through their personal experience and class projects. “Whatever major students choose, studying languages and cultures will be a crucial asset for them personally and professionally,” says UWL Language Resource Center Manager Laurence Couturier. Knowing a different language and cultures can also help students stand out when they enter the workforce. “For example, in the job market, students will need to engage with people from all over the world,” explains Christine Hippert, Archaeology/ Anthropology. “They will relate to people with more empathy and will be able to use cultural differences as a mutual advantage if they understand that cultures filter everything, even their own culture — framing problems and solutions.” [caption id="attachment_48381" align="aligncenter" width="685"] Knowing a different language and cultures can also help students stand out when they enter the workforce. Students heard that and more about the advantages of modern languages at "Infused Cultures and Languages Across Majors: Students’ Perspectives.”[/caption] The upcoming event allows students to connect with peers and faculty from many different disciplines. Couturier plans to continue to collaborate with faculty from across campus who have expressed a particular interest in this interdisciplinary topic and offer the opportunity to their students in their disciplines to participate. Along with Hippert, participating faculty include: Roger Haro, Biology; Elizabeth Peacock, Archaeology/Anthropology; Nabamita Dutta, Economics; Julie Weiscopf and Ariel Beaujot, History; Julia McReynolds Perez, Sociology; and Daniel Sambu, Geography. Students sharing their stories at the event include: Jaelyn Roland, Anthropology/Archaeology; Rose Franke, Economics; Elvia Valles, Sociology; Andrew Treu, German; Gil Tanghe, Communication Studies; Kyla Delaney, Computer Science; and Kayley Marie Alioto, Spanish. The Department of Modern Languages currently offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hmong, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and TESOL (Teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages). Approximately 1,200 students are enrolled in classes that range from beginning to advanced language levels. See the complete schedule and find out more about the department at http://www.uwlax.edu/modern-languages/. If you go— What: "Infused Cultures and Languages Across Majors: Students' Perspectives" (Culture walk) When: 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, March 28 Where: Language Resource Center, 321 Graff Main Hall