Posted p.m. Monday, March 21, 2016
Festival to promote languages, cultures
Festival to promote languages, cultures
Knowing a second language is critical for today’s college students as they look to find success in the workforce. “Languages will be the key to opening many doors for today’s millennial generation,” says UW-La Crosse 1990 graduate Lynn Sessler Neitzel. She is curriculum and assessment coordinator at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville and a Japanese Instructor for the Wisconsin Virtual School. [caption id="attachment_45373" align="alignleft" width="240"]
Lynn Sessler Neitzel, '90[/caption]
Neitzel will be the keynote speaker at the third annual UWL Festival of Languages from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, in the Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall. The event encourages students to expand their views and understanding of the increasing complex and global world through languages.
“One of the most unique and useful skills to have is language proficiency in one or more languages other than English,” says Neitzel, who speaks French and Japanese. “Learning to accept and appreciate cultural differences is a good move for anyone early in their career.”
While many students think studying languages will only offer an opportunity to be a translator or linguist, there are many more options. “There are countless other real world career choices where world language skills will set people apart and help them be more successful and effective in their job, whether it is in business, government, medicine, law, education or non-profit work.”
Neitzel, the 2015 recipient of the Distinguished Educator Award from the Wisconsin Association for Language Teachers, says she has been impacted greatly through her work with international languages.
“The relationships I have formed, not just with people, but with the languages I speak and the cultures that I have experienced have made me an extremely flexible and skillful person and learner,” she explains. “I truly believe that leaving my comfort zone provided me with inspiration, awareness and ideas I wouldn’t likely have considered if I had continued following the same routine in the same place, day after day.”
Laurence Couturier, director of the university’s Language Resource Center, agrees that languages give students exciting job and unique life opportunities. “The interdisciplinary aspect of languages is very important,” she explains. “When studying a language, you study much more than just a language, you acquire a cultural knowledge and communicative competences applicable to any major.”
[caption id="attachment_45377" align="aligncenter" width="685"]
Biology Professor Roger Haro, 2015 Wisconsin Professor of the Year, center, joined seven students in sharing their personal stories about how languages, cultures and their field of study interact and enrich each other. The panel discussion, “Language connections: at the interface of disciplines and languages,” was held during the Language Resource Center Open House March 9. Student panel members, with majors in biology, history, economics and finance, gave personal examples of how the study of languages and cultures enriched their other major area of study, along with providing skills and insights to broaden their understanding of the world and people in unique ways.[/caption]
Couturier says learning other languages and cultures are important in today’s working world. "The study of languages represents a crucial link in the global world that students are preparing to enter," Couturier explains.
That’s why she encourages students from all majors to attend the Festival of Languages, which aims to be experiential, eye-opening, fun and informative. Among the events scheduled:
- Waltz lessons
- Mexican folk art
- Micro-language lessons in Chinese, Hmong and Russian
- Student poster presentations
- Chinese calligraphy and movements
- Study abroad panel discussion
- Hands-on activities
- Music
- Main presentations on how languages open career doors
- Ethnic refreshments
