Looking Back, Moving Forward
Celebrating 10 Years of the Institute of World Languages at UVA
November 2, 2023
Newcomb Ballroom & Lounge
Registration deadline: Thursday Oct. 26
9:50-10:00AM: Welcome remarks by Christa Acampora, Dean of College of Arts and Sciences
10:00-10:50AM: 10 Years Empowering UVA Faculty & Students
Join us for an insightful panel showcasing the impactful initiatives that highlight IWL’s historical commitment to transformative pedagogies and to fostering global understanding.
・E-Portfolios: Karen James (French)
This presentation will highlight key phases of our exploration and implementation of electronic portfolios for integrated learning and assessment in world language programs since our initial pilot uses of ePortfolios back in 2015, an initiative supported by three UVA Learning Technology Incubator grants. We’ll also discuss current uses of ePortfolios in the French and Spanish language programs and share questions we are asking about future applications of ePortfolios, which the AAC&U has identified as a “high-impact practice” for student learning success.
・Dolcissimo: Suad Mohamed (Arabic)
Dolcissimo is the Italian word for sweet. This IWL supported initiative combined social cooking and second language acquisition by way of a group competition where students of Italian, French, Arabic, Chinese, and Russian at UVA communicated exclusively in the target languages while baking cakes and cookies in front of UVa faculty members, VIP judges and, invited guests. These bake-offs were covered by special student reporters and correspondents, making it a delectable experiential learning experience by everyone involved.
・Language Forward Initiative: Yoon Hwa Choi (Korean), Tomomi Sato (Japanese)
This presentation explores the success of UVA's Language Forward Initiatives (LFI), launched in 2018 to boost UVA students' interaction with native speakers abroad. During 2018-2019, UVA faculty and students in ten languages engaged in synchronous online communication with native speakers. In the Japanese program, the journey began with a language exchange in the 2018-2019 academic year, followed by 'Cultural Conversation in Japanese.' Students in the course discuss cultural topics weekly via Zoom, gaining insights and forming lasting friendships. Since Fall 2018, fourth-year Korean students interact with Korean teachers in Korea and the U.S., enhancing language skills, cultural understanding, and global citizenship. LFI fosters motivation for language learning and cultivates lifelong language abilities.
・Contemplative Science: Mieko Kawai (Japanese), Ran Zhao (Chinese)
This panel discusses the significance and methods of incorporating contemplative pedagogy into World Language (WL) and culture courses. It underscores the value of contemplative practices such as reflective writing, compassionate conversations, and peer learning in nurturing resilient, open-minded learners who can forge deeper connections between their personal experiences and course content. The presentation provides tangible insights by featuring teaching activities from Japanese, Chinese, and East Asian Calligraphy courses. By integrating contemplative practices into WL instruction, both instructors and learners can reduce stress, improve overall well-being, and build a strong learning community together, thereby enhancing the educational experience for all involved.
11:00-11:50AM: 10 Years Empowering Global Citizens
In this panel discussion, four of our accomplished graduates, who are representative of the experiences of many UVA students, will share their transformative language-learning journeys and the profound impact that learning languages and cultures at UVA had on their personal and professional lives.
- Anya Faruki: English Teaching Fellow for Fulbright Taiwan (Taiwan)
- Adelaide Brooks: PhD Candidate in Italian, University of Cambridge (UK)
- Mariana Brazão: Curatorial Assistant, Coleção BEĪ (Brazil)
- Aldo Barriente: Associate Software Engineer, Revel Systems (USA)
Moderator: Janay Crabtree (CAELC)
1:00-1:50PM: Moving Forward: Current IWL Initiatives
Join us for an engaging panel discussion to explore current initiatives supported by IWL. Discover how we are pioneering new approaches at the intersection of World Language education, and linguistic and social justice. Our current initiatives aim to break down barriers of access and affordability and are committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.
・Consortium for Lesser Taught Languages: Anne Rotich (Swahili)
UVA is a member of the Consortium for lesser taught languages with Duke University and Vanderbilt University. This consortium has broadened our teaching and learning of lesser taught languages at UVA to include Swahili, Haitian Creole, K’iche’, Turkish, and Malagasy. Our students have an opportunity to learn these languages and cultures that would not otherwise be taught.
・STARTALK: Miao-Fen Tseng (Chinese)
The federally funded UVA STARTALK Chinese teacher and student programs have established a national reputation with proven excellence and glowing testimonials for over a decade. Through UVA STARTALK’s innovative pedagogy and curriculum, teacher participants strengthen their global leadership skills and teaching impact as they incorporate advanced technology in their online, hybrid, and in-person instruction.
・Community Engagement: Esther Poveda (Spanish), Liz Wittner (CAELC)
This panel celebrates civic and community engagement initiatives that have the teaching and learning of language and cultures at their core, and that have allowed faculty and students to use their linguistic skills to exercise a positive social impact in our community. Examples from CAELC, Chinese, Spanish, and Swahili will be provided to show student, faculty and staff participation in programs aimed at respectfully strengthening the bond between the university and its surrounding communities.
・Open Education Resources: Anna Borovskaya-Ellis (Russian), Lilian Feitosa (Portuguese)
The creation of OER (Open Educational Resources) is one of the most important current initiatives supported by IWL because these cost-free course materials promote equity and inclusion. In this presentation, we highlight past and present OER projects supported by the university and by IWL in French, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. Over 18 language instructors have created or are in the process of creating various OER materials that can be used in language classes of various levels.
2:00-3:00PM: Experiencing the UVA Languages (Lounge)
This interactive session features IWL initiatives that faculty and students have accomplished over the past ten years. Join our various language program stations to experience cultural products and practices, participate in language lessons, explore language-learning opportunities at UVA, learn about career-development opportunities, and engage with fellow faculty and students.
Language Programs: Arabic, ASL, Chinese, ESL, Farsi, French, German, Greek, Haitian Creole, Hebrew (Biblical/Modern), Hindi/Urdu, Italian, Japanese, K’iche’, Korean, Latin, Malagasy, Portuguese, Russian, Sanskrit, Spanish, Swahili, Tibetan, Turkish
Language Houses: Casa Bolivar, Maison Française, Shea House
A Multicultural Canvas: An Artistic Celebration of UVA’s Institute of World Languages 10th Anniversary
Dates: October 2 – December 5, 2023
Location: Fralin Museum
The IWL’s 10th anniversary features a special exhibition at the UVA Fralin Museum. The exhibition, which includes pieces representative of the artistic legacy of all world languages at UVA, is located on the second floor of the Fralin Museum (Small Object Gallery).
UVA’s Institute of World Languages marks its first decade this fall. We invite you to join us in commemorating this milestone with our exhibit at the Fralin Museum. You will enjoy a vibrant collection of artifacts that convey the richness of our members’ cultures and languages. This celebration of UVA’s multilingual and multicultural mission transcends boundaries, reflecting the Institute’s mission to prepare students to be linguistically proficient, culturally competent, thoughtful global citizens. Your presence honors not only the artistic expressions of the cultures and languages taught at UVA, but also the very essence of human communication. The exhibition includes pieces that represent the artistic legacy of the IWL languages.