AUGUSTA UNIVERSITY
FOREIGN LANGUAGE SPRING 2016 NOTES Editor: Jana Sandarg
holidaysgenius.com
“La Tomatina� in Spain. Everybody loves a food fight! And many countries hold a festival similar to this one.
Language and culture This publication of Foreign Language Notes is dedicated to the theme of language and culture. Inside this issue, you will find articles on language, such as grammatical curiosities and research projects, as well as culture, ranging from festivals to literary creations. Students and faculty contributed articles and photos. This issue celebrates their achievements and will bring you up to date with foreign language activities. Please send us your news so we may include it in the next newsletter. Publications such as these are rarely the work of one person. We want to thank everyone who submitted articles, texts and photographs, as well as the individuals who helped edit and proof the articles. Special thanks go to Alvina Quinn, who finalized this issue of Foreign Language Notes. Jana Sandarg, Editor
Language and Culture You can’t take the language out of culture, and you can’t take the culture out of language. The two are intertwined, and together, they help us understand the people. That’s why foreign language faculty teach the language through culture. The people’s practices and products help us understand their perspectives on life. And cultural differences enrich us all! www.topchinatravel.com
www.huffingtonpost.com www.topchinatravel.com
Our practices define us The Tour de France (photo at top of page) highlights sports, fitness and competition. The whole world follows this race in July. Shakira (middle left photo) shakes the world with her music and makes Colombia proud. The Chinese dragon delights young and old in many parades and celebrations around the world (photo middle right). And outdoor theatrical productions in German colonial settings embody times of old. These practices portray the national character of the people. All nations carry a piece of these practices in their cultural soul. We are more alike than different!
Langues et cultures
Les Langues et les Cultures
par Drew Thomas Quand vous commencez à l'université vous apprenez que certains étudiants doivent suivre quatre cours de langue étrangère. Il semble comme si la majorité des étudiants qui doivent suivre ces cours s’inquiètent initialement de cette idée. À mon avis s'appliquer soimême à une langue est très important, plus que vous pourriez imaginer. Apprendre une autre langue aide à casser les barrières entre soi-même et des autres cultures. Ce n'est pas simplement à propos des autres gens, mais aussi les langues aident à lire la littérature, à regarder les films, peut-être voir l'art, tout d'une façon différente que la façon dont vous auriez vu normalement. À l'époque actuelle c'est quelque chose d’important pour tout le monde; il y a beaucoup d'emplois dans les autres pays, et ces emplois sont possibles si on peut comprendre la langue et la culture. Souvent, par exemple, on peut acquérir une meilleure compréhension d'une culture avec la littérature, en particulier au sujet des pays francophones qui étaient colonisés dans la passé. Par exemple, si on étudie la littérature du monde Africain, on trouvera qu'il y a un effet sur l'identité des gens qui habitent dans une région qui était colonisée. De la même façon on peut étudier l'Islam dans la littérature Française. À l'époque actuelle il y a un malentendu entre notre pays et les pays islamiques, par exemple, et la lecture d’une histoire à propos ce sujet pourrait aider tout le monde à comprendre cette religion plus, plutôt que de penser simplement que c’est une religion basée sur l’extrémisme seulement. Je crois que la langue est un chemin à comprendre les cultures et c'est extrêmement important dans le monde aujourd'hui, pas simplement pour les étudiants qui sont intéressés déjà. Donc, quand vous devez suivre quatre cours de langue étrangère et la seule chose que vous voulez faire est s'échapper, pensez aux applications pratiques de cette langue dans le monde moderne.
Par Alexander Verin Chaque jour présente une occasion Pour réfléchir, dormir, parler ; Mais qu’est-ce qu’on fait avec le son, Le cri des muses et des idées ? On aime bien nos amis, c’est sûr Mais chacun trouve son bon chemin. Les langues belles et les cultures Nous guident pour éviter la haine. Si tu veux cacher le silence Le cœur très froid de l’âme perdu, Cherche enfin la révérence Pour quelque culture bien aigue. Je n’ai jamais visité La France, le Congo, le Mali Mais ils deviennent pays aimés Pour quelqu’un qui est accueilli. Donc, cherche les langues étrangères Et étudie les mots nouveaux! Tes changements internes sont chers
Students dressed for a French presentation in Dr. Babayan’s French 2001 class.
Las cinco letras “C” por Taylor Thompson Hice esta entrevista con dos amigos. Los conocí en la Conferencia de Liderazgo Internacional de Georgia. El primer amigo (de Perú) se llama Henry, y el segundo (de India) se llama Digant. Las respuestas de cada entrevistado son indicadas por sus iniciales. Pregunta Preliminar Pregunta: ¿De dónde eres, originalmente? H: Soy de Perú. D: Soy indio. Comunicación P: Generalmente, ¿cuáles son los métodos de comunicación más populares entre los miembros de nuestra generación en tu país nativo? H: Es típico utilizar los teléfonos y, claro, las redes sociales. Hablamos por teléfono más que los estadounidenses, aunque enviamos muchos mensajes de texto como los jóvenes aquí, también. D: Usamos mucho los móviles. Facebook es muy popular, pero para hablar directamente, preferimos usar WhatsApp y Hike. P: ¿Hablas múltiples idiomas? Sí, es así, ¿cuáles? ¿Cuándo aprendiste a hablar cada lengua? H: Hablo español e inglés, aunque mi inglés no es perfecto. En casa, cuando vivía en Perú, mi familia solamente hablaba español. Los nativos de mi país hablan varias lenguas, incluso quechua y aymara. Existen otros idiomas, también. D: Hablo inglés, gujarati, e hindi de nacimiento. Empecé a aprender sánscrito cuando tenía ocho años. Conexiones P: ¿Piensas que la educación es muy diferente en los Estados Unidos que en tu país, o son parecidos los dos sistemas? H: De muchas maneras, son similares. Sin embargo, la educación americana es más flexible que la de mi país. D: En los Estados Unidos, no se enfocan en las matemáticas como es el caso en mi país. Otros temas son mejores aquí, pero las matemáticas, no. P: ¿Piensas que los jóvenes de tu país hacen papeles similares a los jóvenes en los Estados Unidos? H: No. Los papeles son bien diferentes. Los jóvenes- “teenagers”- en los EE. UU. Son más independientes que en mi país. Usualmente, pasamos nuestros años universitarios en la casa de nuestros padres. No salimos hasta que nos casamos. D: En India, los jóvenes no tienen trabajos la mayoría del tiempo. Componen un porcentaje más grande de la población, también- yo creo. Cultura P: Describe una celebración que sea importante en tu cultura o en tu comunidad. H: Todas las celebraciones religiosas son muy importantes. La mayoría de mi país es católica. Casi nadie falta a los eventos religiosos. Las personas asisten con sus familias- abuelos, padres, tíos; todos los miembros. D: Diwali. Es un festival de petardos, pirotecnia y luz. El próximo día, celebramos el año nuevo. P: ¿Cuál es una comida típica de tu país nativo que no se puede encontrar en los Estados Unidos? H: Claro que ‘el ceviche’. Es la comida más conocida entre los platos peruanos. Es una forma de pescado, cortado en cuadros y cocinado por unos minutos con jugo de limón y una salsa picante. D: ¡No hay ningún tipo de comida india en los Estados Unidos! En mi país, hay mucha variedad, y no tengo un plato favorito. Comparaciones P: ¿Cómo se relacionan el ‘sueño americano’ y los sueños de las personas de tu país? H: Los dos conceptos son muy parecidos. Los sueños peruanos se enfocan más en la familia y el grupo. Por ejemplo, muchas personas de mi cultura tienen la meta de construir una casa para sus padres o comprarles un carro o algo así. Es porque pasamos tanto tiempo con nuestras familias [viviendo con ellos por tanto tiempo] y es una manera de agradecerles y de retribuir. D: Bueno. Hay muchos sueños diferentes. Muchos sueños, pero no hay oportunidades. Yo diría que los sueños están literalmente relacionados por medio del concepto de la prosperidad. Los ‘sueños indios’ no están atados a las cosas materiales, sino a la sabiduría y a la alegría de nuestras familias.
P: En una sola palabra, ¿cómo describes al gobierno de tu país? ¿y el de los Estados Unidos? H: Perú- inestable. Los Estados Unidos- justo. D: El gobierno de India es “bueno”. El gobierno de los Estados Unidos es “el mejor”. Comunidades P: ¿Quién es una persona famosa e importante en tu país? ¿Qué hizo? H: Claudio Pizarro. Es futbolista y juega en una liga alemana. Es uno de los mejores goleadores en la historia de la liga. ¡Nos encanta el fútbol! D: Mahatma Gandhi. Él es famoso por el movimiento para la paz. Lo consideramos como héroe y libertador. Libertó a los esclavos indios. P: Describe un evento histórico que se considere importante en tu país nativo. ¿Puedes decir cómo tiene relevancia en la vida moderna? H: La Guerra del Pacífico es el evento más importante en nuestra historia. Perdimos la guerra, y eso literalmente destruyó el sur del país. Cambió la vida peruana porque, aunque hace muchos años que pasó, todavía existe conflicto entre Perú y Chile. Habla con un individuo peruano. Tendrá algo negativo que decir sobre Chile. Al menos, no será amigable. Nos muestran esa guerra de una manera muy subjetiva. Aprendemos que somos las víctimas. D: Aprendemos mucho sobre la independencia. En 1947, Indostán se separó en Paquistán, India, Bangladesh. Este evento es crucial porque afecta la presencia de varias religiones y subculturas y –claro- formó tres países.
Augusta University Student of Chinese Performs in the “Chinese Bridge” Competition Augusta University's Confucius Institute participated in the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition in Dallas, Texas on April 24th. This is the first year Confucius Institute at Augusta University has participated in this competition, which had members from 17 other Confucius Institutes from the Southern region of the United States. Augusta University student Rachel Clay is the first to represent the school. She performed a famous Chinese song “月亮代表我 的心” on guitar and recited a speech in Chinese about her recent struggles with a brain tumor which later led her to a passion for China and its language and culture. Assisting her in preparing this speech was Professor Xiaoxin Zhang, a Chinese language instructor at AU, who spent much time helping perfect this speech. Rachel was not only the first student to do this, but she was also awarded an honorable mention on her speech and performance. Rachel Clay (above) recites a speech in Chinese. In photo at left, Rachel (8th from left) holds her certificate.
Entrevista: Las 5 letras “C” por Grant Blume Comunicación 1. Grant: ¿De dónde eres y de qué parte? Juan: Soy de Lima, la capital de Perú. Lima está en la costa oeste de Perú. 2. Grant: ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes en tu familia? ¿Cómo se llaman? Juan: Tengo dos hermanas y un hermano. Se llaman Dora, Mía y Diego. Culturas 3. Grant: ¿Cuál es la importancia de la quinceañera en la cultura peruana? Juan: La quinceañara es muy importante. Significa el término de la niñez y el principio de la femenidad. Mía tiene catorce años y está emocionada sobre su propia quinceañara. 4. Grant: ¿Cuál es tu plato favorito peruano? Juan: Mi plato favorito es la carapulcra. La carapulcra es un guiso con cerdo, papas, y cacahuetes. Conexiones 5. Grant: ¿Has oído sobre la exposición de arte de Picasso y otros artistas hispanos? Juan: No, pero me gustan las obras de Salvador Dalí. Espero que la exposición tenga algunas de sus obras. 6. Grant: ¿Quién es tu artista de música favorita en el mundo latino americano? Juan: Mi artista favorita es Shakira. Mi canción favorita de ella es “Loca”. Comparaciones 7. Grant: ¿Qué te gusta más, el fútbol o el fútbol americano? ¿Por qué? Juan: Me gusta más el fútbol porque cuando miro fútbol americano, mi cabeza me duele de sólo mirarlo. 8. Grant: ¿Qué piensas sobre la comida americana en comparación con la comida peruana? Juan: Me gusta la comida americana como los perros calientes pero una gran parte de la comida tiene demasiada grasa y sal, para mí. Comunidad 9. Grant: ¿Me recomienda algunos programas que puedo mirar para practicar mi español? Juan: Te recomiendo “Lo que la Vida Me Robó”. Es muy fácil para comprender. 10. Grant: ¿Cuándo es el festival hispano? Quiero ir. Juan: Es el 16 de marzo. Mi familia y yo vamos a asistir. Va a ser muy divertido.
Poetry in Spanish 2001? by Jana Sandarg
Most students believe that writing in another language is very difficult. They begin with simple sentences in the 1001 class, and build up to sentences with clauses in 1002. Writing becomes more of a challenge in 2001 because there are so many new tenses, which can be confusing. Writing a composition is tough, but the students in my Spanish 2001 class in spring 2016 found that writing poetry was surprisingly easy. Practice makes perfect—that’s very true — but sometimes creative writing is easier and more spontaneous. My students were amazed at how easy it was for them to write a poem in Spanish. And it gave them confidence to write more! “El amor” “La vida universitaria” por Adam Rutkowski por Tristan Mixon El amor, La vida universitaria, Dulce, hermoso, Emocionante, diversa. Ayudando, cuidando, apoyando Estudiando, socializando, trabajando, El amor es increíble, Descubriendo quién eres Aficción. Una aventura. “La Paz” “Siluetas” por Jenna Cliatt por Payton Granade Estoy durmiendo cerca del río. Siluetas Los sonidos de la naturaleza son pacíficos. Humanas, distintas. Ogigo los pájaros y los grillos, Sorprendentes, interesantes, fascinantes, Y siento la luz del sol en mi cara. Tienen una manera llamativa de fascinar. La naturaleza es tranqula porque no hay ninguna Guerra. Contornos. “El invierno” por Stanley Esaw El invierno, Frío, calmante, durmiendo, Navidad, nieve, chaqueta, guantes. Vacaciones.
“Mi amor para los elefantes” Por LaSherrica Christian Los elefantes son fuertes, los elefantes son increíbles. Sigo pensando en los elefantes, con elefantes en la naturaleza, Sigo luchando por los derechos de los elefantes. Me encanta su carácter, trabajo para mejorar su vida. Mi pasión es el cuidado de los elefantes.
“Amigas” por Selena Harris Amigas, Graciosas, confiables, Amando, bailando, comiendo Ellas me hacen feliz Compañeras.
“¿Qué es el amor?” por Quentina Lewis El amor es precioso y puro. El amor es dedicar tus horas y tu corazón incondicionalmente. El amor es el sol que te calienta y que te hace contento. No es egoísta ni frío; es específico y comprensible. La vida sin el amor es una vida triste. “Los gatos” por Aleighna Guajardo Gatitos, Lindos, suaves, Ronroneando, jugando, encantando Diversión que nunca termina, Gatitos.
„Was ich im letzten Semester gelernt habe…“ Von Kait Fruechting Im letzten Semester habe ich vier Kurse belegt. Eine Klasse war Deutsch und die anderen waren Kulturanthropologie, Schreiben für Profis, und Geschichte des Theaters. Deutsch und Kulturanthropologie waren für mein Nebenfach. Ich habe die anderen belegt, weil ich beide fuer mein Hauptfach brauchte. In Kulturanthropologie habe ich über die Yanomamo gelesen. Die Yanomamo leben in Süd-Amerika. Der Anthropologe Napoleon Chagnon hat die Gruppe in den sechziger und siebziger Jahren studiert und eine Ethnografie über die Yanomamo geschrieben. In der Ethnografie erzählt Chagnon von den Geschlechterrollen, der Religion, dem Krieg usw. Im Unterricht haben wir verschiedene Ideen, Lebensweisen, Werte, und Rollen diskutiert und mit unseren eigenen Kulturwerte verglichen. Wenn man die Werte, Rolle, Lebensweisen, und Ideen einer Gruppe vergleicht, versteht man seine einige Kultur und Lebensweise besser. Der Kurs „Schreiben fuer Profis“ war sehr wichtig für mein Hauptfach. Im Kurs habe ich gelernt, wie man Zitaten in APA schreiben sollte und dass man als Journalistin kürzere Sätze schreiben muss. Am Anfang war es schwierig, weil ich meine Schreibweise ändern musste.
“Familia” por Eric Stallings
Familia, Compasiva, fuerte, Compartiendo, cuidando, enseñando Agradecida por su apoyo, Irrompible.
Was ich gelernt habe im letzten Semester Von Jessica Faust Ich nahm eine Klasse in kreatives Schrieben im letzten Semester. Die Klasse war sehr schwierig für mich, weil ich meinen Schreibstil ӓndern musste. Eines der Klassenziele war uns von „sein“ Verben zu befreien. Mir wurde gesagt, wenn ich das Verb vermeiden würde, würde ich mein Schreibnstil erheblich verbessern, denn es gibt bessere Verben zu verwenden. Wӓhrend ich viele der “sein Verben” streichen konnte, durfte ich einige von ihnen behalten. Mir wurde gesagt, dass das machmal nicht geholfen werden kann. Ein Stück zu bearbeiten, um dieses Ziel zu erreichen, war schwierig, weil es anders war wie ich normalerweise arbeite. Auch wenn die Klasse sehr anspruchsvoll war, meine ich, dass mein Schreiben sich dadurch verbessert wurde. Ich bin für diese Gelegenheit dankbar. Ich hatte auch eine Publikationsklasse. Das Hauptziel dieser Klasse war es, die 2016 Ausgabe des Sand Hills Magazine herzurstellen. Die Klasse beanschpruchte sehr viel mehr Arbeit, als ich dafür geplant hatte. Es war manchmal frustrierend, aber ich habe viel von dem Kurs gelernt. Ich habe gelernt, wie viel Arbeit es ist, ein Magazin herauszugeben. Der Redaktionsprozess war mein Lieblingsteil. Es war auch sehr befriedigend, meinen Namen auf einer Publikation zu haben, die ich anderen Menschen zeigen kann. Die Redakteure durften ihre eigenen Stücke auch darin veröffentlichen. Durch diesen Prozess erhielt ich einige Kritiken meines eigenen Kunstwerks. Ich fand diese wirklich inspirierend und hilfreich.
Was ich letztes Semester gelernt habe… Von Nick LaBon Letztes Semester war ein Semester von Studien und Studium für mich. Ich hatte nicht nur das Klassenmaterial zu lernen, sondern auch wie man effektiv studiert. Die schwierigste Klasse war Zoologie. Für die Klasse musste man vor allem Materie auswendig lernen. Das ist nicht eine meiner Stärken. Ich musste schnell lernen, wie man viele verschiedene Namen merkt. Mein erster Versuch war nicht so effektiv. Ich habe Bilder von jedem Tier und legte sie in eine Powerpoint mit ihren Namen. Ich habe versucht, die Namen zu merken, indem ich sie in meinem Kopf sagte, während ich die Bilder ansah. Ich fuhr fort, durch die Liste zu gehen, von Anfang bis zum Ende. Ich bekam einen sechzig auf meinem ersten Test. Ich wusste sofort, dass ich meine Methode ändern musste. Meine Freundin schlug vor, Übungstests zu machen. Gemeinsam randomisierten wir die Reihenfolge der Folien und stellten einige Tests her, die ich danach machten. Dies war schwieriger, aber das Ergebnis war viel besser. Ich bekam einen achtundneunzig auf meinem zweiten Test. Diese Art des Lernens war so viel effektiver, dass wir weitere Übungstests hergestellt haben. Auf den letzten Test hatte ich ein ähnliches Ergebnis als auf dem zweiten. Weil ich so eine schlechte Note auf dem ersten Test gemacht hatte, bekam ich einen B als Abschlussnote in der Klasse. Ich glaube, dass diese Studienmethode auch in ähnlichen Klassen angewendet werden kann. Diese Studienmethode ist das Wichtigste, was ich im letzten Semester gelernt habe.
Was ich letztes Semester gelernt habe… Mark C. Wright Letztes Semester habe ich viel über das Thema Edgefield Volkskeramik gerernt. Edgefield Volkskeramik war ein einzigartiger Stil der handwerklichen Töpferei in den amerikanischen Süd-Staaten—vor allem in South Carolina und Georgia--der in den 1840er Jahren gestartet wurde. Da alkalische Glasuren die Töpfe vor Korrosion und Bakterien schützen, waren die Gefäße sehr nützlich als Flüssigkeitsspeicher in der Zeit vor der Erfindung der Kältetechnik. Der Produktionsprozess integriert zwei Zündungen und eine liberale Anwendung von alkalischen Glasur auf der Außenseite und manchmal der Inneren der Gefäße. Unverwechselbare Designs sowie Motive und Marken helfen uns die Lokale und sogar einzelne Töpfer zu identifizieren. Edgefield Keramik war in seiner Hochphase sehr beliebt, weil es billig herzustellen war und daher lokale Bedürfnisse besser als andere Keramik Stile wie Salz- glasiertem Steingut aus dem Norden befriedigen konnte. Schließlich verbreitete sich der Stil von South Carolina und Georgia in den gesamten Süden aus. Der Bürgerkrieg, die Einführung von Glas- und Metallbehältern, sowie Veränderungen in der kulturellen Praktiken der Lagerung von Lebensmitteln, und das Aufkommen von kommerziellen Milchbetriebe führten zur Untergang der Produktion von Edgefield Kermaik am Ende des zweiten Jahrzehnts des 20. Jahrhunderts. Was ich letztes Semester gelernt habe… Von Gabrielle Turner Ich habe in meiner Zeichnen-Klasse gelernt, wie man Kohlestift benutzt. Vor dieser Klasse habe ich nur mit Graphit gezeichnet. Meine Professorin sagte mir, dass ich auf die Rände einer Zeichnung achten sollte, weil sie ein Bild vollenden oder ruinieren können. Man muss sich auch darauf achten, wie der Stift über das Blatt geht. Striche können leicht und schnell sowie schwer und langsam sein. Wenn das Bild nur aus leichten und schnellen Strichen besteht, haben die Augen nirgendwo zu rühen. Während schnelle Striche Leben in das Bild bringen, halten langsame die Zeichnung zusammen. Schnelle Striche werden benutzt, um Gesten festzuhalten. Zum Beispiel, ich habe fünfzehn Sekkunden gehabt, ein Modell im Unterricht zu zeichnen. Da kann man weder die Beine, den Kopf, die Füße, noch die Hände zeichnen. Man kann nur die Bewegung erfassen, aber irgendwie sieht das Bild immer noch wie ein Mensch aus. Die Professorin sagte mir, dass Augen eine Zeichnung von links nach rechts lesen. Das habe ich vorher nicht gewusst. Um die Augen erfolgreich zu täuschen, muss man ein Linael benutzen. Ich hasste es, Lineale zu benutzen, und ich hasse es immer noch, aber es ist wichtig, wenn man perspektivistisch zeichnen will. Man soll auch dünklere Farben benuzten, um ein Objekt in der Ferne klein wirken zu lassen. Ich habe auch gelernt, dass Papier sehr teuer sein kann, und das Sprayfixativ brennbar ist.
2015-2016 FLAIR Events Mobile Apps to Foster Learning Engagement On Saturday, August 29th, FLAIR sponsored a free teacher workshop at the GRU Summerville campus. Stacey Powell of Auburn University and Kristy Britt of the University of South Alabama helped teachers create and evaluate learner-centered activities by using mobile apps. Now we can keep our students on task and in the target language‌. by having them use their cell phones in class!
Victoria Vox in Concert Victoria Vox is a singersongwriter in English, French and Spanish. Her two concerts at the GRU Summerville campus were on September 24th in the evening and September 25th during the day. She charmed the audiences with her voice and ukulele! www.victoriavox.com
Spelling Bee in French Dr. E. Nicole Meyer (below left at microphone) leads a spelling bee for French students from Aquinas High School and Butler High School. Dr. Liana Babayan (seated on first row to the right) assists in the contest. Standing at far right are French teachers Terry Meredith (Aquinas) and Michael Harris (Butler). Victoria Vox is a personal friend of Dr. Meyer.
Spelling Bee in Spanish Dr. Pedro Hoyos directed the spelling bee in Spanish for students from Fox Creek High School in North Augusta and Langford Middle School from Augusta. Dr. Giada Biasetti (below, far left in red) and Dr. Chris Botero (below, far right with microphone) assisted with the spelling bee. Teachers JoBen Rivera-Thompson sponsored the Fox Creek students and Zulailed Rivera-Thompson sponsored the Langford students. All winners received certificates of merit.
World Languages are Global Competencies http://asiasociety.org/competence/foreign-languages-are-globalcompetencies
There are many practical reasons why students can benefit from learning another language. Neighborhoods grow more diverse, with many languages spoken in vicinities where English once prevailed. Employment is increasingly global in nature, and those who speak more than one language may have greater opportunities than those who do not. Cooperation among nations in trade, policy, and environment is facilitated when participants speak each other's languages. The simple face of the Internet and the ease with which we exchange information around the world and with speakers of all the world's languages indicates the practical value of speaking more than one of them ourselves. The reasons to study world languages go beyond the practical, however. Global competence explicitly requires the ability to understand one's own culture as well as others. Since language both shapes and reflects culture and human experience, learning another language opens a door to understanding the people who speak that language and the culture in which they live, in ways that cannot be replicated by any other means. In the recent past, foreign language curricula have focused on building proficiency and on learning "survival language," providing students with the vocabulary, structures, and phrases needed to communicate at a basic level if ever they found themselves traveling in another country. The emphasis was on learning about "the other" to the degree necessary to check into a hotel or order in a cafe. In the 21st century, the needs of our language students have changed dramatically. Instead of using language simply as a tool for survival in a foreign land, students must embrace it as a tool for empowerment and collaboration with peers both at home and abroad. Political boundaries between countries are seemingly more arbitrary to this generation of learners, as social media put students in direct contact with their global neighbors in new and more interactive ways. They no longer need to board a plane in order to put their skills to use. To meet these changing needs, our students need a deeper and more nuanced understanding of culture and context, and of how differing values and norms affect communication, action, and our relationships with the world. With exposure to world languages and opportunities to use them in authentic settings, students gain valuable skills that are transferable to other subject areas and integral to their ability to engage as global citizens. Through language study, students become resourceful and respond to new situations and cultural contexts with ease. They can cultivate meaningful relationships with others based on shared understanding and mutual respect. Through the use of emerging technologies, world language students can communicate directly and effectively with real-world partners. Studying other languages allows students to reflect on how language is structured and how their own language can be used as a tool for communication, persuasion, and negotiation. Studying other cultures gives students a deeper appreciation for their home culture and the values that affect their interactions with others. When learning about others in a collaborative environment, students are invariably curious and eager to learn more.
Did you know that your brain changes when you study a foreign language? Check it out! https://www.facebook.com/studentcom/videos/vb.554354511369274/701462213325169/?type=2&theater
The Iota Phi Chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma Summary by Sarah Carter, President The Iota Phi Chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma at Augusta University hosted seven successful events on the Summerville campus during the 2015-2016 academic year. The 2015-2016 officers included Sarah Carter (President), Sarah Ozturk (Vice President), Brittany Blocker (Secretary), and Bryan Stringfellow (Treasurer). The 2016-2017 officers are Katie Humphrey (President), Kymberlee Sines (Vice President), Georgie Latremouille (Secretary), and Alexandria Powell (Treasurer). Dr. Pedro Hoyos-Salcedo served as the 2015-2016 faculty advisor for the chapter and will continue to serve as advisor during the 2016-2017 academic year. In September, Asma Daoudi, now an alumna of Augusta University, presented on the Arabic culture and its language. The chapter’s popular Salsa Night took place in October in the JSAC Ballroom. Both Sarah Carter and Santrena Hammonds taught a brief Salsa lesson during the first half of the event and all participants were encouraged to social Salsa dance until the end of the event. In November, Ms. Melissa Hall, a Career Services advisor for the Liberal Arts, Humanities, and Education, presented on how to promote one’s foreign language skills during either a job or a career search. In January, Ms. Melissa Hall from Augusta University’s Career Services joined us again for a presentation on both improving and marketing one’s language proficiency skills within the professional realm, while Dr. Christina Henderson from the Department of English & Foreign Languages presented on telegraph romances and nineteenth century women’s work in February. Our last event of the spring semester included our Salsa Night event in March, where students were taught a basic Salsa lesson by both Sarah Carter and Santrena Hammonds in the JSAC Ballroom. All attendees were encouraged to network with others and participate in social Salsa dancing for the remainder of the evening. Typically, over 20 participants attend this event each semester. Near the end of April, AMG hosted its annual spring induction ceremony in the JSAC Ballroom. Dr. William Caput, the keynote speaker for the event, presented on how the study of foreign languages can enrich one’s life. The AATSP-GA University Student of the Year (Mayra Meléndez Maura) and the Outstanding Students in both French (Steven Cauthron) and Spanish (Taylor Thompson) were announced. Nineteen new members were inducted, current officers were recognized, and the new 2016-2017 officers were publically sworn in and elected. A dessert reception for all inductees and their guests immediately followed the ceremony. We are incredibly excited about our brand new officer board and we look forward to what the Iota Phi Chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma will accomplish within the upcoming school year.
Steven Cauthron, 2016 Outstanding French Student
Taylor Thompson, 2016 Outstanding Spanish Student
Alpha Mu Gamma Initiation April 21, 2016 Above is a photo of the newly elected board members and the English and Foreign Language department chair and faculty.
Above is a photo of the outgoing board members (2015-2016) and the incoming board members (2016-2017), along with their advisor, Dr. Pedro Hoyos Salcedo (back row, 4th from left). At right is a photo of Dr. William Caput, the guest speaker for the AMG ceremony. He spoke on the usefulness of foreign languages in his life. After completing a career as a physician, Dr. Caput earned his BA in Spanish and volunteered to serve as a tutor in the Department of English and Foreign Languages.
Student Honors The National Society of Leadership and Success On December 5, 2015, the National Society of Leadership and Success held an initiation ceremony in Lee Auditoria, Health Science Campus. Johanna Walters, a Spanish major, and Courtney Middlebrook, a Spanish minor, were inducted into the ceremony. In the photo at right, Johanna Walters (left) and Courtney Middlebrook (right), display their certificates. Congratulations!
Phi Kappa Phi On April 22, 2016, Augusta University held the Chapter Ratification and New Member Initiation Ceremony. The former Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University both had their own chapters of Phi Kappa Phi. When the two institutions merged to form Georgia Regents University, they were issued a new chapter, which was ratified at a special ceremony. Now that Georgia Regents University is Augusta University, a chapter Ratification ceremony was held in conjunction with the new member initiation. In the photo to the left, Dr. Jana Sandarg (left) signed the chapter ratification document as a charter member, and Sarah Carter (right), who is also the Alpha Mu Gamma president, was initiated into the honor society as a student. Congratulations, Sarah!
AATSP-GA University Composition Contest This state contest is sponsored by the Georgia chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. The students of Jana Sandarg and Sara Griswold participated. Level V Notable Leigh Alford Lauren French Betsy Gaffney Rebekah Kent Shellie Smitley Excellent Meredith PoldrackSegrist Superior Megan Moore
Student Awards
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Mayra Maura AATSP-GA 2016 University Student of the Year The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Georgia Chapter, awarded Mayra Maura the 2016 University Student of the Year.
Level V Native Superior Néstor Bonilla María Mata
International Scholarship Recipients Sarah Boudet Brittany Hatcher Crystal Juhasz María Mata Rebecca Rowland Morgan Ryffé Taylor Thompson
Taylor Thompson (above) gave a scholarly presentation, “"Assisting and Assimilating: How Culturally-competent Care and Community-centeredness Impact Quality of Life for Minority Members," at the Phi Kappa Phi Student Conference, March 18, 2016. Her faculty sponsor was Dr. Jana Sandarg.
Alumni news
compiled by Jana Sandarg
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Elizabeth Funsch (Spanish and English 2000) graduated from the University of Arizona in Summer 2014 with dual master degrees. One is a Master’s in Public Health Epidemiology and the other is a Master’s in Latin American Studies. Elizabeth is a program evaluator for Pima Prevention Partnership, a non-profit that works with “at risk youth” minority groups in Tucson, Arizona. In her spare time, she is a volunteer at a local free health clinic that provides primary care and job fairs. Elizabeth handles data collection and reporting for the clinic, which is funded by grants. The local population is 80% Hispanic, so Elizabeth uses her Spanish daily. Elizabeth, pictured at right, stopped by Augusta University to visit with faculty and friends. At left, Itza Walters (Spanish 2012) has just been accepted into the Spanish Linguistics program at the University of Hawaii. She will begin classes this fall. Lisa Lipani (Spanish minor 2013) completed the TESOL Certificate in May 2013 and Edgar Salas (Spanish minor 2015) completed the TESOL Certificate in May 2016.
At left, Elizabeth Simpkins (Spanish 2005) works with the Kids in Need Program, which allows teachers from schools with a large number of students on reduced lunch (80% of the total students) to receive free school supplies for their classroom. The teachers come into a warehouse stocked with supplies and pick what they need. The volunteers weigh the teachers' shopping carts to determine how many pounds of school supplies they received, and load the supplies into their cars. These supplies range from everything like pens and pens, to art supplies and rulers and notebooks. The teachers are allowed to come twice a year to receive the supplies, and it is open to teachers K-12. Here is a link to learn more about the program: http://www.acfb.org/about/our-programs/kids-need Elizabeth is a volunteer at the Atlanta Community Food Bank and another organization called Lift Up Atlanta (http://www.liftupatlanta.org/). At left, Gilbert Lewis (Spanish 2010) has returned to Augusta University to prepare for a career as a physician’s assistant. As he takes his prerequisite classes, he serves as a Spanish tutor in the Learning Resource Center. Gilbert has also held several tertulias on Monday evenings.
Paul Jennemann (Spanish 2003, French 2005), who studied at the University of Salamanca in 2002, completed a Master’s degree at Middlebury College and is currently teaching Spanish at White Station High School, Memphis, Tennessee. He was featured in an article, “How Educators Are Using Proficiency Levels and Data to Inform Language Instruction,” written by Douglass Crouse and published in The Language Educator (Oct/Nov 2015). In November 2016, Paul will make two presentations at the ACTFL Conference: one is helping teachers teach completely in the target language and one is helping students stay in the target language. For more information on Paul’s research, visit this link: http://www.path2proficiency.com/author/paul-jennemann/ Above right, Paul is pictured with his wife, Kelly, who spent five years in Spain and currently works as a translator. Paul is holding their son, Alex, and Kelly is holding Joshua. Bionca Davis (Spanish minor 2010), who studied at the University of Salamanca in the summer of 2010, received a Master’s in Public Health in Epidemiology from Georgia Southern University in May 2015. She works at the University of Minnesota as a coordinator helping to collect data for a NIH Ebola survivors study and to assist with vaccine trials. At the moment, she is stationed in Liberia, Africa, where she is conducting public health research on Ebola vaccines, treatments, and post Ebola syndrome. Bionca is pictured at left.
Ronnie Owens (Spanish 2010), pictured at right, has been admitted to dental school at Augusta University. He will begin classes this fall. Ronnie worked on his Spanish while studying at the University of Salamanca in 2007. Being a dentist is a life-long dream of his—he plans to do volunteer work as a dentist in Spanishspeaking countries. Pictured at left, Rubén Harris (Spanish 2015) has accepted a position at Cross Creek High School. He begins teaching Spanish this fall.
Pictured at right, Mayra Maura (Spanish 2016) has just accepted a position at Jefferson County High School. She begins teaching Spanish this August, after she returns from the Salamanca, Spain, study abroad program. Pictured at left, Yelitza Maura (Spanish 2015) spent several months in Puerto Rico after her graduation. She will begin teaching Spanish this fall at Sue Reynolds Elementary School in Richmond County.
Inquiry 1000: Multicultural Aspects of Food by E. Nicole Meyer In Dr. E. Nicole Meyer’s Spring 2016 inquiry course, first year and second year students explored different aspects of culture from Southeast Asia, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, and Latin America through the practice of asking good questions (Inquiry) and then presenting their findings first in class and then at the Inquiry Expo. They thus practiced presenting with PowerPoints, posters and further displayed marketing skills through “elevator speeches” designed to draw the audience to their work combined with colorful slogans, decorations and supplementary treats. Class discussions and assignments addressed various food traditions and the role culture and food play in multiple countries. The class culminated with a delicious buffet composed of “meaningful” cuisine from their own home cultures as well as those presented at the Expo.
French for Health Professionals Coming in Spring 2017! by E. Nicole Meyer The French program has added French 3620, a new course which should prove both interesting and educational: French for Health Professionals. The prerequisite is French 2002 with a C or better. Purpose: Develop the particular skills required to understand and use written and spoken French as used in general medical and health contexts. The medical terms and concepts developed will be those encountered, for example, in medical contexts such as at the doctor’s office or for hospital interns or future medical school students. This is a course for French students desiring to expand their French knowledge in the field of medicine and health. It will provide oral and written opportunities to practice an active vocabulary in health-related situations. Emphasis on the development of oral, listening, reading and writing skills. Why take this course? Expanding your French abilities both culturally and linguistically will help you when seeking a job. Moreover, the skills we will be practicing are useful in many different contexts. All of us have come across a difficult health situation, whether for ourselves or for others, and this course will give us skills to help others.
Le Cercle Français by Liana Babayan, Advisor
At left, (L-R) Drs. Babayan, Biasetti and Meyer celebrate with students. Above, the candle light vigil honoring victims of the terroristic attacks in Paris, France.
This academic year Augusta University’s French Club or Le Cercle Français has been very active and has hosted a variety of interesting, educational and fun events for students. The club met regularly for its Conversation Table in one of Augusta’s coffee shops, Buona Coffee, where students had an opportunity to speak French in a relaxed atmosphere, outside of the classroom and make new friends from other courses while improving their French. The French Club also hosted a French potluck picnic, where students and faculty members shared French or Francophone dishes, played games, listened to music and socialized. Another successful event was the French cooking class, organized by the French Club and hosted at Williams and Sonoma, where an experienced chef demonstrated a three course traditional French dinner preparation to students of Augusta University followed by a degustation of all the dishes. Students learned how to make such authentic French dishes such as Gratin dauphinois, Boeuf bourgignon and a Cherry clafoutis for dessert. This event was also covered by Augusta University’s official student newspaper, The Bell Ringer. By Dr. Babayan’s invitation, a professor from Augusta University’s Political Sciences Department, Dr. Christos Bourdouvalis, gave a wonderful and very educational speech on French government. The speech was well attended by students and was followed with a question and answer session where students learned a lot about French government, its history and its challenges today. The French Club provided some traditional French snacks for the event as well. After the tragic terrorist events in Paris, French Club members hosted a candle light vigil on Augusta University's campus, where students, faculty and community members gathered to pay respect to innocent victims and show solidarity to France. During the International Festival of the University, the French club had a well-visited table, where student volunteers talked about the Club’s activities, and served French desserts to the public, such as Madeleines. A French 2002 student, Nicholas Sloan, played a beautiful piece on violin in the memory of the victims of terroristic acts in Paris. This was one of the most emotional events of the year! For the coming year the French Club is planning to organize many interesting events and we are welcoming all interested students to come and join the club and make new friends, memories and definitely try new authentic recipes at one of our potlucks or picnics.
Students prepared desserts for the International Festival
Above, Nicholas Sloan attends a booth with food for the International Festival. At bottom, French students gather at the Internatonal Festival with advisor, Dr. Liana Babayan (7th from L-R). At right, Dr. Bourdouvalis lectures on the government of France.
Los Amigos Hispanos
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by Jana Sandarg, Advisor
The Spanish club had a fun-filled, jammed-packed calendar of activities this year. The fall 2015 officers were Rubén Harris (President), Sidney Fowler (Vice-President), Rico Lane (Secretary) and Shanaea Bethea (Treasurer). Rico graduated in December, 2015, and Taylor Thompson replaced him as secretary in January, 2016. Each semester the club held tertulias (Spanish conversation group) on Fridays twice a month at Mi Rancho; Gilbert Lewis also held a weekly Monday evening tertulia in Allgood Hall during spring semester. We sponsored a fall and spring Meet and Greet, coordinating with the French club, the German table and Alpha Mu Gamma, to introduce all foreign language students to our activities. The Spanish club also offers volunteer opportunities with organizations such as La Casa de Esperanza, ALAS, Centro Educativo and Learn English for Living. In the fall, students celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by co-sponsoring a kick-off event with the Asociación Cultural Hispanoamericana (ACHA), working at ACHA’s Hispanic festival, and hosting on campus Óscar Morales, who spoke about the Dominican Republic. We had a booth with food and displays at the International Festival on campus, and co-sponsored the celebration of Panama with ACHA at the local library. In December, we held a spectacular Holiday dinner with entertainment, a buffet and dancing. Our president, Ruén Harris, outdid himself with this event—not only was it packed with festive students, but the splendid buffet actually ran out! To end the semester, we filled four vehicles with toys, household items, food and clothes for needy Hispanic families, and delivered them to a Columbia County church that held a party for the children and their families. Spring semester was equally successful. We attended the Latina Expo and “The New Latinos” events at the downtown library, and held a salsa dance in March. We closed the semester with our annual Día del Idioma event on April 19, with food, music, displays and contests directed by Dr. Pedro Hoyos Salcedo. Students enjoyed a weekend at St. Augustine, Florida, where they boarded a replica of a 16th century Spanish galleon and explored the Spanish fortress, el Castillo de San Marcos. Practice your Spanish and learn about Spanishspeaking cultures… join us this fall!
L-R: Bob Sandarg, Megan Moore, Lauren French & Jana Sandarg in St. Augustine, Florida.
Rico Lane and James McNeil wrap Christmas presents for Hispanic children.
Salamanca, Spain
by Jana Sandarg
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In June 2015, twenty-four students studied at the University of Salamanca, Spain. One MAT student was in the teacher program (Caleb Bloodworth); four were medical students at GRU (Carmen Collins, Willy Hughes, Matt Rivera and Maryam Robinson); and fourteen were undergraduates at GRU (Elizabeth Gay, Meredith Gay, April Henry, Nora Johnson, Rebekah Kent, Ángela Pérez, Victoria Phillips, Alexandria Powell, Taylor Rodríguez, Justin Sancken, Diamond Smith, Rahil Syed, Joey Welsh-Lupica and Dani Westman). Three students were from Kennesaw State University (Jenny Bristini, Maira Espinoza and Rachel Gray) and one was from the University of Georgia (Emily Krause). They were accompanied by Dr. Jana Sandarg (director) and Professor Brígida Ramos (assistant director). Majestic Madrid was our first stop, where students spent several days exploring the famous Prado and Reina Sofía museums, the elegant Royal Palace and the largest Plaza Mayor in Spain. We wound our way through the labyrinthine streets of Toledo, admiring the stately cathedral, El Greco’s famed painting, “El entierro del Conde de Orgaz,” and an ancient synagogue. We made stops in Segovia to admire the Roman aqueduct and climb the castle where Isabel was crowned queen, and in Ávila, with its medieval walls surrounding the old city. In Salamanca, students lived with families and took classes at the University of Salamanca, Spain’s oldest and most prestigious institution, one of the first three universities founded in Europe. Students mingled with Spaniards, other international students, and of course, the “Tuna Universitaria,” a musical group dressed in medieval garb that serenades the public every night in the Plaza Mayor. They visited a small pueblo, La Alberca, which seems unchanged over the centuries with its white-washed walls and populace unfazed by modern customs and tourists. The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona was exhilarating, not to mention the stunning fireworks, the all-night street dances, vendors, performers and array of foods. This year we also watched the recortadores — acrobats who deftly did flips over the heads of charging bulls. Our last four days were spent in Barcelona, where we toured the major architectural wonders of Antonio Gaudí, the Ramblas, the Gothic quarters and cathedral, plus the wild (really wild) world of Salvador Dalí in his museum in Figueres. It was great coming back to the states, to our friends and families. But it was hard leaving Spain, where we enjoyed the Spanish lifestyle— shrugging off stress and savoring every minute of food, fun and conversation. ¡Viva España! Below, (L-R clockwise): Emily Krause, Carmen Collins, Rachel Gray, Diamond Smith, Elizabeth Gay, Ángela Pérez, Dani Westman and Meredith Gay wielding swords in Toledo. Don’t mess with these chicas!
At left, students stand in front of the 2000 year-old Roman aqueduct in Segovia. Below they pose in front of the medieval walled city of Ávila. At bottom left (L-R), Willy Hughes, Matt Rivera, Carmen Collins and Maryam Robinson wear the traditional outfit at the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona. At bottom right, students “dance” the sardana, intertwined with the statue’s dancers, in Barcelona. The sardana is Catalonia’s traditional, folkloric dance.
El bilingüismo y la diglosia como constante y como herencia precolombina en los países latinoamericanos: sevói, cebolla/azuka, azúcar/ por Pedro Hoyos Salcedo En Paraguay cuando se unen dos etnias, la cultura americana y la europea, indígenas guaraníes y españoles nativos del siglo XVI, se presenta una mestización cuyo resultado o fundido lingüístico es el guaraní españolizado. Los guaraníes, como los chilenos, fueron muy rebeldes y profundamente nacionalistas ante la osadía española, formándose una nueva raza y una nueva lengua más indígena que española, pero de todas manera finalmente, mezclada. La soberanía guaraní, lengua aborigen americana, en sus movimientos sincrónico y diacrónico, establece un nuevo código lingüístico predominante en la sociedad de hoy: el guaraní se habla en casi todos (85%) los espacios paraguayos con un balance mayoritario en el campo. La ciudad ha sido más asidua seguidora de lo foráneo o español e irónicamente aquellos que aprenden español lo sienten casi como si fuera una lengua extranjera. Las personas bilingües practicantes son un 40% de la población que es citadina e incluye la mayoría de las veces el code switching, y las diversas comunidades son diglósicas (bilingüismo aparente y cultismo griego) por fuerza histórica cuya génesis es la época de la colonia. La anterior estabilidad y definición lingüística se confirma paralelamente en relación con su indumentaria, su música, su folclore, sus valores, su religión, su comida, sus bebidas (“yerba mate”) y sus costumbres, en general. Es de anotar que hay una dicotomía entre lo que se habla y lo que se lee y se escribe en Paraguay. Los escritores son pocos y los que hablan son muchos: abundan los ñe-enga y los jopara que son una mezcla nítida del guaraní y el español o castellano, lo cual potencia una tercera lengua. La riqueza paraguaya está claramente en la fase oral como son los mitos, las leyendas, las fábulas, los proverbios, los relatos, las adivinanzas y los trabalenguas que discurren a diario de boca en boca, a manera de cuenteros, o del juglar español de antaño. De lo anterior deducimos que hay un analfabetismo relacionado con la lengua vernacular paraguaya, proceso inverso al practicado en otros espacios latinoamericanos como el Perú con su Premio Nobel de Literatura y otras lenguas como el quechua sureño con un total de cinco millones de hablantes y el aymara, o Bolivia con escritores sólidos y que tiene otros idiomas aborígenes como: quechua, aymara, guaraní y moxeño o Colombia con su Premio Nobel de Literatura y un grupo de idiomas precolombinos como son: guahibo, huitoto, guambiano, páez, chibcha, arhuaco, caribe, guahibo y yaruro o Guatemala que también tiene su propio Premio Nobel de Literatura y hoy conserva 21 idiomas mayenses diferentes, además del xinca, garífuna, alemán y quiché o Chile con su Premio Nobel de Literatura y fiel practicante del mapudungun, aimara, quechua sureño y el rapanui. Por otro lado, méxico conserva el maya y el náhuatl, argentina tiene su típico italiano cocoliche, mapudugun, portuñol y quechua, ecuador funciona articulando el quichua (quechua), shuar y tsáfiqui, mientras que en el gran Brasil hay 180 lenguas indígenas, portugués, ñe-engatú, alemán e italiano. El español es el rey soberano pero los latidos lingüísticos precolombinos laten vivos en los corazones de los países latinoamericanos.
Psycholinguistics Research Group at Augusta University by Giada Biasetti Dr. Giada Biasetti (Assistant Professor of Spanish) and Dr. Chris Botero (Associate Professor of Spanish and Assistant Chair of EFL) have been working on a collaborative research project with the Department of Physical Therapy in the College of Allied Health Sciences at Augusta University. Together with Dr. Hannes Devos (Director of the Augusta University Driving Simulation Laboratory and Assistant Professor of Physical Therapy) and Dr. Maud Ranchet (Post-Doctoral Fellow), they are carrying out a study to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms of second language skill acquisition. The specific aims are to compare eye movements and pupil dilation in novice and experienced Spanish speakers while performing translation and comprehension tasks, as well as to investigate the effect of a semester course of Spanish on visual scanning and pupil dilation. Eye movements and pupil dilation are neurophysiological measures of cognitive workload. It is important to study the neurophysiology of second language acquisition to better understand how students learn a second language. If we can demonstrate that cognitive workload is directly related to the level of experience with Spanish as a second language, there are direct implications for student learning and teaching methodology. This research project included two Research Assistants, Mayra Maura and Taylor RodrĂguez. They did an excellent job as lab managers and learned to use the equipment, administer tests, and compile data. Once the study is complete, the research team plans on presenting the results at various international conferences and then submit the findings to a peer-reviewed journal. In the fall of 2016, the team will continue to work on cognitive workload and also acoustic phonetics.
At left, Dr. Biasetti watches as Taylor Rodriguez calibrates the eye tracking equipment with a participant.
At right, participant completes a translation task. The eye scanner is directly below the computer screen.
Below, Taylor Rodríguez calibrates the eye tracking equipment with a participant.
Above, Dr. Biasetti and Rodríguez test out the eye tracking equipment while Dr. Botero and Dr. Ranchet watch.
Lengua y cultura -- El diminutivo por Sara Griswold La cultura de los pueblos está representada en su lengua. Se dice que la cultura hispana es más afectuosa y relajada que la anglosajona y esto se ve en el uso frecuente del diminutivo. El diminutivo puede representar afecto como en la oración ¡qué lindo bebito!, pero también representa dimensión o tamaño de forma reducida o pequeña. Por ejemplo, peine en el diminutivo es peinecito, lápiz es lapicito, boca es boquita, etc. Sin embargo en los siguientes ejemplos se muestra cómo el diminutivo, que por definición es algo pequeño o reducido, también en ciertos casos, representa lo opuesto en ciertos pueblos. Diálogo: Ahora vs. Ahorita Padre: Es la hora de cenar. Ven, siéntate a la mesa, por favor. Hijo: Ahorita bajo a comer. Después de un momento… Padre: ¿Por qué no vienes a comer? Hijo: Porque el programa de televisión está muy interesante. Padre: No importa, ven ahora. Se pensaría que “ahorita” por ser el diminutivo de ahora, representa un tiempo más corto y que el hijo bajaría de su cuarto para cenar inmediatamente. Sin embargo, es el adverbio ahora el que significa en este momento. Ahorita quiere decir en un momento. Diálogo: Aquisito vs. Aquí Amigo de la ciudad: ¿Dónde queda la casa de Juanito? Amigo del campo: Aquisito, sólo tienes que caminar un poco. Amigo de la ciudad: Más o menos ¿qué lejos está de aquí? Amigo del campo: Unas veinte cuadras. Amigo de la ciudad: Eso no es aquisito, eso es lejísimo. La gente de las montañas dice “aquisito,” aquí en el diminutivo, porque para ellos representa una distancia corta en relación a la gran área donde viven: el campo. Sin embargo, para una persona de la ciudad, donde todo está cerca en comparación con el campo, “aquisito” representa una distancia muy grande. Saber la cultura de los pueblos es importante para entender su idioma y también para entender a sus hablantes.
Welcome!
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The Department of English and Foreign Languages welcomes Professor Xiaoxin Zhang, an adjunct instructor of Chinese language and culture through an arrangement with Augusta University’s Confucius Institute. Professor Zhang came to Augusta in September, 2014, to teach at our institution for three years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chinese Language and Literature from Shanghai Normal University. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages from East China Normal University. Professor Zhang currently teaches elementary Chinese 1001 and 1002, as well as intermediate Chinese 2001 and 2002. Her classes are infused with culture, and her students are ready to visit China!
Faculty News Dr. Liana Babayan has successfully represented Augusta University in National and International conferences, where she has given scholarly presentations on literature, film, political and literary exile, pedagogy of foreign languages, and women studies. Recently her scholarly introduction to The Gentle Genius of Cecile Perin: Poems, translated by Norman Shapiro, been published by renowned publishing house Black Widow. In this only anthology in English to date, Dr. Babayan analyzed in her introductory chapter how successfully avoiding pursuit of a definite literary theory, Perin’s poetry does not lack the aesthetics and sound symbolism that characterize a fascinating and meaningful verse. Despite limited bibliographical resources available on Périn's life, Dr. Babayan was able to get in touch with the living granddaughter of the French poetess, and acquire an
impressive body of biographical and photo evidence that provided with sufficient material to embrace fully her talent (along with the poems) and confidently identify her as a significant femme de lettres to present this writer to contemporary readers. Dr. Babayan’s presentation at the International Conference on Africa and Its Diaspora “ La maison perdue chez Marie Ndiaye: étude de l’émoi, de la culpabilité et du bouleversement dans le roman Trois femmes puissantes de Marie Ndiaye” discussed and analyzed the stress and turmoil as major themes of today’s society, looking at exile as a social, political, economic, cultural, linguistic, institutional, aesthetic, symbolic, personal and intrapersonal concept; that is in turn likely to cause reactions or behaviors, ups and downs and, therefore, hopes and sufferings to which human nature is seen cornered. The topic of the “Home elsewhere” continues to be in the axe of her research, on which she has presented multiple scholarly articles in various conferences. She is currently working on two different articles that will be submitted to peer reviewed journals, one of them to French Review, which is the largest distributed peer reviewed journal in her field.
Dr. Robert Bledsoe returned full-time to the classroom this year. Besides teaching German and Humanities, he published three reviews on books related to German Studies, gave five presentations, and had an article, “An Innovative Teaching Award Catches Faculty in the Act of Great Teaching,” which he co-wrote with Deborah Richardson, accepted for publication by the Journal on Centers for Teaching and Learning. His reviews of Elaine Kelly’s Composing the Canon in the German Democratic Republic: Narratives of Nineteenth-Century Music (New York: Oxford UP, 2014) and Taking Stock of German Studies in the United States: The New Millennium., edited by Rachel J. Halverson & Carol Anne Costabile-Heming (Rochester, NY: Camden House, 2015) appeared in Choice. His review of Matt Erlin’s Necessary Luxuries: Books, Literature, and the Culture of Consumption in Germany, 1770 –1815 (Ithaca, NY: Cornell UP, 2014) appeared in Monatshefte für deutschsprachige Literatur und Kultur. Dr. Bledsoe’s conference presentations focused on his engagement with teaching and curriculum revision. With Edgar Johnson (Communications) and Andrew Goss (History), he held a panel discusssion "Why teach with games? Active learning and student engagement with simulations and role play” at the CIRCA conference at Augusta University in January. He also presented on "Strategies for Engaging Students in the Classroom” as part of The Enlightened Bite series run by the Office of Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence. With Deborah Richardson and Jessica Gibson he spoke at the SoTL Commons Conference 2016 in Savannah on "Student Perceptions of Learning and Engagement during Curricular Change.” With D. Richardson, E. Zuckerman, and G. Hammock he presented on “Curriculum Design Academy: Fostering Student Success through Guided Curricular Innovation” at the USG Teaching & Learning Conference in Athens in April. The same month he presented “Playing Games with Core Texts,” at the 22nd Annual Conference of the Association of Core Texts and Courses in Atlanta. For his work championing open education resources, Dr. Bledsoe received a 2016 USG Textbook Transformation Award in March. He was also named a Faculty Development Fellow for 2016-2017 at AU’s Office of Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence, where he is currently the Assistant Director for Faculty Recognition and Instructional Innovation.
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Dr. Giada Biasetti, has an article forthcoming in Hispania, “Benefits of an Interpretation Course in Foreign Language Learning and Development.” This year she has presented an article and/or attended the following conferences: the 2016 MLA Convention in Austin, Texas and the 2016 Southeast Conference on Foreign Language, Literature and Film where she presented her article "Deconstructing Patriarchal Principles: Eroticism and Morality in Like Water for Chocolate" in the panel entitled Rebellious Women and the Liberation of Desire in Three Films: Alfonso Arau's Like Water for Chocolate, Małgorzata Szumowska's Elles and François Ozon's Young and Beautiful Panel. Dr. Biasetti continues to serve as Executive Committee Member for the MLA’s Translation Studies Forum. She is currently the Chair of the committee and has been responsible for organizing a panel for next year’s MLA convention in Philadelphia. The panel’s title is “Rethinking the Act of Teaching Translation” and the invited presenters include Dr. Sandra Bermann (Princeton University), Dr. Sonia Colina (University of Arizona), and Dr. Cristina PardoBallester (Iowa State University). She will also be chairing the panel and serving as the respondent. Professor Xiaoxin Zhang has been busy establishing the Chinese program at Augusta University and recruiting students to populate her classes. She has provided numerous cultural activities for her students to attend outside the classroom, and encourages them to attend Chinese cultural events in the community. Xiaoxin attended the National Chinese Language Conference in April 2016, along with the associate director of the Confucius Institute. Currently, she is working on a cross-culture writing project with Dr. Stacie Pettit, Assistant Professor in the Teacher Education Department. They are planning to publish the results of the project next year.
This year Dr. Christopher Botero has been very busy at Augusta University. In November he was appointed to Interim Assistant Chair of English & Foreign Languages, and he will continue to serve as Assistant Chair of the department next year. In December he published an article in the (peer reviewed) International Journal of Linguistics and Communication, titled “Instruction type and online tasks in the acquisition of L2 phonology: Preliminary findings.” The article discussed different variables in the acquisition of second language sounds. He also cofounded (along with Dr. Biasetti of EFL, and Drs. Devos and Ranchet of Physical Therapy at Augusta University) the Summerville Psycholinguistics and Phonetics Lab. This semester, the team worked on a project involving pupil movement and dilation during translation of second language texts (with students Mayra Maura and Taylor Rodriguez). Most excitingly, in April he was awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor. We wish him many congratulations!
Professor Sara Griswold coordinates the Tutoring Program, which provides free tutoring to foreign language students enrolled in French, German and Spanish. She serves as the Director of the Learning Resource Center, which houses books, movies and computer programs in many languages. This year, she gave a presentation, “Culinary Linguistics in the Spanish Class,” at the annual conference of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese, Georgia chapter, on September 12, 2015. Professor Griswold also attended the FLAIR conference in August, 2015; the Celebration in Research and Creative Activities (Circa) conference in January, 2016; and the Foreign Language Association of Georgia Conference in March, 2016. She continues to serve as the Portfolio Coordinator of the Foreign Language Unit, and she is an active participant in all Spanish club activities.
Dr. Pedro Hoyos-Salcedo serves as Advisor to the Iota Phi chapter of Alpha Mu Gamma, the national collegiate foreign language honor society. He has been working as part of the team for Xtra Mile Interpreting; doing translations to community; and giving talks to the community, such as Workshops for Readers, What Hospitality is?, and Biblical Geography. Dr. Hoyos will be a presenter at the 98th Annual National AATSP Conference, in Miami, Florida, on July 7-11, 2016. He has been also working as a Charter School Board member and for Languages Committee K-7 for SAIL-School For-Infused Learning Project (Serving all Counties in Georgia). A Day of the Spanish language is his must. Professor Hoyos is a book reviewer and editorial board member for the Latin Americanist-TLA and Manuscript Company: The International review of the Southeastern Latin American Studies: Los niños migrantes: entre Michoacán y California. He worked as Medical interpreter for Coastal Layman Farmer Workers Health Fair and is part of LEFE Board of Referees www.lef-eorg (L’Erudit FrancoEspagnol). Lately he has been advising Mirja Beck on Gabriel García Márquez’s works, a Spanish philology student at the University of Colonia-Germany. His research, in progress, is about The Dead Sea Scrolls. Last but not least, Professor Hoyos Salcedo participated in the Latino Americans Oral History Project at Augusta University Libraries.
Dr. E. Nicole Meyer is pleased to introduce The Francophone World (Fall 2016), a course that integrates both culture and literatures of the Frenchspeaking world, as well as French for Health Professionals (Spring 2017), for which she received a French government sponsored Fellowship on the teaching of Medical French. She was named a Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Fellow at Augusta University for next year, and an Honorary Fellow for the Institute of Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the summer of 2016. Her article, “Le Hérisson” appeared in the book Allons au Cinéma: Promoting French through Films, vol 2 in June 2016.
Dr. Meyer also published four book reviews in the following journals: Nouvelles Etudes Francophones, the NECTFL Review and NineteenthCentury French Studies. She presented “Crossing boundaries and narrative gaps in postcolonial French women’s writing” at the College Languages Association conference. At the Foreign Language Association of Georgia conference, she gave a paper on “Creative Approaches to Teaching Contemporary France.” Dr. Meyer chaired a session, “’What’s Your Poison?’ Distillations of French Alcohol Culture” at Princeton University (November 2015) and she spoke on Jewish identity and Nathalie Sarraute’s childhood for the Association For Jewish Studies in Boston (December 2015). In October 2015, Dr. Meyer presented at the Mountain Interstate Foreign Languages Conference in Charleston, and at the Rocky Mountain Modern Languages Association Conference in New Mexico. She gave one presentation at Augusta University’s Celebration in Research and Creative Activities (Circa) Conference in January 2016, and was the lunch speaker at AU’s “The Enlightened Bite,” in March 2016. Dr. Meyer enjoys organizing conference sessions at various conferences, and organized or co-organized six conference sessions at five different locations. Dr. Meyer served as the Invited Expert Evaluator of the Killam Prize awarded annually to a distinguished Canadian Scholar, and she received four research related awards from Augusta University this academic year. She also attends French club activities, and teaches French language as well as Inquiry 1000. She is working on a future business course for French.
Dr. Jana Sandarg is the advisor of Los Amigos Hispanos, the Spanish club, and the director of the Salamanca, Spain, Study Abroad Program. She serves as a steering committee member of FLAIR, the local foreign language academic alliance, publishes the FLAIR newsletter, and coordinates the annual FLAIR conference. She also serves on the AATSP-GA board as conference director, study/travel award chair, and the college composition contest director. Dr. Sandarg received the 2016 Leadership Award Post-Secondary from the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG). She gave two presentations at Augusta University: “Spanish Speakers: One Language, Many Cultures,” as part of the Hispanic Heritage Month, sponsored by the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Sept. 17, 2015; and “Testing Oral Proficiency in Beginning Foreign Language Classes,” at the Celebration in Research and Creativity Activities (CIRCA), on Jan. 22, 2016. She gave an interview for the oral history of Latin Americans, a project which was part of a grant to the Augusta Libraries for celebrating 500 years of Latinos. Dr. Sandarg made three conference presentations this year. She gave a talk on “Culture, Vocabulary, Grammar….How much fun is that?” at the AATSP-GA Conference on Sept 12, 2015; a paper on “Recruiting Students with Disabilities,” at the NAFSA Region VII Conference in Savannah on Oct. 28, 2015; and a presentation, “Addressing the Community Standard through Student Interaction with Social Service Organizations,” at the FLAG Conference, March 5, 2016.
International Friendship Program This program, founded by Dr. Jana Sandarg and Professor Lee Bollinger in 1996, has paired our university students as “friends” with new international students. After a two-year hiatus, the Friendship Program is back! The new director is Dr. Jun Zhao, Associate Professor of English. If you are interested in participating, please contact Dr. Zhao at juzhao@augusta.edu. All currently enrolled students are eligible to participate.
Faculty Awards In November 2015, Dr. Christopher Botero was named Assistant Chair in the Department of English and Foreign Languages of Augusta University. He was chosen to chair the search committee for a new department chair, and is currently conducting interviews with the committee members. He continues to make an impact in foreign language education in the CSRA, placing our graduates in teaching positions and promoting foreign language study. But most importantly, in spring 2016, Dr. Botero was granted tenure at Augusta University, and was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor.
Congratulations!!!!
Dr. Christopher Botero
Dr. Jana Sandarg received the “2016 Leadership Award Post-Secondary,” given by the Foreign Language Association of Georgia (FLAG), for her 35 years of leadership in foreign languages in Georgia. She is a past president of FLAG and served on the FLAG board for 16 years. She was recognized by Augusta University’s Office of Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence for her presentation at the CIRCA conference. At the Expo Latina, Dr. Sandarg received an award, “Empresarias 2016,” given by the Asociación Cultural Hispanoamericana (ACHA) in March, 2016. Dr. Jana Sandarg
Dr. E. Nicole Meyer Page 30
At the annual awards celebration for faculty, the Office of Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence named Dr. E. Nicole Meyer a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Fellow for 2016-2017. She plans to focus on the importance of embedding culture in the “French for Health Professionals” course, which will be offered in Spring 2017. She was also recognized for her presentation at the CIRCA conference at Augusta University, as well as for teaching the Inquiry 1000 course. She was named an Honorary Fellow at the Institute for Research in the Humanities at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, May 10—August 31, 2016. She was the Invited Expert Evaluator for the Killam Prize, which awards a distinguished Canadian Scholar for research. Dr. Meyer received four separate research related awards at Augusta University this academic year.
Dr. Bledsoe receiving his Textbook Transformation Award.
At the annual awards celebration for faculty, the Office of Faculty Development and Teaching Excellence named Dr. Rob Bledsoe a Faculty Development Fellow for 2016-2017. He was the sole recipient of the Textbook Transformation Award, and he was also recognized for his work on the Faculty Advisory Committee. This year he has co-presented many workshops for faculty, including the Curriculum Design workshop, where he received rave reviews for helping faculty redesign their syllabi. Dr. Bledsoe is a valuable contributor to faculty development at Augusta University, and this fall, he will assist that office in many undertakings.
Dr. Rob Bledsoe
Dr. Giada Biasetti, served as Dana Ortiz’s advisor for her honor’s thesis. The Augusta University Honors Program recognized Dr. Biasetti with a Certificate of Appreciation, which was presented at he Honors Banquet on April 15, 2016. Dana Ortiz is featured at right, with Dr. Biasetti at far right.
Dr. Giada Biasetti
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Telenovelas ‌. Soap Operas in Spanish Jana Sandarg’s Spanish 1001 class, summer 2016. L-R back row: David Callaway, Krystin Mays, Madeline Brown, Avirale Sharma & Luke Frederick. L-R front row: Chashawna Wesby, Ashley Pham, Linzi Fain, Miranda Lutz. Kneeling: Harrison Catalano. Missing in action: Audriana Whimbush. Photographer: Jana Sandarg Page 32
Telenovelas …. Soap Operas in Spanish by Jana Sandarg This summer my Spanish 1001 students wrote a script for a soap opera. Using basic Spanish, props and lots of dramatic talent, they created two hilarious dramas, which they presented the last day of class. Featured below are photos of these budding actors and captions summarizing the plot.
Los Ganadores ←A young couple, not ready for a baby, give their infant son up for adoption. → They then have a daughter, who 20 years later, brings her boyfriend home to meet her folks.
At right, the boyfriend recognizes his girlfriend’s mother from a photo he has of his birth mom. She’s his mother, too! Below, the girlfriend faints and her father freaks when the father’s brother admits the boyfriend is his son. Her uncle is her dad!
Below, the girlfriend consoles her dad, as her mom ditches him for his brother. The boyfriend is depressed because his girlfriend is his half sister.
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Los Mejores
Show host & guest, Rico Suave, who is looking for a wife.
He likes the first contestant, the “green lady.”
The second contestant is too egotistical. She loves herself!
At right the third contestant is a wild, crazy woman, who doesn’t bathe, shave or wear shoes.
Below, contestant number four is the perfect woman! Rico Suave gives a thumbs up!
All are shocked when — defying all logic — Rico chooses the wild woman!
French club candle light vigil
Alpha Mu Gama initiation, April 21, 2016 At left, the officers & advisor of Los Amigos Hispanos. Below left (L-R): Meredith Gay, Victoria Phillips, Willy Hughes, Nora Johnson & Ă ngela PĂŠrez in their Pamplona attire! Spain rocks!
Dr. Christopher Botero, FLAIR Honor Society Ceremony, February 29, 2016.
Dr. Chris Botero & Dr. Liana Babayan at the May graduation reception.
Above, French club members enjoy an outside event. At left, Professor Sara Griswold (far left) chats with students at the Día del Idioma event.
Above left, Dr. Pedro Hoyos Salcedo speaks at the Día del Idioma event. L-R: Dr. Hoyos Salcedo, Brígida Ramos, Dr. Jana Sandarg, Dr. Giada Biasetti & Rubén Harris. Above right, the Spanish club holds tertulia at Mi Rancho. At left, students sit on the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Spain, enjoying the music of the Tuna Universitaria de Salamanca.