Foreign Language Academic Alliance for International Rapport An Academic Alliance of Georgia and South Carolina Vol. 33, No. 1 (October 2017) Editor: Jana Sandarg
Department of English and Foreign Languages Augusta University
Fall conference 2017
Cool Tools to Use for Personalized Learning – in the Target Language! On Saturday, August 26th, FLAIR sponsored a free teacher workshop at the Augusta University Summerville campus — Cool Tools to Use for Personalized Learning — in the Target Language! Vicki Alvis showed us how to personalize learning by integrating Google Classroom and a myriad of technology resources into everyday instruction and learning. Attendees can now guide students from being consumers of digital content to being creators of digital content. Teachers used the computers in a computer lab to access programs and build their own programs, using the computers and also their cell phones. Using their cell phone in class will undoubtedly appeal to students! After the conference, teachers received free foreign language posters.
The Tuna Universitaria de Salamanca, Spain
The Tuna stands in front of a poster depicting their visit in 2014. They performed on the Summerville campus, Augusta University.
The Tuna performed at North Augusta High School in South Carolina. At right, Julio Avila, Spanish teacher at NAHS, is also from Spain.
The Tuna loves to serenade ladies! Above, they sing to Tara Watts (right), the Secretary of Los Amigos Hispanos, at the tertulia. At left, Spanish teachers Di Johnson (Evans High School) and Christy Presgrove (Greenbrier High School) are serenaded on stage at the Tuna performance at Greenbrier High School. Below, the Tuna takes a knee as they sing to the Provost of Augusta University, Dr. Gretchen Caughman. The Provost and President Brooks Keel, in the background, welcomed the Tuna to Augusta University.
The Tuna performed at Augusta University for all FLAIR teachers and students. They were sponsored by AU’s Department of English and Foreign Languages, FLAIR, and Los Amigos Hispanos, AU’s Spanish club. The Tuna visited in 2011, 2014 and 2017.
My Amazing Summer Experience in Spain By Sonia Puerta-Quinn, Episcopal Day School, Augusta, Georgia
As a young teenage student growing up in Colombia, I had the idea of “Why take English as a second language? I’m never going to use it or need it.” So I just did the minimum efforts to pass the class and did not care much about learning a second language. As life turns out, I came to the USA at the age of 19 to study English as a second language for a year, and then go back to my home country. Well, along the way that year I became fascinated with the language and lifestyle that I decided to apply for a student visa and stay to attend college here in the United States. Being a goal setter from an early age, when I made the decision to stay, I was starting to fulfill one of my goals, to graduate from college. The second goal was to obtain a Master’s Degree in a foreign country, in an environment out of my comfort zone and culture. My college career was extended, from its beginning in 1980 to its long awaited end in 2006, due to marriage, parenthood, and life circumstances. I proudly accomplished my first goal in December 2006, graduating with a B.A. in Spanish with a minor in Education. After working as a Certified Spanish teacher for more than ten years, my second goal has been coming up to the surface and reminding me that I still needed to accomplish it. Along this path and through the years I have met some wonderful people who have guided and mentored me, Dr. Jana Sandarg and colleagues, Di Johnson and Christy Presgrove. They have always encouraged me to step up and go to University of Salamanca to do the Master’s program. My response has always been, “I’m too old for it. I don’t think I can handle it.” Their response has been “Sonia, tú puedes. Te va a fascinar.” As 2017 came along, my desire to accomplish my goal became stronger and so I applied to the master’s program, with the idea that I would probably not be accepted. To my surprise, I was accepted to attend the University of Salamanca Master’s Program for teachers of Spanish as a second language. I was accepted and that train, with all the required paperwork, was moving fast. So fast that all I could think or say to myself was “I’m going, but how and with what money? No sé, Dios proveerá”, and He has provided, not only economically, but also spiritually, culturally, and in many other bountiful ways. This summer I spent the most enlightening five weeks of my life in Salamanca, Spain, the country that as a child I learned to know as la Madre Patria as we referred to it in Latin America. During these 5 weeks, I attended the first phase of the Máster en lengua y cultura españolas de la Universidad de Salamanca. This program takes two summers to complete; I have now completed Phase I and I look forward to completing Phase II in the summer of 2018. How can I describe my experience? Oh wow, it was amazing, outstanding, and invigorating. This trip being my first trip to Spain, I found it fascinating. The adventure started in Madrid. I traveled to Madrid before the program started. I spent a couple of days in Madrid, a fascinating, noisy, vibrant, and chaotic city. It was full of life and full of restaurants, bars, and shops, one in every corner or middle of the block, even in residential areas. But at the same time, it is full of history, art, and culture. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to be able to see all of it. However, I did have the opportunity to visit El Palacio Real with its majestic and grand architecture that dates back to the 18th century, with its nearby Jardines del Campo del Moro. I also visited the Museo Nacional del Prado with its unrivaled collection of Spanish paintings, considered one of the world’s finest. The Prado’s many exhibitions represent the taste of the Spanish monarchs, with noticeable emphasis on religious and courtly paintings. To see up-close paintings of Francisco Goya, Diego Velázquez (such as Las Meninas and El Cristo crucificado), and El Greco (such as La Crucifixión), as well as the works of many other artists, was almost unreal and incomprehensible. Too many to remember. This museum is also amazing because of its architecture, its size, its organization, and the number of people that it can hold. I also visited el Museo Nacional Reina Sofía with its many exhibitions; most impressive was Picasso’s Guernica, showing the entire development of the painting. Of course, I could not leave Madrid without a visit to its beautiful Plaza Mayor and the Puerta del Sol with their many restaurants, shops and interesting yet entertaining street shows.
Sonia Puerta Quinn enjoys the city of Ă vila, Spain, on an excursion arranged by the University of Salamanca.
A very relaxing and quiet train trip took me to Salamanca. As we crossed some of the Sierra de Guadarrama Mountains, I was able to appreciate the beautiful landscapes with windmills in the background, which reminded me of Don Quijote and his ferocious giant enemies. Once in Salamanca, I began a very intense program which kept me very focused on my studies. The program offers 5 weeks of classes on Spanish literature, evolution of the language, history of Spain, advanced grammar, teaching methodology, culture, Spanish films, and art history through tours. I attended classes from 8 am to 2:00 pm, then I went home for lunch and a siesta, and by 4:30 pm I was back at school for afternoon/evening classes or tours that sometimes lasted 3 hours or more. This schedule made for a very long day Mondays through Thursdays. First of all, the meal schedule is a little different from ours in the USA. Lunch is usually not served until after 1:30 pm and dinner is usually served after 9:00 pm. This schedule was a little hard to get used to the first week; however, once I started enjoying the much needed little afternoon naps, this made the schedule so much easier to handle. Another thing that I actually enjoyed was having to walk everywhere and not having to drive a car and be stressed out about traffic and other drivers. This was great and also beneficial for the body and mind. As I walked around the city, I was able to enjoy the beautiful architecture of the golden stone buildings found throughout the city of Salamanca. I enjoyed visiting many Catholic churches with their beautiful stained glass windows, golddecorated altars, opulent side chapels, and magnificent architecture that made me feel closer to God.
The program offered weekly tours within the city of Salamanca where I was able to visit the Library at the University of Salamanca with its many ancient books kept behind glass cases to protect and preserve them. We also visited the old and new Cathedrals of Salamanca. The old Cathedral was built in the 12 century, and it is side-by-side the new cathedral. They merge to become a magnificent place of worship visited by many people every day. Among some of the places we visited were La Plaza Mayor, el Palacio Monterrey, La Casa de las Conchas, El Palacio Anaya, and el Palacio Fonseca. Salamanca has many touristic, historic, and cultural places that I just did not have enough time to visit. Maybe next year I will be able to visit them. We also toured places outside the city such as Campillo where we visited la iglesia visigoda San Pedro de la Nave, which was built during the years 680 y 711. It is an amazing place that is still used to celebrate Sunday mass and sacraments. We toured Zamora with its cathedral built during the 12th century in Gothic style; this city’s architecture makes you feel like you are inside a very big castle with its brick walls surrounding it and brick streets throughout the town. In Toro, we also visited La iglesia-colegiata de Toro. Its construction dates back to the year 1160, another amazing old church that still stands and serves it parishioners. We walked around Ávila with its magnificent murallas (walls) that date back to the 11th century. It is also considered part of the Teresian trail, which relates to the life of St. Teresa of Avila. We visited the convent where St. Teresa spent some of her time as a Carmelite sister. We stopped at Segovia, a beautiful town with a magnificent Roman Aqueduct and the royal palace (the Alcázar), built on a stone peninsula between the Rivers Eresma and Clamores. The architecture of the palace reflects styles ranging from the Romanesque to the Gothic and Mudéjar. The building is structured around two courtyards and has two towers, as well as a keep, which is an area in the palace where they hid to protect themselves in case of war. The Alcázar was a favorite residence of Alfonso X the Wise and Henry IV. Isabella the Catholic was crowned Queen of Castile in Segovia's Plaza Mayor. Another appealing or enlightening factor that added to my great experience, was the group of instructors at the University of Salamanca. The team of professors and faculty that works with the Master’s program is a great group of professionals. They not only share their knowledge, but also their culture and their desire to make you feel at home and comfortable within the limitations of your stay. As you can see, I really enjoyed my adventure and my experience in Spain; my only regret is not having planned more time to be able to visit many of the other interesting cities in Spain. I am already planning for a longer stay in Spain next summer, so I can take more tours and learn more about the culture and history of la patria madre. I also have to admit that Dr. Sandarg, Di, and Christy were correct, and I thank them and my colleagues from AATSP and FLAIR for encouraging me to take this step.
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*the ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE: Call Liana Babayan or Nicole Meyer at 706-737-1500 for more information. *the ASOCIACIÓN CULTURAL HISPANOAMERICANA (ACHA): Email acha@elcervantino.org www.elcervantino.org *the FOREIGN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA (FLAG): www.FLAGeorgia.net *the AMERICAN COUNCIL ON THE TEACHING OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES (ACTFL): www.actfl.org *the SOUTHERN CONFERENCE ON LANGUAGE TEACHING (SCOLT): www.scolt.org *the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF FRENCH (AATF): https://sites.google.com/site/aatfga/ *the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF GERMAN (AATG): http://georgia.aatg.org *the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF TEACHERS OF SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE (AATSP): www.aatsp-ga.org *the GEORGIA CLASSICAL ASSOCIATION (GCA): http://www.gjcl.org/ *the GEORGIA ASSOCIATION OF THE TEACHERS OF JAPANESE (GATJ):rsteen@oglethorpe.edu
Sonia Puerta Quinn (far left) lived with a Spanish family. Her host mother, Isabel, is pictured at right. Jana Sandarg (center) joined them at Isabel’s home in Naverredonda de la Rinconada, a small village of about 200 people about 45 minutes from Salamanca. Adam Cowart (at right) completed his second phase of the Måster Universitario at the University of Salamanca in the summer of 2017. In 2004, he studied at the University of Salamanca as an undergraduate, under the direction of Jana Sandarg (at left). They are standing in front of the Plaza Mayor. Adam teaches at North Augusta High School.
Cross Creek High School needs host families for 2018-2019 school year exchange students Hello FLAIR members, Many of you know me, my name is Vasco N'Kutula, I teach French at Cross Creek High School and work for IE-USA as a local coordinator. Right now, we have listed 35 middle and high school students from the following countries looking for host families in our area: Germany 16, Swiss land 4, Spain 8, Japan 2, Taiwan 3, and France 2. Please open your doors to these new family members. For one school year, you can help them to learn more about American people, their language and culture. Special thanks to those hosting this school year. What is IE-USA? International Experience (IE-USA) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit educational exchange organization that was founded in 2002. IE-USA is designated by U.S. Department of State (DOS) as a J-1 program sponsoring organization and is a fully listed member and accredited by the Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET) for its J-1 and F-1 programs. What IE-USA does? IE-USA places high schools students from around the world in carefully vetted host families while attending local private or public high schools for a semester or full academic year. The IE-USA Philosophy is to promote cultural understanding and appreciation, personal relationships need to be formed and cultivated. Students • Younger people are our future. Broadening and opening their minds at an age when they are developing their identity helps them to become well-rounded intellectually and allows them to base their own life philosophy on firsthand experience and knowledge. • Stereotypes and prejudices can be lessened, and often erased, after sharing a year in another culture. The student and family are able to look beyond physical appearances, language, and cultural differences. iE-USA students are carefully screened through an in-home interview and application process, including academics, teacher recommendations, and social maturity. • All students have a tested level of English proficiency. • Students are required to maintain strong academic standing and moral character while they are program participants. We are currently searching for Host Families living in... Create a friendship that will last a lifetime. iE-USA students participate in a Department of State sponsored cultural immersion program including academic, social and family components. Students attend high school in the US while living with a host family for 1 or 2 semesters Host Families • Host families benefit from having a new member of their family who can bring another culture into their home, breaking down the barriers that often lead to misunderstanding. Often, relationships are formed that last a lifetime. • Host families enjoy sharing their culture, beliefs, and lifestyle with their international students. Through sharing their culture, host families gain a renewed appreciation of their own culture when looking at it with a new set of eyes. •. Host families offer “family support” and may be of any make-up, including established singles and couples, domestic partnerships, and families with children of all ages. Host families provide • A non-inflatable, permanent bed. Students may share a room with a host sibling of the same gender and similar age. • Three meals a day. Students electing to purchase lunch at school instead of packing a lunch should also pay for that extra expense. • Help with transportation at times, since students cannot drive. Students may ride the school bus and/or arrange to get rides from friends and neighbors. Students become a real member of the family, adopting family rules and participating in family chores and activities. Students provide their own spending money for all personal expenses including school and sports fees, personal entertainment, clothes, souvenirs, etc. • Their own medical insurance.
Schools • Schools benefit by learning about other educational systems and teaching methods. The school’s student body benefits by working side by side with students from other cultures. Long-lasting friendships are developed between classmates and the international students. Relationships Our Team Member Mike Carroll Local Coordinator, Oregon said that It is heartwarming to see how close students become with their host families and American friends, but the best part is to see how those relationships transcend the years. “I enjoy meeting the new students each year and watching them go through the adjustments of living in a new country and with a new family”. It is always interesting to watch how each student makes those adjustments in their own way. Families often have relationships with their former students for 10 or 15 years. I have relationships with some of my former students that last that long and it is always great to see them come back to the US or visit them in their home country. Why Host an International Student? Hosting an international student offers a life-changing experience for the entire family that lasts well after the time of the exchange. Our students originate from around the world including Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, Germany, Italy, Liberia, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine Experience Another Culture in Your Own Home! • Learn about your student’s cultural norms and perspectives. • Model cultural acceptance and global service as a life lesson for your own children. • Learn a new language or practice the language you are currently learning. Why Host With iE-USA? • iE-USA is a small student exchange organization devoted to hands-on care of each student and family participating in our program. Local coordinators They live near their student placements so that they can always be available when needed. • Local Coordinators support both the exchange student and the host family throughout the exchange experience. He or she provides a welcome orientation for your family and student as well regular monthly check-ins. We also maintain a toll free family support hotline answered by a live person 24 hours a day. Ready to Get Started? Our students are ready to immerse themselves into the American culture and eager to share your family's traditions! Are you ready to host? Prospective host families can set up an online account and fill out an application with no obligations. 1) Register Online Go to www.ie-usa.org and click on Host family application. You will be asked to provide information about your community, home, family and special interests. This information will help us suggest several students who will be a great fit with your family. 2) Talk to Your Local Coordinator (8032628612) after registering online, a local coordinator will contact you to schedule an in-home interview. This is an opportunity for you, to ask questions and to make a connection, with the person who will offer local support. 3) Select Your Student, is your family active? Sporty? Musical? Quiet? Together with your local coordinator, you will consider student applicants to determine who is the best fit, for your lifestyle. Making a strong student match is the best way to ensure a positive experience for everyone. Questions? Contact us. 888-2662921, 803-262-8612 Thank you for hosting. Vasco N’Kutula
FLAIR
FLAIR TEACHER GRANTS are available to active FLAIR members who are presenting at a conference, working on a special project, or other similar items. Up to five $100 teacher grants will be awarded per year, if funding is available, to active FLAIR members. Teachers may receive the grant only once. To apply, email Terry Meredith at tmeredith@aquinashigh.org. No deadline.
wants you! We need steering committee members. Please contact Terry Meredith (tmeredith@aquinashigh.org) or Jana Sandarg (jsandarg@augusta.edu) if you wish to be added to the steering committee email list. Everyone is invited to attend the meetings.
2017 Nov
17-19 ACTFL Conference, Nashville, TN
Dec
8
FLAIR Holiday Celebration
2018 Feb
26-27 FLAIR Honor Society Inductions, Augusta University 9-11
AATSP-GA Spanish Immersion Camp for students
Mar
15-17 SCOLT/FLAG, Atlanta, GA
Jun
25-28 AATSP conference, Salamanca, Spain
Nov
16-18 ACTFL, New Orleans, LA
Please email items for the calendar to the editor: jsandarg@augusta.edu
$250 Student Study Abroad Award
$250 Teacher Study Abroad Award
Students who are members of the FLAIR Foreign Language Honor Society are eligible to receive a $250 award for participating in a study abroad program. Only one award will be given per year. Students must participate in an organized program and the funds will be disbursed after receiving official documentation of completion of the program. No deadline. Contact: Terry Meredith at tmeredith@aquinashigh.org
Teachers who are active members of FLAIR are eligible to receive a $250 award for participating in a study abroad program. Only one award will be given per year. Teachers must participate in an organized program and the funds will be disbursed after receiving official documentation of completion of the program. No deadline. Contact: Terry Meredith at tmeredith@aquinashigh.org
Minutes of the FLAIR Steering Committee Tuesday, September 19, 2017 The FLAIR steering committee met at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, September 19, 2017, at Mi Rancho Mexican Restaurant on Washington Road. The following members were present: Julio Avila, Michael Harris, Richardson Lane, Pam Light, Terry Meredith, Nicole Meyer, Vasco N’Kutula, Sonia Puerta-Quinn and Jana Sandarg. Jana prepared the agenda and Pam volunteered to lead the meeting. We thanked everyone for attending the conference and going to lunch with our speaker. We had about 25 attendees. Julio announced that Tonya McGowan is getting married. Sonia stated that she went to Spain and Costa Rica this summer. Michael Harris noted he went back to study at the University of Nice, France, over the summer. Jana announced the AATSP-GA conference in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on September 23rd: “How to Stay in the Target Language.” Send all items for the next newsletter to Jana as soon as possible. Her email is jsandarg@augusta.edu. The treasurer, Edwin Pérez, sent the treasurer’s report by email. As of Augusts 31, 2017, we have a balance of $3,718.22. It was moved and seconded to accept the report. The motion carried. It was moved and seconded to pay for the flowers for the funeral of Cameron Johnson, Di’s son. The motion carried. Jana will be reimbursed for the cost of the flowers. She sent a sympathy card to Di on behalf of FLAIR. At tonight’s meeting, Jana passed around Di’s thank-you note. The evaluations of the 2017 FLAIR conference were very positive. We discussed possible topics and speakers for the 2018 FLAIR Conference. We agreed that Jana will contact Pete Swanson to see if he is interested in presenting. The Tuna Universitaria de Salamanca will be here in early October. They will give a free performance for all FLAIR teachers and students on Thursday, Oct 5, from 6:00—7:00 pm at the Amphitheater at Augusta University’s Summerville campus. We will take them to dinner at Southbound after the event. Everyone is welcome. We decided we would like to continue our tradition of hosting a holiday celebration for FLAIR faculty. Sonia volunteered her home and she will pick the date. It will be a potluck. Teachers will encourage their students to provide entertainment at the FLAIR Honor Society induction next February, such as songs, skits, dances, recitations of poetry, etc. We decided not to offer door prizes anymore. We will hold the reception FOLLOWING the induction. The program will begin at 6:30 and the reception will be at 7:45 in the lobby. Terry agreed to serve as MC again. We discussed how to keep students from leaving. We understand Washington County needs to leave first because of the distance they have to travel, so we will be sure they are seated in the back of the theater, so their departure won’t leave a big empty space. We need music ahead of time so the technicians have ample time to prepare. Our next meeting date will be on Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at 5:00 pm at Mi Rancho restaurant. The meeting adjourned at 6:30 pm. Submitted by: Jana Sandarg