Foreign Exchange E-NL Spring 2011

FOREIGN – EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER

Department of Modern Languages at Ohio Northern University

Study Abroad: Traci Johnson in Guanajuato, México Kristin Matthews in Cahors, France Janet Pacanowski in Pau, France Rebecca Boler working in Washington, D.C. Interview with Saki Morikawa, Japanese instructor Faculty Activities Celebrating the Chinese New Year at ONU

ENTER HERE Spring 2011

www.onu.edu/languages

Finding a Home in Guanajuato, México

By Traci Johnson, senior Spanish major with a teacher licensure from Long Beach, Calif.

I studied abroad in Guanajuato, México, from May 23 to Aug. 7, 2010. To spend my entire summer in an unfamiliar country where they use a language that I understood but could barely speak was the best thing that ever happened to me. Friends and some of my family were very hesitant about my traveling to México.

They worried about the water, safety and if it was the right thing to do. I, however, had no reservations. I was ready to go!

I studied with the International Studies Abroad (ISA) program.

I lived with a host family that didn’t speak English, so this required me to use more Spanish. If I ever needed something, I had to make sure to find a way to ask that would be understood by them. This was a great method of learning. While in México, I took four courses, including music and literature. I also took the time to explore Guanajuato. It was my home. I knew how to get anywhere and everywhere without having to ask for help. I wasn’t afraid to travel around since I knew where everything was. I even had a chance to go on vacation. Two friends and I traveled outside the state of Guanajuato to Jalisco and spent time in the city and at the beach.

ISA took the group on cultural excursions every week. My favorite would have to be the trip to Teotihuácan. This is the location of the Sun and Moon Pyramids. To see and hear about how important this place was in the past and how much culture it offered was amazing. Also, to be able to climb the pyramids, which isn’t an easy feat, and just hang out up there was great.

I would love to go back. The culture there is so eye-opening and welcoming. I still keep in touch with the friends I made there, from America and from México. My studyabroad experience has broadened my horizons, allowing me to become more adaptive and improve my skills as a language learner and future teacher.

Teaching in France Kristin Matthews, BA ’07 As an Ohio Northern graduate with a degree in foreign languages (French and Spanish), I left Ada, Ohio, anxiously hoping to translate my education and study-abroad experience into a career. Immediately upon graduation, I moved to Boston, where I was employed by a consulting firm. Midway through the year, however, I received word that I had been accepted into the English Language Assistant Program through the French Consulate and was offered a teaching position in Cahors, France.

Now, as my second year in France comes to a close, I am leaving with mixed emotions. Cahors is a small town in southern France known for its hearty wines and one of the oldest medieval bridges in the country. It has a fairy tale feel and picturesque views of the Lot River. It is in close proximity to other historic cities and is flanked by the beach and the mountains. More importantly, the people I have come to know and love have become my second family.

I have grown a lot through this experience, and I would not have had this opportunity had I not studied French and Spanish in college. Teaching 12 different classes in both a public middle school and a high school, and being able to design my own teaching plans, I was able to be both creative and resourceful. Although I am sad to be leaving, I am anxious and excited to begin my new venture. I just accepted an offer to teach English as a second language in an elementary school in Nashville, Tenn., through the Teach for America program. This, too, is a two-year commitment, during which I will be able to obtain a master’s degree in education.

There is no doubt in my mind that my language study at Ohio Northern, as well as my experience teaching in France, gave me an edge in this highly selective process. I encourage anyone with an interest in languages to continue honing their skills. The Department of Modern Languages at Ohio Northern has a strong supportive faculty. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them!

Members of Dr. Dufault’s Francophone Cultures course prepare a desert in honor of Mani Kongo, a character in the film Pièces d’Identité.

PG. 1

www.onu.edu/languages

Pau, France

By Janet Pacanowski, senior communication arts major from Naperville, Ill. I had a fantastic time in France during summer 2010. I spent 10 total weeks abroad: five in Pau, France, and then five more in Paris, France. The first program was with the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC), and the second was with International Studies Abroad (ISA). I loved both programs and cities for different reasons.

A message from Rebecca Boler, BA ’05 French/International Studies Hi everyone,

Pau was a relaxing, traditional city and an all-encompassing French experience. I truly loved the atmosphere of the town; it was very easygoing. Pau is for someone who wants to learn a lot and really experience authentic French culture. Not many people speak English in Pau, so it was a fantastic opportunity to be immersed in the language.

I hope this finds you well. I know it’s been awhile since you’ve heard from me – I am working and “livin’ the dream” here in D.C. now. I just finished my master’s requirements from Syracuse in December and got my diploma in the mail yesterday. Needless to say, I am very excited to share the news with all of you.

My home-stay experience was a very positive one. I have never eaten homecooked meals like the ones I had there!

You all were very instrumental in my education and success at ONU and in my desire to go on and get my master’s. I just wanted to let you know that I greatly appreciate all the support you gave me at ONU and up to now.

The Pau program itself did several fun activities during the week with excursions, plus you were able to see a lot of downtown Pau. As a USAC group, we went to a fromagerie, rafted down a river, hiked the Pyrenees, and went to a spa.

I loved Paris because I had always dreamed of seeing Paris my whole life. Every museum and every street has history and life. A person would never be bored. I went to Paris to see Paris and everything it stood for; I was not disappointed.

In Paris, our excursions with ISA were on overnight trips on the weekends. We went to Mont St. Michel, St. Malo and Loire Valley. The people who work with ISA are engaging and personal. All excursions were well-planned.

Paris is more for someone who likes a busy life; you can relax in gardens, etc. and especially in the museums. But I was always busy planning where to go and what to do. There is never enough time to do everything in Paris because there is so much to see!

I am working full-time for MSI – a USAID contractor in southwest D.C. I am in business development – coordinating and assisting in the writing of proposals.

I’m learning a lot and having fun along the way. D.C. is a great place – I love it!

I was very nervous about moving down here last summer and unsure if I would like it, if it would work out, if I would find a job, etc. Thankfully, I’ve had the good fortune of all of those things falling into place.

If you ever find yourself in D.C., please let me know! I would love to hear an update from all of you. Please give my greetings to everyone in the department!

Take care, Becky

Both programs and cities made my summer the best one of my whole life. I blogged every day at janetgoestofrance.blogspot.com, so feel free to read up on more of my day-to-day adventures!

While abroad, I also visited Spain, Italy, and England, and I include stories of those adventures on my blog as well.

PG. 2

www.onu.edu/languages

Interview: Saki Morikawa, Japanese instructor

By Lauren Walker, junior communication arts major from Wapakoneta, Ohio

Lauren Walker: So tell us a little about yourself.

Saki Morikawa: I’m from Japan. I am a post-graduate student majoring in literature here.

LW: What else are you involved with here at Ohio Northern University?

SM: For now, I am up to my ears studying and teaching. I wish I could do something besides work.

LW: Where did you grow up?

SM: I grew up in Osaka, which is in the western part of Japan.

LW: Is it hard to juggle a teaching schedule and student life at the same time?

SM: Yes, very much. Since my major is literature, you can imagine there is a lot of reading.

LW: What was it like to live in Japan, and how is it different from America?

SM: One of the differences between Japan and America is you can go anywhere in Japan by the public transportation even if you don’t have a car.

LW: What did you do before becoming an instructor?

SM: I went to college in Tokyo, and I worked in a public library after I graduated.

LW: Where did you go to college before you came to Ohio Northern University?

SM: I went to Sophia University in Tokyo. And when I was a junior, I studied at the University of Massachusetts Amherst as an exchange student for a year.

LW: What did you study in college?

SM: I studied English.

LW: How does Sophia, your Japanese University, compare to ONU? SM: Since Sophia is located in the center of Tokyo, I had many opportunities to experience new things.

However, cities have many distractions as you can imagine. So, I think ONU is a good place for students to concentrate on studying.

PG. 3

LW: What classes are you taking?

SM: Right now, I am taking two literature classes and a physics class.

LW: What is it like to teach Japanese?

SM: First of all, teaching requires lots of preparation. Teaching class is just one part of the job. I study grammar before each class. I can never teach without studying. So it is very timeconsuming, but I like my classes and students a lot. They are very supportive, and it really makes me glad to see them having fun speaking Japanese.

LW: Japanese sounds like it would be a difficult language for students to pick up quickly. What is the most difficult thing about teaching Japanese?

SM: Since Japanese is my primary language, it comes naturally. Native speakers do not have to take time to analyze the grammar very much.

What is natural to me is not natural to my students.

LW: What do you enjoy most about being in Ada or America?

SM: I like the wide sky a lot. This is what I had never seen before I came

here. I learned that it is because the landform in northwest Ohio is flat.

Also, I can see what is really necessary and what is not. Limitations on materials might be good to lead a simple life.

LW: Was your home hit by the earthquake?

SM: No. LW: Has it been hard to be away from your family and friends since the earthquakes?

SM: Yes. I have not been able to concentrate on my studies since then. All I can do here is check the news on the Internet and hope no more disastrous things happen.

LW: What have your family and friends said about conditions in Japan?

SM: They live far from the disaster area. My grandmother said to me that she feels sorry for those who cannot get enough food or have lost their homes. Fortunately, life in the western part of Japan has not changed that much.

LW: Japan is so rich in heritage. Did the earthquake destroy any historical temples?

SM: Many things were affected by the earthquake. For example, there is a group of islands in the Matsushima Bay in Miyagi Prefecture. It is known as the one of the Three Views of Japan. Some of the islands collapsed, and the bridges that connect islands were destroyed, too.

LW: With all the media coverage in America about the radiation in Japan, is it really that big of a concern in Japan?

SM: It is really a big concern in Japan. New facts about dangerous chemicals contaminating the ocean and the farm products have been released almost every day. However, because the irresponsible attitudes of our government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company, which is in charge of the power plants, people have not been able to receive the accurate information regarding radiation. People are really mad at their concealment of the truth.

LW: How do they plan on cleaning with the radiation?

SM: Although I do not know much about radiation, many people have been demanding that the nuclear power plants to be dismantled. However, if we stop using those plants, areas in eastern Japan cannot have the alternative way to have enough electricity. Also, it takes a decade and costs a lot to dismantle. People who used to live close to the plants will not be able to live there for the next few decades. Therefore, it is not an easy problem to fix.

LW: How are the Japanese coping with the radiation?

SM: Because of the government’s concealment of the information regarding radiation, people are afraid of it. However, since they cannot see or feel it, there is no way for them to avoid it. Also, they have started to stop buying farm products from Fukushima, which will surely give great damage to many farmers there.

LW: When do you think Japan will be re-established?

SM: I’m sure it will take many years to rebuild Japan. However, it will be much more difficult to cure the pains of those who have lost their families.

I think this is the time that Japanese people have to think what to do with nuclear power plants.

LW: You were featured in the Ohio Northern Review for the Japanese Red Cross relief. How has it been going since then?

SM: We raised more than $5,000 in total. We sent the check as Ohio Northern University to the American Red Cross right after we counted the money. I am very thankful for those who kindly donated to Japan.

LW: At the end of Japanese class, we watch a music video to see a clip of Japanese culture and experience the language being spoken at a normal pace. What is your favorite music artist or song?

SM: I like all kinds of Japanese music. All songs I introduce in class are rather old, but they have been loved by people from various generations for a long time. So, I would like my students to listen to good songs rather than those that do not have any substance.

LW: What do you like to do with your free time?

SM: I like reading and jogging. But once school starts, I cannot possibly do either of them!

www.onu.edu/languages

Faculty Activities Travels Abroad Dr. Tom Finn, professor of French and Spanish

Guiding students on the finer points of public presentations is one of the privileges of teaching in the Department of Modern Languages at Ohio Northern University. Through March and April of 2010, Dr. Thomas Finn advised one of his top students, Nicole Amadon, a fourth-year pharmacy major from Wadsworth, Ohio, on a paper she presented at the ONU Undergraduate Research Symposium. Amadon wrote the paper, entirely in French, for Finn’s French Culture and Civilization course during the winter quarter of the 2009-10 academic year. Aware that the larger ONU community would want to know more about the impact of Catalan culture and language on France, Finn encouraged Amadon to rewrite the paper in English and rework it for presentation at the symposium. The paper was a unique contribution to the symposium and was well received by students and professors.

During summer 2010, Finn filled an aching need for more information about women readers in 17th-century France by researching and writing an article about female literacy and reading in the works of Moli������������������� ����������������� re for a forthcoming edition of Women in French. This hard-hitting, peer-reviewed scholarly journal, after submitting the article to rigorous scrutiny, accepted it for publication. Finn also found time for some community outreach and provided translation services to help a little girl from Burkina-Faso communicate with local doctors.

In October 2010, Finn traveled to Charlotte, N.C. to deliver a paper on 17thcentury French literary depictions of Spaniards and of Spanish culture at the Society for Interdisciplinary 17th-Century French Studies Conference. He presented evidence of a concerted effort on the part of many French writers to denigrate and dismiss the cultural accomplishments of its neighbor south of the Pyrenees while questioning its commitment to defending the Catholic faith in the face of the rising tide of Protestantism. His presentation sparked lively discussion while adding an insightful perspective on this historic time in Europe’s history.

Though not able to travel abroad this year, Finn was whisked off to the exotic surroundings of ONU’s Macintosh ballroom in January 2011 where he was very grateful to be honored as one of many “Favorite Professors” by the Mortar Board Society for his work in promoting student research.

When asked if such research projects and teaching endeavors were worthwhile, the Modern Languages faculty responded, “Yes. Yes they are.”

Dr. Roseanna Dufault, professor of French and chair of the Department of Modern Languages Dr. Roseanna Dufault participated in “The Caribbean Unbound V” conference sponsored

by Franklin College in Lugano, Switzerland, April 6-9, 2011. She moderated a panel on “Representations of Caribbean Women” and presented a paper on “The Legacy of Slavery in Marie-Célie Agnant’s Le Livre d’Emma.”

Photo caption: Co-panelists Dr. Laura Salvini, University of Rome Sapienza, Dr. Atreyee Phukan, University of San Diego, and Dr. Roseanna Dufault, professor of French and chair of the Department of Modern Languages.

Dr. Mary Kempen, assistant professor of Spanish

In June, I participated in the Advanced Placement Exam grading session as a reader. During the weeklong event in Cincinnati, I worked with college instructors and high school teachers from around the country and had many opportunities to discuss developments in language teaching.

In January, I helped organize a screening of the 2010 award-winning documentary film 9500 Liberty. After the screening, the co-director, Eric Byler, spoke with students and audience members about the issues of immigration laws and political activism, which the film explores.

The event proved to be an engaging topic for an assignment in my Composition course.

During winter quarter, I taught a course on 18th- and 19th-century Spanish literature for the first time. The students and I enjoyed discussing the major themes and currents of neoclasicismo, romanticismo and realismo through such important works as Don Juan Tenorio and Benito Pérez Galdós’s Tormento. Now everyone in the class knows what it really means to be a “don Juan.”

This year, I also continued to advise students who plan to study abroad with the International Studies Abroad consortium programs, and I will be travelling to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Florianopolis, Brazil, in April to visit the sites and meet with the on-site personnel. From this visit, I hope to gain new information that will enable me to better advise our students and perhaps open new opportunities for them in South America.

PG. 4

www.onu.edu/languages

Make Friends, Make Connections!

Chinese New Year Celebration A big celebration for the Chinese lunar Year of the Rabbit was held on Friday, Feb. 4, 2011 at ONU’s Affinity Village. In spite of the cold and snow, the attendees felt warm at heart.

This is the first time that the Chinese class in the Department of Modern Languages at ONU has initiated such a celebration. It was a joint partnership between the ONU Chinese class, the ONU ESL class for international students, and students studying Chinese language and culture at Lima Senior High School.

This successful celebration received support from the Department of Modern Languages, Dr. Catherine Albrecht, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, the Office of Admissions, and faculty and staff from various departments. More than 60 people participated.

Food and Symbols

The big attraction was Chinese food. According to Chinese culture, the Chinese celebrate each New Year for 15 days. The most important meal is on the Eve of Chinese New Year. It’s a time for family reunions. People come from afar to unite with their families. Different generations come together to prepare food for the feast and to enjoy each other’s company. At midnight, they set off fireworks to chase evil away.

Talent Show

Perhaps the happiest moment was the student talent show. Heling Johns, BSBA ’93, lecturer in Chinese, and her class sang, “You and Me,” the theme song of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The students used clear Chinese and English in their song, expressing the theme of this party: We all live in a world village and have the same dream- to live in a place with peace and understanding.

Lima students had a performance of panda dance, using Chinese fans as decorative tools to show the traditional Chinese dance. They also sang a song in Chinese: “The Moon Represents My Heart.”

One student in Johns’ class wrote “love” in Chinese with a brush. Smith’s class said “happy new year” (xin nian kuai le) and “wish you make fortune” (gong xi fa cai) in Chinese.

In keeping with tradition, there was plenty of food for everybody at the celebration.

The dumplings represented abundance and money, the noodles were symbolic of longevity, and the rice and chickens portrayed prosperity for the New Year.

In addition, there was quite an array of Chinese cookies, candies and fruits. The tiny oranges represented a sign of gold for the family. The sweet pastry made from glutinous rice, called “Nian Gao,” symbolized the increasing standard of living. The gold-foiled peanuts represented richness.

Chinese art objects were on display; Chinese clothing, paintings, an abacus, Chinese-style wine bottles, fans, and a Peking opera face mask attracted many visitors.

While people ate, Jeffrey Smith, visiting instructor of ESL, and his class showed a short video about the Chinese New Year. Some members of the audience answered questions and received small gifts – happy dolls of the 2008 Olympic Games.

PG. 5

One student in Mrs. John’s class wrote “love” in Chinese with a brush.

www.onu.edu/languages

Red Bag

By the end of the party, a red bag giving “ceremony” started. In China, on the Eve of the New Year, the elderly would give younger generations a red bag with money in it to wish their children or grandchildren good health and happiness. In return, the younger gen erations would bow to the elderly to show their respect and gratitude.

Students followed this ceremony by bowing to their teachers, who were sitting on chairs. The teachers then gave red bags to the students, and the students said “thank you” (xie xie) in Chinese.

The students enjoyed each other’s company; they shared cell phone numbers and took pictures. Everyone had a wonderful time at the Chinese New year Celebration at ONU.

Mr. Smith’s class said “Happy New Year” (“Xin nian kuai le”) and “Wish you make fortune” (gong xi fa cai) in Chinese.

PG. 6

www.onu.edu/languages

FOREIGN – EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER

Look for the next email announcement with a direct link to the next issue of the Foreign Exchange Newsletter or go directly to

www.onu.edu/languages