Value of Learning Languages and Developing Cultural Competence

Personal Statement by Ellen Russell, 2022 WAFLT Teacher of the Year Nominee

When students walk into my world language classroom, I want them to be excited to learn about their world. It is for this reason my view of language learning centers on three core beliefs:

1.Students can and should learn a world language no matter their life path; language learning is for everyone.

2.Students should know about the world they are a part of.

3.Students should see themselves represented throughout the world language curriculum.

Through technology and diverse communities, our world is more connected than ever. Whether someone is working in agriculture, health care, food service, education, or finance, students will have the opportunity to interact with someone who comes from a background different than theirs. In my French 4/5 class, teaching Pérspolis brought this into focus for them. They were able to grow their global competence by studying materials in both English and French, gaining a new perspective on Iran through readings, videos, discussions, social media posts, and guest speakers of Iranian heritage. They saw how their four, five, and six years of language study helped them get to this point of understanding, allowing me to talk about time needed to grow proficiency as well.

In my world language classroom, I talk with students about their prior knowledge of the language, the culture, and where it is spoken in the world, before bringing it back to Wisconsin to contextualize how it applies to their daily life. I want them to see how knowing more than one= language connects people. Teaching= Pérsepolis allowed me to use French= as a catalyst to show them the United= States through a new lens and how= the events that lead to the Iranian= Revolution affected their family’s life in= Wisconsin.

While I am contextualizing the= language and culture for them, it is= also the time that I start to see what= grabs them so that I can incorporate= those materials into the units they will= study for the year. I am intentional in= recognizing what each student brings= to my classroom and I focus on= capitalizing on their strengths and= interests to keep them engaged in the= learning process long-term. Pérsepolis= was chosen for their love of history but= also their desire for increased cultural= competence. The story, as Marjane

Satrapi’s personal narrative, allowed me to give the students a rich background of Iran and the interconnectedness of the United States, Russia, and Britain in Iran’s story before reading the novel. As they read the first part, then watched the film, they were able to make comparisons between their lives and Satrapi’s, discussing the issues that affect young adults here and in Iran. It allowed them to see we all have the same experiences no matter where we live and sparked a curiosity to know more.

Language learning is powerful, building cultural competencies in sensitivity, flexibility, understanding, curiosity, and a desire to explore the world and learn from others. It is my hope my students will celebrate this power with others they meet.

I.Greetings – Dan Tess

II.Fall Conference Committee

Program Committee Report (Linda Havas, Cathy Stresing, Rebecca Mai)

Thank you for your part in the success of our first in-person event since 2019. As expected, our number of attendees (289) were down from previous years.

WAFLT is YOUR conference! Proposal form for 2023 “Reconnect, Refresh, Renew” will go live in December.

Please complete the post conference survey for a chance to win one of two WAFLT memberships.

Local Arrangements – Lee BelangerGonzales

We had 16 exhibitors. This decline is not unusual as compared to other events due to continued COVID recovery. Thank you again to our sponsors.

III. Secretary’s Report – Brian Wopat MOTION: Kelly Villalobos moved and seconded by Josh LeGreve to dispense the reading of minutes and accept as written. The motion passed.

IV.President’s Report – Dan Tess

Thank you to everyone who helped us return to an in-person conference. Power Hours will continue approximately once per month. We will be seeking co-hosts from various corners of the state to help guide discussion and door prizes will be offered again.