An update from Emily Brown, a junior German teacher education major with minors in Spanish, French, and political science.
“I began taking Spanish in junior high school and simply fell in love with the language. I had an excellent teacher who made class exciting and always went out of her way to help and encourage students. In high school I decided to take French and German, which further solidified my interest in languages. I have also begun to study Japanese at Illinois State. While I am at different levels in each language, I am equally thankful for the experiences each has given me.
Between my coursework and my part-time job in retail, I don’t have much time to participate in extracurricular activities, but I thoroughly enjoy my time in my language classes. My professors are all extremely knowledgeable and it is great to see their dedication to the language and to their students. Their passion for their subject is inspiring and makes each and every class interesting.
I studied abroad in Bonn, Germany, last spring. I had traveled to Germany twice before but had never actually lived there, so it was great to experience everyday life in the country and use the language in a variety of authentic situations. I was also able to travel to other European countries during my time abroad. Traveling alone has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life because it gave me such a sense of confidence and freedom.
After I graduate I would like to become a German teacher and I hope to inspire in my future students a love of the language and culture and an appreciation for languages in general. I am also considering continuing my education in the fields of linguistics or translation.”
