What better way to begin National World Language Month than by hosting high school world languages students at the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures’ inaugural Internationalize Your Voice high school visit?
Over 100 high school students and six of their teachers from French, German, and Spanish classes at Normal Community and Normal Community West high schools spent the day learning about the value of language study. Students were welcomed at the Bone Student Center Atrium by Admissions guides and Dr. Juliet Lynd, chair, and Dr. Laura Edwards, advisor of the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, after which they took a quick tour of the Quad on their way over to Stevenson Hall, where a multilingual morning was about to start.
The department organized mini language sessions in all seven of the languages taught at Illinois State (Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish), in which students were able to learn and practice some fun introductory language and cultural information in languages they have never studied. They also learned trivia such as how the words “karate” or “bruschetta” are pronounced in Japanese and Italian, respectively, and how students will read about werewolves, ghosts, and zombies in Latin and even be able to participate in an archaeological dig in Italy!
The next hour, high school students attended an actual language class with current Illinois State students to see what language classes are like at the university level. Over lunch at the Bone Student Center, they chatted with current ISU students from a variety of majors who have added a minor or double major in a language, and they learned about language clubs, honor societies, and heard from language alums via video and podcast who shared advice and university and career stories. The day ended with an interactive trivia game about facts students might know about languages, multilingualism, and studying languages in general at Illinois State.
Normal Community High School Spanish teacher Julie Horton shared the group’s satisfaction with the event. “Our time at ISU invigorated student interest in world languages,” Horton said. “NCHS students loved engaging in mini lessons offered by professors in French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, and Latin!”
Co-organizers Lynd and Edwards explained their main objectives for Internationalize Your Voice are to broaden students’ horizons about the many reasons to learn additional languages in high school and continue to expand their knowledge and proficiency in college—or even learn a new language.
