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Alumni Survey Reveals Lifelong

Impact of Engaged Learning

Through Languages

C ommunity engagement. Engaged learning. The commitment to these pedagogical philosophies is the cornerstone to the meaningful teaching and learning that take place at Furman

University. Under the leadership of

President Davis, there is great momentum

in expanding the already existing opportunities that have offered our students transformative academic and personal experiences with community members.

The faculty in the Department of Modern

Languages and Literatures (MLL) welcome

the university-wide emphasis on experiential education and we are eager to take part in these conversations. The goal of this edition of the

Palingual

is to showcase the high-impact activities in which MLL students, alumni, faculty, and staff are involved and how community engagement and engaged learning are natural elements of what we do in MLL.

To substantiate this claim, the present report

incorporates the ?ndings of the "MLL Alumni

Survey" that was distributed electronically in Fall 2015. As of July 2016, 201 MLL alumni completed the survey. Of this number, 180 gave us permission to use their responses; we will only report on these respondents' answers. Even though this only represents a portion of all graduates

of MLL programs, these ?ndings offer valuable insights on what most in?uenced

MLL alumni as undergraduates and how

languages are still a part of their lives today. The beautiful and serendipitous part about learning languages is that it naturally aligns with meaningful relationships with community members, both local and abroad, and engaged learning. For learners to acquire both communicative and intercultural competence they must have ample opportunities to have conversational exchanges in real-world contexts.

Preparation in the classroom is crucial,

and in the sur vey MLL alumni listed several professors that had an indelible in?uence on them. To complement this on-campus training, it was the out-of-class experiencesTable of Contents

Alumni Survey .........................p.2

MLL Out of the Bubble

............p.4

LRC 2.0

..................................p.6

Chair's Message

......................p.7

Manyé Receives Award

...........p.7

French

....................................p.8

German Studies

....................p.11

Spanish

................................p.14

From the Language Houses

...p.18

World Language Education

....p.18

Faculty Updates

....................p.20

New Faces in MLL

.................p.22

Student Accomplishments

.....p.23

Contact Us............................p.24

The Palingual

The Newsletter of Modern Languages and Literatures at Furman University

FALL 2016

ISSUE 2: FOCUS ON

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Pictured above: MLL Department 2016-2017.

Back , from left: Jerry Cox, Anna Notation-Rhoades,

Bill Allen, Ilka Rasch, Maria Rippon, Erik Grell,

Nathan Brown, Jeremy Cass, Cherie Maiden,

Daniel Worden, Ron Friis, Adrián Massei

Front , from left: Stephanie Knouse, Lourdes Manyé, Sofía Kearns, Angélica Lozano-Alonso, Angeli Leal,

Marianne Bessy, Anne Culberson, Bryan Betancur.

Not pictured: David Bost and Bill Prince.

Photo credit: Jeremy Fleming.By Stephanie M. Knouse continued p. 2 2 (cont'd)

Education-Languages/ESOL

Education-Other Disciplines

Health Care/Mental Health

Business/Economist/Accounting/Finance

Education-English Abroad

Graduate Studies

Government/Military

Sales/Customer Service

Religious-Af?liated Positions

Communications/Marketin/PR

Journalism/Publishing

Law/Legal Services

Research Data Analyst

Other or None

Peace Corps/Volunteer (other)

Translation/Interpretation

Graphic Design/Web Design/IT

Science/Engineering

Travel/Tourism44

29
26
23
18 17 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 7 5 4 3 3 3

0 510 1520 2530 3540 4550

with the language - where learners put into practice the skills they had previously acquired in a formal setting - that the alumni remembered as truly life-altering. Furman undergraduates majoring in French, German, or Spanish enhance their linguistic skills and knowledge of cultures through their participation in senior-level internships, linguistic research in the community, courses with community-based and service learning components, language house activities, and MLL-sponsored study away programs. Of the endeavors mentioned above, study away has been MLL 's signature experiential learning opportunity for decades. Over 82% of the respondents of the MLL Alumni Survey indicated that they had spent time abroad as a Furman student, and many expressed that this experience was nothing short of transformative. After participating in Furman's fall semester in Spain, alumna Bonnie Byrnes '02 explained, "I have been able to see the world around me and the world afar with new eyes. My whole perspective on life has forever changed and I have been made better for it." For others, like Mallory Porter '09, these programs serve as the ?rst of many travelling adventures.

After spending the "best three months" of her life in Versailles, Porter returned to France in 2011-2012 and 2013-2014 through the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) program. She af?rmed that the knowledge, "experience, and con?dence" she had developed during her time in Versailles gave her the necessary skills to maximize her travels to several other European countries and to make a smooth transition to life in France.

Study away and general language study have taken

MLL alumni in many directions, professionally speaking. It is an understatement to say that MLL alumni have been involved in a fascinating array of careers since their years at Furman (Table 1). Several are dedicating their professional lives to teaching the same languages and cultures they learned at Furman (see the report on the Teacher Education Program in languages on p. 18), while many others have combined their international experiences and language skills with different ?elds. Career titles such as Speech-Language Pathologist, Dentist, Economist, Foreign Service Of?cer, Physician, Freelance Journalist, Associate Attorney, Full Professor, High School Teacher, and Fulbright Fellow are only some of the professional positions that MLL alumni currently hold. Approximately 86%

Table 1.

Professional positions

held since graduation from Furman University (n = 252).

Strongly agree

59%Agree

27%Strongly disagree

4%Disagree

2%

Neither agree

or disagree 8%

Strongly agree

73%Agree

20%Strongly disagree

5%

Neither agree

or disagree 2%

Strongly agree

59%Agree

27%Strongly disagree

4%Disagree

2%

Neither agree

or disagree 8%

Strongly agree

73%Agree

20%Strongly disagree

5%

Neither agree

or disagree 2% 3

Figure 1.

MLL alumni ratings for "Having pursued a major in

modern languages at Furman has bene?tted me professionally

and/or serves me well in my current profession" (n=164).Figure 2. MLL alumni ratings for "Having pursued

a major in modern languages at Furman has enriched my personal life" (n=164). of MLL alumni agree or strongly agree that their language education has bene?tted them professionally (Figure 1). Even if they do not use French, German, or Spanish on a daily basis, learning a modern language has allowed MLL alumni to ?ne-tune other professional abilities, such as communication, interpersonal, organizational, presentational, and analytical skills. It is easy to infer that MLL alumni are making an impact in their respective communities and their Furman education was pivotal to their professional formation.

What stood out even more than the professional

bene?ts of majoring in a modern language was the resounding acknowledgement of how enriching studying a modern language has been for MLL alumni on a personal level (Figure 2). Knowing another language and culture has allowed our MLL alumni to meet life-long friends and romantic partners, and has expanded their sense of family. It has instilled in them a love for art, music, literature, and linguistic intricacies that they now share with friends and family. MLL alumni are passionate about international travel and experiencing a variety of cultures at home and abroad. It has helped them become more empathetic, globally-aware individuals. Emily Poe-Crawford '08 attested to this by explaining how her English and Spanish studies at Furman gave her "a richer understanding of people" and the ability to better "listen to, understand, process, and respond to the words and actions of both friends and strangers." Many of these ways of life began here at Furman University. It is impossible to convey in this short space all of the impressive accomplishments and adventures of our former students. They are experts in their ?elds and leaders in their communities. They are international explorers. They are responsible and active citizens, and ambassadors of Furman. Their stories serve as further evidence to support engaged learning and community engagement initiatives that are currently taking place at Furman, as MLL alumni have bene?tted immensely as a direct result of their implementation for years. The MLL faculty is excited to continue its commitment to community engagement and engaged learning, and we are currently exploring new and creative ways of broadening and enhancing our in-house programs. To view a comprehensive list of updates provided by MLL alumni, please visit please visit http://bit.ly/2enE3M2 . If you would like to participate in the MLL Alumni Survey, please feel free to access the link at http://bit.ly/2b3rHqb . To send us updates, please use this link: http://bit.ly/2eeNcEZ W ith perhaps 2,000,000 immigrants employed as farm workers each year in the US, numerous organizations exist to provide medical assistance to laborers who often work in harsh conditions with infrequent access to health care. For two Furman French students from Atlanta, using their skills as medical interpreters has been not only a way to serve others but to deepen their understanding of Francophone culture. Cesaria Martinez '18 and Kristen Rafuse '19 have worked 1-2 week stints during multiple summers in the South Georgia Farmworker Health Project. Cesi, a junior French major, originally volunteered in her native Spanish, but in recent years has used her French as well to bridge the gap between workers

speaking Haitian Creole and English-speaking physicians and assistants. Cesi speaks of the deep sense of satisfaction she gets from the work. "Language is about making connections," she says, and by serving as an interpreter she gains insight into the lives of others, such as a 15-year-old Haitian boy who had survived the 2010 earthquake in Port-au-Prince. Kristen, a sophomore, has spent long days working alongside physicians' assistants treating ailments such as allergies, arthritis, and PTSD. The experience not only opened her eyes to the challenges faced by seasonal workers who help provide food to America, but also to the great linguistic and cultural diversity in the Francophone world Kristen and Cesi's stories remind us that language learning may begin in the classroom, but often takes us far beyond it.

T hanks to the very generous Elaine Duffy Childers Award, which covered all travel and living expenses, I was able to spend the summer before my senior year interning at the prestigious Marmottan Monet Museum in Paris, France. This internship proved to be a perfect combination of my two majors, French and Art History. While at the Marmottan Monet Museum, I was a full-time curatorial intern and spent most of my time conducting art historical research on the museum's vast collections which include Medieval illuminations; paintings, furniture, and decorative objects from the Napoleonic era; and Impressionist artwork from the likes of Berthe Morisot, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Gustave Caillebotte, and the world's largest Claude Monet collection. The work that I produced this summer will be used at a future date toward the publication of a new guide to the museum's collections. During my internship, I was fortunate enough to witness the disassembling of the museum's temporary exhibit, "L'art et l'enfant," which examined the depiction of children in art in past centuries. Through this internship not only did I improve my French skills and broaden my art historical knowledge, I also gained con?dence in my ability to work professionally in another countr y using only a foreign language. I was also given a taste of what the ?ne art world is like in Europe. This opportunity allowed me to have a better understanding of what I want to prioritize after I graduate from Furman in terms of my career and my personal life. I am very grateful to the Furman MLL Department for allowing me to broaden my learning outside of campus, and I wish to thank in particular Dr. Bessy and Dr. Allen for their help throughout this whole process. French Students Serve Seasonal Workers Through Medical Interpretation

By Bill Allen

French Major Interns at

Prestigious Paris Museum

By Plicca Watt '17

MLL Out of the Bubble:

Recent Internships and Service Learning

Watt '17 at Marmottan Monet Museum in Paris. Photo credit: Plicca Watt '17. 4 5 I mmigrants come to the US and refuse to learn English."

This is one of the

stereotypes that students in my Latin

American Civilization course saw challenged

through their service learning experience this past

Spring 2016 at Neighborhood Focus (NF), a faith-

based non-pro?t after-school program, located at the heart of Berea. What they witnessed through tutoring and mentoring the NF kids was the eagerness of many to improve their English, while others showed surprising excellent English oral pro?ciency, although most lacked academic skills. Service learning aligns classroom needs with community needs. This allows Furman students to re?ect on some issues that usually don't appear in textbooks, such as the immigrant experience and its impact on school-age kids; the Hispanic neighborhood vis-à-vis the Anglo one; poverty and the community's strategies to deal with it; and Berea's Hispanic ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity. For most students, this was a fun experience that allowed them to put their resourcefulness and creativity to work. As

Matt Hogg attests, "The two hours of volunteering

per week turned out to be far more than an effort put forth to earn a grade. From the time I walked in the door on my ?rst day until I said goodbye to the kids on my last, there was nowhere I would have rather been... I played dodgeball and tag with the kids and tried to make learning a fun and engaging experience." As for the bene?ts to NF, which, as most non-pro?ts, struggles with the increasing numbers of applicants and scarce resources. Will Fallaw '14, former Program

Manager who supervised students' service at NF,

puts it best: "Furman students went above and beyond in helping us deliver an effective program and serve the students and families of NF."

Thank you, students, for a job well done! You

made a big difference, and I am very proud of you! T axi! Taxi!" several casually-dressed men yelled in my direction as I was standing outside the airport. "No thanks," I said as I waved them away and looked around for another taxi service that seemed more recognizable. As the universal yellow and black car pulled up, a man hopped out and said, "Buenas noches, señora y señorita. Mi nombre es José y bienvenidas a la isla de Puerto Rico." "¡

Hola, señor

José,"

I blurted out, unable to hide my excitement and eagerness to ?nally speak Spanish. "Muchas gracias, señor José, y mucho gusto," I continued. Shocked by my ability to speak the language, he smiled. From the contentment behind Mr. José's smile I knew that Puerto Rico was going to be a welcoming journey. In order to get to work I would take the public bus and make my way to the city center , Miramar. Each day in the of?ce I had the chance of not only speaking countless hours of Spanish with the other employees, but also I had the opportunity to work closely with both industrial and mechanical engineers. Each group of engineers would give me an overview of the internal tasks they perform on a daily basis in order to keep the solar energy plants running. I was given the chance to work closely with a manager to learn how bills are paid, invoices are organized, and how payrolls are submitted. Moreover, I was introduced to the legal work that leads up to the preparation of the operation for each solar plant. Fortunately, during my time in Puerto Rico the company had one solar site in operation, one under construction, and several waiting for approval. Therefore, I had the opportunity to see the differquotesdbs_dbs25.pdfusesText_31

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