Lingua Franca

¿Qué Pasa? Quoi De Neuf? Novità? Department News Abounds (7.2)

Department News

¡Bienvenido, Dr. Reeds! Dr. Kenneth Reeds, who has been teaching Spanish full-time as a visiting professor for the past two years, will officially join the faculty of the Department of Foreign Languages this fall as a tenure-track assistant professor. Dr. Reeds holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University College London and specializes in Latin American literatures. He has studied in Spain and traveled throughout Europe and Latin America and is a huge advocate for study abroad. He will be teaching all levels of Spanish language and Latin American literature courses. Find out more about him at: www.kennethreeds.com.

Arabic program expands:  In 2010-2011, the Department will launch the third-year sequence of Arabic (ARA 301-302), for students who have completed intermediate-level Arabic and wish to continue to develop their language skills and knowledge of Arab cultures. The Department wishes to thank Prof. Abdelfattah for volunteering to help us expand our curriculum in Arabic and for his service over the past two years. Dr. Abdelfattah will be teaching the advanced courses in Arabic, in addition to elementary and intermediate courses next year.

Mandarin Chinese 101 will be offered for the first time in the history of Salem State College in Fall 2010. This is the first course of a two-year language program in Mandarin Chinese which we think will be a wonderful addition to our current language offerings. The City of Salem has a rich history of trade with China and there are many wonderful Chinese exhibits at the Peabody Essex Museum. In addition, Salem State College has been participating in a dual degree/ educational exchange program with China since Fall 2008 through the China Center for International Educational Exchange (CCIEE) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). If the elementary Chinese courses do well this year, we will offer the intermediate sequence beginning Fall 2011.

Québec Delegation donates books to Salem State Library! The Québec Delegation in Boston has made a generous donation of books to the Salem State Library in recognition of our French program’s contributions to furthering the teaching and learning of Québécois culture in the U.S. The books are a collection of the most famous classics of Québécois literature and will enhance our current collection in this field. Merci beaucoup!

What are you doing this summer? The Department of Foreign Languages is offering its summer study abroad programs in Spain, Italy and Québec again this summer, but if you can’t get away, you can still immerse yourself in learning a new language. We will offer elementary and intermediate Spanish, French, Italian and Arabic this summer…why not try something new? Find course listings at: www.salemstate.edu/academics/541.php

Future Teachers of Italian: The Department will select its first candidate for the Future Teachers of Italian fellowship established this year in conjunction with the Italian Consulate in Boston. Through this program, one Salem State College senior or recent graduate will receive a fellowship to live and study in Lombardia, Italy where they will teach English conversation in an Italian high school. The first Salem State student will teach in Italy during the 2010-2011 academic year. Antonio Ciruolo and Tania Buonopane are our first two candidates. Good luck!

Spring Events: Look for posters for our upcoming spring events, including movie nights, our annual Pétanque/Bocce tournament, our Photo Contest winners, the HOPE award, and our annual Spring Fling!

French and Italian Internships: The Department has created internships in French and Italian this year. During spring 2010, three students completed internships as teaching assistants at Salem High School (French), Salem Middle School (French) and Gloucester High School (Italian). We hope to continue and expand internship opportunities in French and Italian in the future (currently offered as directed studies). If you are enrolled in the French or Italian minor and are interested in interning during your senior year, please contact Dr. Blood or Dr. Rocca for more information.

Clarke School Spanish Pre-K Program: Dr. Serra has collaborated with the Clarke School in Swampscott to create a Spanish preschool program. Student interns volunteered to assist in the creation of the program and teach many of the classes. This program is similar to the Salem Preschool and Marblehead Elementary School Spanish programs that the Department has already been operating with student interns from the Peer Tutoring and Community Placements Spanish courses. One student, Fay Ventouris, was so inspired by the program, she has initiated creation of a Spanish preschool program in her hometown of Saugus.

Student News

New additions to the SSC Foreign Languages community. MAT-Spanish student Katie Hanchett’s son, Micah James Hanchett, was born on December 25th, 2009!  He was 8 lbs 14 oz and 21 1/4 inches long.  Katie is enjoying her time at home with him and will return to work in September. If all goes according to plan, there will be another addition to the club soon. MAT-Spanish graduate Jessica Stryhalaleck tells us she is pregnant with her second child.  The baby is due at the end of July. The gender will be a surprise. The baby will be joining daughter Mia, who is 4. Best of luck, Jessica!

Faculty News

Dr. Blood presented a session entitled “Québec aujourd’hui: identité, diversité, fierté” at MaFLA’s Diversity Day at Lasell College on May 1, 2010. This series of professional development workshops is for French teachers wishing to expand their knowledge of Francophone cultures.

Drs. Doll, Rocca, and Dávila presented research at the North East Modern Language Association (NEMLA) meeting in Montréal, Canada this April. Dr. Doll chaired a seminar entitled “Translation:  Beyond the Personal to the Global” and presented her own research in “Translation as Transformative Experience”; Dr. Rocca chaired a seminar  entitled “Postcolonial Francophone Writers Narrating Places of Creation, Transformation and Connection” and presented new research on Algerian author Assia Djebar entitled “Assia Djebar Between Spaces and Places: Words, Sounds and Bodies”; and Dr. Dávila presented her research entitled “When the Spirits Dance Mambo: African Tradition in the Puerto Rican Diaspora.”

Dr. Dávila also presented “Una nueva estética de la violencia: Archivo de oscuridades de José E. Santos” at the 2010 NAAAS & Affiliates National Conference (National Association of African-American Studies & National Association of Hispanic and Latino Studies – NAHLS), in Baton Rouge, LA.

Dr. Rocca also held a presentation at the Sons of Italy Woburn Ladies Lodge in Woburn, MA, entitled: “Lazio and Beyond: the Region, its Internal Dynamics and Relationship within Italy”, and talked at the French Club Richelieu in Salem, MA, about her research topic and how she met Algerian female writer, historian and distinguished Professor at NYU Assia Djebar, first Algerian member of the prestigious Académie Française.

Dr. Reeds presented “Urban Pessimism and the Optimism between the Lines: Literary Latin American Cities” at the Florida International University’s Seventh Biennial Conference on Spanish and Spanish-American Cultural Studies, in Miami, FL.

Dr. Aske recently published an article on “Foreign Languages and the Core” for the School of Arts and Sciences publication ASpect, with the intention of starting a discussion about the desirability of making changes to the language requirements currently in place at Salem State College. The article can be read online at this address: aspectwebsite.com/foreign-languages-and-the-core.