After this busy spring semester, many of the staff here at the Language Center will be engaging in some important life transitions! We want to highlight some of these milestones and accomplishments by congratulating the following staff members:

Jennifer Boe, Classroom Support and Assistant Main Office Coordinator is graduating at the end of the summer with a Master's in Teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). Jenny's research topic is on sense of belonging in first generations students at the University of Minnesota.

Kowsar Khuriye, Multimedia Lab Attendant, will be graduating at the end of this summer with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Public Health.

Meghan McFadden, Classroom Support Coordinator, is currently in the Second Languages and Cultures Masters of Education department and will be obtaining a Minnesota Teaching License for K-12 French and K-12 ESL in June.

Saoirse McMahon, Main Office Assistant and Elsie Speaks Editor, recently became a U.S. citizen. Her naturalization ceremony took place on March 25.

Francisco Salinas Vega, World Languages Day Assistant, is graduating this semester with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics, along with a minor in Spanish. He also recently became a U.S. citizen. His naturalization ceremony was on April 19.

Jessica Troyan, Classroom Support staff, will be studying abroad this summer for two months in Toledo, Spain. She is currently a sophomore.

Caroline Vang, Classroom Support Coordinator, will be graduating with a Master's from the Second Language Studies Department in teaching ESL. Her current paper is about the function of Japanese bilingualism for Japanese-American heritage speakers and how it relates to Japanese-American identity.

Congratulations, everyone!

Did you know that the Language Center employs approximately twice as many undergraduate student staff as continuing non-student staff? Our undergraduate student staff provide primary assistance to students and instructors in public areas like the Main Office and Multimedia Lab, and also provide support to smaller teams like the Dev Studio and TandemPlus. The Language Center could not run without our dedicated and skilled undergraduate team members.

The Student Employee Leadership Program (SELP) provides an opportunity to recognize student employees who go above and beyond expectations in their work at the university through the annual SELPie awards for Outstanding Student Employees. The 2013 winners from the Language Center are:

• Abdulkarim Maalin: Testing Assistant and Somali LPE Developer
• Francisco Salinas Vega: World Language Day Assistant
• Jessica Troyan: Classroom Support Lead Student
• Henry Wahl: Main Office Lead Student
• Alaina Witt: Dev Studio Assistant and AV Developer

This Spring, 10 different student employees work in Classroom Support. They are available from 7:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday to help you with all your classroom technology and language learning needs.

Will Benton

My name is Will Benton. I am a Junior studying Linguistics and the History of Technology. I am also studying Chinese and am very interested in working in China, mostly as an English teacher, so i am also planning on minoring in Teaching English as a Second Language. This is my second year at Jones Hall and i hope to keep working here until i graduate.

Ruth Zwick

My name is Ruth Zwick. I am a sophomore majoring in Italian Studies and English. I am interested in teaching English in a foreign country, as I know others in the language center are, and am similarly planning on minoring in English as a Second Language. This is my first semester at the language center and I hope to continue working here while in school.

Jessica Troyan

I am Jessica Troyan, I am a sophomore double majoring in English and Spanish and hopefully a minor in technical communications. I have studied Spanish for about nine years and I plan on going abroad to Spain in Toledo this summer to study. I have worked in the LC for two years and hope to continue working here for two more years!

Brandon Adams

I'm Brandon Adams and am studying English, Jewish Studies, and Hebrew here at the university. I'm new to the Language Center this semester and I feel it's a great environment for what interests me the most! I absolutely love the study of languages and one of my life-long goals is to be multilingual in many languages. After my time here at the U I hope to work in humanitarian aid, particularly in the Middle East, one of my favorite areas of study. As I absolutely love the study of other cultures, I've found the easiest way to understand a culture is to study their language. One day I would like to teach in a university, but with so many different disciplines I'm interested in, I'm not sure what I would go to graduate school for. As I'm in my 4th semester of Modern Hebrew I am working on becoming more fluent and I hope to study in Jerusalem soon.

Miranda Moen

My name is Miranda Moen and I am majoring in Architecture and planning on minoring in Neuroscience. In high school I studied Spanish for 3 years and love learning about different cultures but don't currently study them in college. I have been here for 1 semester.

Andrew Swenson

I'm Andrew. I'm studying English. I've taken German classes the last five years and have visited Germany. This is my second semester at the Language Center.

Molly Schloesser

My name is Molly Schloesser. I am a sophomore here at the University of Minnesota. I am currently studying Family Social Science, with a minor in Family Violence Prevention. I am interested in studying Spanish as a potential minor in the near future. I just started here at the Language Center this semester (Spring 2013).

Keerthana Shankar

This is my second semester working at the Language Center. Pleased to meet you all! Although I am still undecided, I am considering an Asian Languages and Literature major in Korean. I was raised bilingual so my native language is actually Tamil. I've studied Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean; none of which I am fluent in yet, but hope to be!

Alli Shaw

My name is Alli and I am a freshman this year at the U. I am currently undecided on my major but I am taking classes that explore my interest in Psychology. I have taken six years of Spanish but have yet to take a language at the U, I am thinking about trying something new as far as the language I decide on. This be my second semester working at the Language Center.

Maxine Kobinski

I'm Maxine and this is my second Semester working in the LC. I am a double major in German and Linguistics, and minoring in ESL. I am interested in Travel and maybe teaching English in foreign European countries. I hope to leave for Germany and study in Berlin for a year, my application is pending so I guess we'll see!

This Spring, eight students work in the Main Office. They are available from 7:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday to help you with everything from room reservations to checkout equipment.

Rose Nguyen

My name is Rose Nguyen. I am a junior studying political science with a minor in family social sciences. I am interested in learning and researching how American policies affect immigrants and the urban community. I am a Vietnamese and English speaker. I have some past experiences in learning Spanish, French and Arabic and would like to be proficient in those languages as well as in Chinese. This is my first semester working for the LC and I am very excited!!

Saoirse McMahon

I'm Saoirse. I'm a junior and double majoring in Psychology and Professional Journalism. I've been working at the Language Center for about a year and a half now. I edit and write for the Elsie Speaks blog, and am currently a Research Assistant for a lab focusing on career assessment and counseling psychology. I have studied mostly French but also some Latin and Spanish. When I was younger I learned a little bit of Gaelic as well. My name means "freedom" in Gaelic and is pronounced "Seer-sha," in case you were curious.

Hunter Slack

My name is Hunter Slack and I am a freshman at the University of Minnesota this year. I have been working in the main office of the Language Center for a semester now. Currently, I plan on majoring in marketing with a minor in design focusing primarily on graphic design. Together I hope to land a job in advertising when I graduate college. I have been studying Spanish as well since high school and I completed Spanish 3015 last fall. I am also a musician and have been playing various instruments in bands for about four years now.

Henry Wahl

I'm Henry, a Junior studying Linguistics in CLA. I started Liinguistics a semester late, so I'm just doing the basic classes right now. I've taken a smattering of Spanish in Elementary through high school and now am in Span 3104, Introduction to Hispanic Literatures. I'm also in fourth semester Chinese and I hope soon to go to either or both a Spanish speaking or Chinese speaking country to study abroad. I started working at the Language center a bit over a year ago.

Heather Berglund

I'm Heather, and I'm studying music therapy here at the U. In high school I studied French for two years (je ne parle pas bien francais... see I probably didn't even get that right) but I would love to study more languages such as ASL, Spanish, and Russian (just because I think it sounds awesome.)

Fuad Warsame

My name is Fuad; this is my 3rd year and my major is communications with a minor in Marketing. I speak a second language which is Somali. I love learning new languages. I'm currently studying Italian. I've been with the LC Office for about a month.

Miranda Moen

My name is Miranda Moen. I am a sophomore and am majoring in Architecture and plan on minoring in Neuroscience. I have studied 3 years of Spanish in high school but overall find language and that as a way humans interact very fascinating because being fluent in different languages show different patterns in your brain! I have been in the Language Center for a semester now, but was primarily in the Classroom Support area. I am new to the Main Office this semester and look forward to learning new things and expanding my knowledge all things LC!

Jenny Li

Hi! I am currently a freshman originally from Apple Valley, MN. I am minoring in Spanish, but undecided for my major. Other than English, I am fluent in Chinese, particularly Cantonese and also in Spanish. My favorite color is pink and I enjoy eating sushi. One day, I wish to own a Siberian Samoyed dog. In the summer time I enjoy going to the beach and in the winter season I prefer staying warm and cozy listening to some Taylor Swift.

Expanding Our Horizons:Language Teacher Education in the 21st Century
Dan Soneson & Elaine Tarone (Eds.) with Anna Uhl Chamot, Anup Mahajan and Margaret Malone

This edited volume on language teacher education includes fourteen refereed papers based on presentations at either the 6th International Conference on Language Teacher Education (held in Washington DC in May 2009) or 7th International Conference on Language Teacher Education (held in Minneapolis, MN in May 2011). The papers showcase research and practice related to the education of language teachers from many different national and international contexts including foreign language education, English as a Second/Foreign Language, and heritage language instruction. This sharing of ideas and insights into language teacher education in such diverse international, national, and disciplinary contexts is truly intended to help all language teacher educators to expand their horizons and improve their practice.

This CARLA working paper is now available on Amazon.com!

This Spring, five different student employees work in the Multimedia Lab. They are available from 7:45 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 7:45 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Friday to help you with all your technology and language learning needs.

Maryan Abdi

Hi, my name is Maryan (but I used to be known as Fardowsa). I am from Somalia and know three languages (Somali, English, and Arabic). I am an Undergrad Senior this year doing a double major in Psychology and Statistics, and I will be back next year to finish up my Statistics major. After that I am planning to go to graduate school for a Biostatistics major in the School of Public Health. I don't have any big favorites but in my free time I like watching TV shows, cleaning my house, and spending time with family.

Wasim Bachani

Hello! I am currently a Senior majoring in Computer Science.  Other than English I speak a sub dialect of Hindi called Cutchi.  I also have taken four semesters of Hindi and Urdu at the U of M.  I grew up in Minneapolis but my parents are from Kenya.  I enjoy playing sports, especially basketball and soccer.

Kayla Collier

Hi, my name is Kayla and I am currently finishing up my Freshman year here at the University of Minnesota. I plan to major in Asian Languages and Literatures with an emphasis in Japanese, as well as to minor in several other areas as well. I speak English fluently, am proficient in French, and have about a year or so of Mandarin Chinese & Japanese under my belt. I was born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri and chose to continue onto my post-secondary education at the University of Minnesota! I hope to take on a career as a translator and interpreter and to even teach English abroad in Japan one day.

Kowsar Khuriye

Hi, my name is Kowsar, but my nickname is Kowsarina. I am currently studying psychology and minor in public health. I was born and raised in Kenya, but my family and relatives are from Somalia. I am fluent in three different languages, Somali, Swahili, and English. I also read and write in Arabic. I am planning on doing public health outreach program after graduation for about year. Afterwards I'm anticipating studying Community Health Promotion (CHP) at the U of M School of Public Health.

Jenny Li

Hi!  I am currently a freshman originally from Apple Valley, MN.  I am minoring in Spanish, but undecided for my major.  Other than English, I am fluent in Chinese, particularly Cantonese and also in Spanish.  My favorite color is pink and I enjoy eating sushi.  One day, I wish to own a Siberian Samoyed dog.  In the summer time I enjoy going to the beach and in the winter season I prefer staying warm and cozy listening to some Taylor Swift.

Please welcome Caroline Vang, our new Assistant Classroom Support Coordinator. Caroline is an ESL-MA student whose area of research is in Japanese-American heritage language learners and how/why they code-switch during their conversation. She received her B.A. from the University of California-Berkeley and she currently teaches ESL at the University of Minnesota.

Jenise Rowekamp, the former Language Center Director and instructor in the Minnesota English Language Program, is now in Sri Lanka serving as a Senior English Language Fellow at the University of Ruhuna in Matara, which is on the southernmost tip of Sri Lanka.

She and her partner Margaret have a blog. You can follow their adventures in Sri Lanka, and see lots of beautiful pictures of the local sites and wildlife (including both of them riding an elephant) at http://margaretjenise.blogspot.com.

Beginning this fall semester, I will no longer be serving the Language Center as the Classroom Support Coordinator.  Instead, I'll be starting a new journey at the University of Minnesota as a full-time ESL instructor in the Minnesota English Language Program (MELP), where I have taught part-time for five years.

While I'm looking forward to my new position in MELP, I will miss working with all of the great second language instructors here at the U of M.  Whether it's helping set up a class blog project or training the Mac DiLL software, I've really enjoyed helping instructors facilitate language learning through the use of technology. It's been really rewarding to be a part of this second language learning community here at the U of M!  

Jenny Boe, the current Office Coordinator, will be stepping in as the Interim Classroom Support Coordinator. In addition, former Classroom Support Assistant Meghan McFadden is now a graduate student, and she will be providing assistance in the morning throughout the month of September. You'll be in good hands with Jenny, Meghan and the student staff in Jones 5.  

Although I won't be helping in the classrooms as I have in the past, I'll certainly remain a frequent user and familiar face in the Language Center classrooms, and I look forward to seeing all of you then!

Alyssa Ruesch

Please welcome the new World Languages Day student assistant: Francisco Salinas Vega. He is a senior majoring in Applied Economics. He is also a native Spanish speaker born in Queretaro Mexico. Francisco believes that learning a new language provides a person with different perspectives, and he has experience with event planning and outreach to the Latino community.

As an update on our previous assistants: Bethany Schowengerdt completed her BA in Global Studies and French, and a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language. Over the summer she taught ESL and worked for AFS, a cultural exchange organization. She is currently preparing for her Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant to travel to Rwanda.

Rachel Faynik Marbell completed her MA in International Education this past May. She is now working as the France Programs Coordinator at Intercultural Student Experiences, a non-profit educational organization that helps high school language teachers plan short-term immersion programs abroad with their students. She is still involved with the University of Minnesota through her position as the Assistant Coach of the Hockey Cheerleading Team.

We are pleased to welcome Brianna Lopez to the Tandem Plus team. Brianna, or Bri, is a junior at the University of Minnesota, majoring in English and minoring in Spanish and Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS). In the past she participated in a Spanish-English TandemPlus exchange and continues to pursue an interest in language learning and social justice. She looks forward to graduating in the spring of 2014 and hopes to pursue a career in international law. Stop by Jones 135A and say hello to her!

Jenise Rowekamp, who served as the Language Center Director until 2009, and has continued to work at the U of M as an instructor in the Minnesota English Language Program has an exciting update on her plans next fall:

I have been selected as a Senior English Language Fellow for a position at the University of Ruhuna in Matara, Sri Lanka, which is on the southernmost tip of Sri Lanka, famous for whale watching. I'll be working with the English Language Training Unit and junior content faculty to assist them in teaching content courses in English. My partner Margaret will be joining me, hopefully doing some sort of volunteer work - we do know there are batik workshops in the town. The climate is tropical and we're on the beach - come visit!

Congratulations to Tandem Plus Assistant Anna Kaminski, who received a Boren Scholarship to study in Jordan next year! Anna, who is a junior at the University of Minnesota, has been studying Arabic for three years, and currently is a student in Hisham Khalek's Arabic 5102 class. She studied in Oman in Summer 2011 and is very excited to be going abroad again.

Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. To learn more about Boren Scholarships, click here.

Bethany Schowengerdt, TandemPlus and World Languages Day Assistant, has been awarded a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant to travel to Rwanda. From January to September 2013, she will serve as a teaching assistant at a university in Rwanda and also do volunteer work.

Bethany is graduating at the end of Spring 2012 with a double-major in Global Studies and French, and a minor in Teaching English as a Second Language. Her areas of concentration are Africa and the International Political Economy. While an undergraduate at the U of M, Bethany participated in a study abroad program in Senegal, and also served an internship at BestPrep, a non-profit that facilitates guest speaker presentations and an email exchange between high school students and business professionals.

We will always remember Bethany for her friendliness, positive energy, willingness to take on any task, and her commitment to second language education and student support. We wish her the best in her latest international endeavor!

On Friday, April 20, LC student staffer Anna Kaminski was presented with the second annual Inna Meiman human rights award from the Human Rights Program and the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at the University of Minnesota in recognition for her outstanding human rights work. Kaminski, a junior majoring in Art, Global Studies and Social Justice, has been a tireless advocate of human rights, working abroad in 2011 with the Iraqi and American Reconciliation Project in Najaf, Iraq and domestically in 2011-2012 on the HeART show in Minneapolis.

Anna has been working at the Language Center for two years. Currently she is the TandemPlus assistant, but true to her generous and helpful nature, she also assists in the Main Office and Multimedia Lab.

Congratulations, Anna!

Mackenzie, a Spanish student and Assistant Lead Student in the main office has won the 2012 Big Ten Network LiveBIG Scholarship for Outstanding Service award for her volunteer work in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.

You can read about this awards, and see a picture of Mackenzie and her little sister with Goldie Gopher at UMNews.

After working for the Language Center on and off ever since I was a Freshman undergrad in 2003, I will be leaving the office in mid-January to pursue a full-time position as the French Coordinator for a non-profit educational organization, called Intercultural Student Experiences. I am excited about this opportunity, but I am sad to leave the Language Center, especially in the middle of World Languages Day planning. This was my second year as primary coordinator for World Languages Day, but I have helped out with the event dating back to its debut in 2004. However, I have no doubt that World Languages Day 2012 will be a success; Stephanie Treat, the previous primary coordinator, will continue planning as usual.

I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with all the staff, volunteers and participants of World Languages Day and I hope to cross paths again with you in the future.

If you have any questions or concerns about this year's event, please contact Stephanie Treat at WLD@umn.edu or at 612-626-6017

Thanks so much everyone!

Rachel Faynik Marbell

Former Tandem Plus assistant Bethany Schowengerdt is studying in Senegal this semester, where she is learning French (and Wolof) and adapting to West African International Time ("WAIT") . You can follow her adventures on her blog, Bethany in Senegal. We will host a link to her blog on the LC home page.

photo: View across the street from Bethany's hotel in Dakar, Senegal

The Language Center is pleased to announce three recipients of the University's Outstanding Student Employee Award: Bryant Cotner, Anna Kaminski and Bethany Schowengerdt.  This award is presented to the top 10% of student employees at the University.  Each of these students played an integral part in the support of language teaching and learning at the University of Minnesota this past year.  

Bryant Cotner works in the Classroom Support area, where he has provided calm and competent assistance to instructors and students alike for the past five years.  In addition to troubleshooting issues in the classrooms, Bryant also served as our undergraduate computing specialist and helped to keep the computers at the Language Center updated and working properly.  He was also instrumental in the remodel of the Jones 15 classroom this past summer.  Bryant is graduating this spring; he will be greatly missed.

Anna Kaminski works in the Main Office area, where she is always eager to help university language instructors and students, however possible. Her enthusiasm and dedication to language learning is admirable and she has been awarded a well-deserved Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) for Arabic and will be sent to Oman this summer for intensive Arabic instruction and cultural immersion. Although Anna has been with the Language Center for less than two years, it is hard to imagine the office running so well without her.

Bethany Schowengerdt is the Tandem Plus Assistant, where she helps connect language learners both on campus and around the globe. Gregarious, gracious, and unflappable, Bethany has been instrumental in maintaining Tandem's Face-to-Face, Class-to-Class and Guided Conversation programs and also helping launch the new Virtual Face to Face (aka "Skype Exchanges") this year. She is leaving to study in Senegal this Fall. We will miss her presence at the Language Center, but she's promised to keep us apprised of her adventures both in French and English.

Please join us in congratulating our undergraduate staff for their hard work and dedication!

Student Office Assistant Anna Kaminski has planned a benefit concert for the American Refugee Committee on Friday, March 25 from 6-11PM at the Fallout in Uptown

This event, called the Heart Show, is sponsored by a U of M student group called STAND UMN and will take place at the Fallout Art Co-op (2601 2nd Ave S) in Uptown. This event is the first of its kind and is kicking off a new way to raise awareness and build a movement for Global Human Rights and Refugee Awareness. Local Bands Patch, Scotty Horey, Chrystal Odin and Le Cirque Rouge Band, and HighTV have designed their sets specifically around the stories of refugees and survivors that are sharing their stories from the Holocaust, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Interpretive Dance is also a part of the event and is choreographed by local Choreographer, John Mark. Local, Refugee, and National Artists are also exhibiting their work at this all encompassing show. Admittance is 8 dollars and all proceeds are being donated to the American Refugee Committee that is currently working on the ground in Libya, Sudan, Haiti, and most likely will soon be sending aid to Japan. Please make it out and support a great event and worthwhile cause!

You can learn more about this event at STAND UMN's Facebook event page. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115041701906560. If you have questions, please contact Anna at kami0087@umn.edu.

Undergraduate Office Assistant Anna Kaminski has been awarded a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) for Arabic. This competitive scholarship offers intensive summer language institutes overseas in thirteen critical need foreign languages for summer 2011. The CLS program is part of a U.S. government effort to increase the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. Through this opportunity, she will be sent to one of five countries, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia, or Egypt from June to August for intensive Arabic instruction and cultural immersion. Anna is a double major in Art and Global Studies.