No Images? Click here Fall 2017 | Issue 2 Department WelcomeWelcome back everyone! I hope that the Summer was both restful and productive. This year, I am flying solo as Department Chair after having Dr. Raquel Trillia as Associate Chair last year. I would like to thank her and then Dr. Inge Genee for their friendship and guidance. It was great to have two people to consult when I had questions. I am once again excited to work with our administrative support, Jessica Loewen and the faculty members to explore ways in which we can improve our Department. Hopefully in the coming year, we can provide it with greater visibility and showcase not only our expertise, but also the importance of languages and linguistics in an increasingly global society. Having put together a project for the Dean's "Big Ideas" with the help of Dr. Genee and the other members of the Department, and then, renewed our connections in the Spring with the Faculty of Education where many of our students go to become teachers, I feel like we are moving in the right direction. It is important that we continue to show our colleagues and others that we are an established Department, with members who are committed to teaching, active in terms of research, and engaged in all sorts of service and community related activities. This Newsletter is obviously part of our effort to demonstrate what we have accomplished and broadcast events and information relating to the Department. It would be remiss then to not thank Dr. Tabitha Spagnolo for her help with our first newsletter and then, this current one. She has put many hours into understanding the formatting for this document and how to best share our successes. On this note, I invite you to explore what we have been up to for the past six months and discover what lies ahead as the semester unfolds. In this issue, for example, we have two Faculty returning from Study Leaves with experiences abroad and exciting research projects to speak about. We also have Dr. Yukiko Yoshizumi who is returning this year to teach Japanese, a new FLC French Language Assistant, a new sessional instructor in Spanish, and a new MA grad student in French doing research and helping with language labs and corrections. In other words, we have lots to tell you! So please enjoy and let us know if we have missed anything or anyone. All the best for the Fall 2017 semester! - Steve
Sessional Instruction We would also like to welcome back three sessional instructors this semester: Diana Letts who is teaching Spanish 1000, Sylvie Lebon who is teaching French 1500 and Francine Young (Coordinator of the French Language Centre) who is teaching both French 1100 and French 2000. Blackfoot Language Resources ProjectHidden away in a corner of the Penny building downtown, work on the Blackfoot Language Resources project continued this past summer. Under the direction of Dr. Inge Genee, four undergraduate summer research assistants, several applied studies students and volunteers worked hard on the website. Two of the research assistants were our own Modern Languages students Mahaliah Peddle and Myles Shirakawa. Together with anthropology student Blaise Russell and Social Work student Rachel Hoof, they added a lot of extra pictures and audio clips to the Blackfoot Digital Dictionary, recorded stories for the Story Archive, made help videos, and started a Facebook page with daily phrases and other project information. They also worked on grammar pages, paradigms, resource pages, and collecting new words for the dictionary. Congratulations! During the summer, Dr. Luz Janeth Ospina successfully defended her PhD at the University of Nebrija in Spain. The title of her thesis is "Desarrollo de la competencia pragmática en ELE a través de las nuevas tecnologías" ("Development of Pragmatic Competence in Spanish as a Foreign Language Using New Technologies"). French Language Centre News After a very successful international colloquium in October, 2016 on the topic of "Education: Practice and Representation in French," we are now in the process of collecting and publishing the acts which will come out in 2018. For the fifth consecutive year, the FLC sponsored a Francophone author for Word on the Street that took place on September 23. This year, Dr. Monia Mazigh presented her novel Hope has two daughters at the Lethbridge Festival and also delivered a lecture on campus on September 22nd. Thanks to Dr. Mélanie Collado for looking after this guest and the events. The FLC also had a booth at Word on the Street to promote its activities within the Modern Languages Department and in the greater community. Special thanks to Francine Young, Dr. Mélanie Collado and Dr. Steven Urquhart who represented the centre for visitors from around town. Study Leaves Dr. Tabitha Spagnolo is looking forward to a year-long study leave (2018-2019) during which she will work on a few projects including a study of Antoine de Montfleury's (1639-1685) cultural influence from classicism to modernity. She will look at monarchy, masculinity and the rare image of a transvestite king on the French 17th c. stage and continue work on the controversial education of early modern women. Finally, she'll carry on translating Jean Rotrou's Agésilan de Colchos (1637). Dr. Abby McMeekin is currently on study leave until June 30, 2018 . She is working on technology use in Japanese language classroom and non-classroom contexts. Modern Languages Film Series - Let's Eat! Jiro Dreams of Sushi (USA & Japan, David Gelb, 2011) This documentary looks at the life and work of Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old master chef whose tiny sushi restaurant and huge reputation have created a legacy. (In Japanese with English subtitles). Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) (Mexico, Alfonso Arau, 1992) In the tradition of magical realism, a tale of forbidden love and the power of food to communicate the deepest emotions and wildest impulses of the cook to everyone who eats what she prepares. (In Spanish with English subtitles). Babette’s Feast (Denmark, Gabriel Axel, 1988) Denmark, in the late nineteenth century. A French refugee from the Franco-Prussian war surprises the quiet, puritanical residents of a small village with her sublime cooking. Based on a novel by Isak Dinesen. (In Danish, Swedish and French with English subtitles). Tampopo (タンポポ) (Japan, Juso Itami, 1985) In this spoof of a spaghetti Western, a young widow revolutionises her ramen noodle shop with the help of a passing trucker, a retired master, and a bit of spying. Other outrageous food-centered anecdotes emerge against this backdrop. Rated “R”. (In Japanese with English subtitles). Fuera de carta (Chef’s Special) (Spain,
Nacho G. Valilla, 2008) Chef Maxi is an openly gay, top-ranked chef in Madrid. But he will question his values and success when his children from a prior marriage decide they want to get to know him, and his life is turned upside down. (In Spanish with English subtitles). Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse (The Gleaners and I) (France, Agnès Varda, 2000) & Two documentaries that take a hard look at food waste and the people who choose to turn it into plenty, whether by reclaiming the tradition of gleaning in France, or by starting a very special soup kitchen with top Italian chef Massimo Bottura. (In French, Italian and English with English subtitles). Modern Languages Speaker Series (Fall 2017) Dr. Inge Genee Dr. Tabitha Spagnolo Profs & Prizes Awards Ceremony Thursday, October 5, 2017 from 4–6 pm in the Markin Hall Atrium All Modern Languages Students are invited to this annual event that rewards our best students. Food and drinks will be available. Please do come and celebrate with us!! French Theatre Workshops Dr. Gabrielle Houle will present a series of French theatre workshops
Dr. Yukiko Yoshizumi held two wonderful Japanese calligraphy workshops in March, 2017 to demonstrate how to write Japanese kanji words with a brush. Students attended from all around the university. Because of their success, she will hold another workshop in November, 2017 - watch for more information soon. Japanese Speech Contest Congratulations to Jean Macapinlac and Rebecca Jeong who competed in the 26th Annual Alberta District Japanese Speech Contest which was held at the University of Alberta in March, 2017. They were among 30 students from Alberta and Saskatchewan to compete in front of a distinguished audience that included the Japanese Consul-General Tanabe. Next year, the event will be held at the University of Calgary and we encourage all eligible students to consider participating. http://www.calgary.ca.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/00_000336.html Off-campus study (France & QC) The following students are doing/did a semester away: Grad Studies Steven Gillis is beginning a MA degree under the direction of Dr. Alain Flaubert Takam. He will be carrying out various duties including lab supervision and marking while pursuing his studies. Mahsa (Massomeh) Miri continues to work on her MA thesis on the impact of revolutions on the narrative structure and æsthetic design of film titling sequences in Cuba, Iran and Venezuela. Free French Tutoring The French Language Centre is once again providing Free French tutoring at all levels on Mondays from 3-5 in the Modern Languages Student Room (B-586). Free and open to all students currently enrolled in French classes. Canada Japanese Video Contest entry deadline: November 15, 2017 U of L Travel Fund deadline: Dec. 1, 2017 for travel period 3 (Jan. 1 - Mar. 31, 2018) Explore program application deadline (for Summer 2017): February 15, 2018 Faculty Study Leave Application deadline: May 30, 2018 DELF Preparatory Workshops - The French Language Centre offers workshops to familiarize candidates with the format of each test. See below for exam levels and dates. Follow link for online registration:
On-line registrations: http://www.delf-dalf/preparatory-workshops DELF Fall Exam Dates DELF Tous Publics/Post-Secondary Students
DELF A1 - Monday, Nov. 6, 2017 - 10 am - TH 241 DELF Junior/Scolaire (Students from age 11)
DELF A1 - Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017 - 10 am - TH 241 The Department of Modern Languages Newsletter © 2017 University of Lethbridge |