Lingua Franca A Bi-Annual Newsletter Published by World Languages and Cultures at salemstate.edu/languages Volume 11 • Issue 1 • Fall 2013

A Student’s View of Study Abroad in Spain Caroline Sullivan INSIDE THIS ISSUE Caroline Sullivan is a student at home, so I was able to see where I Study Abroad Spain page 1 Northeastern University. During would be attending classes. About summer 2013 she joined the Salem a minute more after passing the Study Abroad cont. page 2 State University study abroad trip to school, she showed me Café Kin, Department News page 3 northern Spain. her restaurant, where I would have breakfast and lunch every day. A In Memoriam page 4 My only regret about visiting Spain minute later we arrived at Mila’s SSU at MAFLA page 5 is that I was not able to stay longer. apartment. She brought me upstairs, When I first returned from Europe showed me my room and we both Alumni Reflections page 5 subtle hints of jetlag still lingered and decided we were tired. I unpacked, What a Degree I found myself wishing to be back we both napped and I awoke to the Can Do For You page 6 in Europe. The days in Oviedo were wonderful dinner she had prepared remarkable - from the initial ten- for us. Italian Club Visits Museum page 7 minute walk from the bus station Future Teachers of Italian page 8 to discovering my new home for the next month; this was indeed a Smelling the Roses wonderful experience. on the Way to the Stop page 8 Upon my arrival in the city after Deutsch Lernen Macht Spab! page 9 a 45-minute bus ride from the airport, I was still unsure whether Study Abroad 2014 page 10 my host mother would actually be Spanish - English Cognates: there as we had not had frequent Viento and Vent page 11 communication prior to my departure from the United States. World Films page 12 People began to head off with their host families and two Spanish Editors: women remained while four ¡Puxa Asturias! Jon Aske students, including me, were still After dinner with Mila, I met another Kenneth Reeds waiting to be met by families. One student at a sidrería (literally, a woman stepped forward and said cider bar) where I was able to try Web Publication: in Spanish, “I don’t remember the the natural cider, the customary ssclinguafranca.wordpress.com name of my student but my name is drink of the Asturian region. Sidra Milagros.” Here was my host mother! is definitely an acquired taste. As I stepped forward and told her I was we all quickly learned, it is about JOIN SALEM STATE’S with her, she aggressively grabbed more than its flavor or the alcoholic LANGUAGE CLUBS’ MAILING my hand and started leading me consumption. It is a beverage that LISTS and FACEBOOK GROUPS away from the group. I told her I brings friends, family and even wanted to make sure everyone knew strangers together for a shared social Visit This Page: where they were going first. Once we experience. The next day I had my http://tinyurl.com/ssulanguageclubs sorted everything out amongst the first tostada and mermelada with other students, Milagros led me out café con leche at Mila’s café and from the bus station around a rotary was energized for the placement world Languages and and down a hill. As we walked, she test I took later that morning. After cultures identified various places and told taking our placement tests, we went Tel: 978.542.6258 me about herself. The University of to the Cathedral to meet Professor Oviedo was located along our walk Reeds so that he could take us on a [email protected]

continued on page 2 1 tour of Oviedo. Through his tour we locations. I was able to go surfing frequenting Copas Rotas in Oviedo, could all sense the passion he has in Gijón with some of the Spanish a fun spot stumbled upon by some for Oviedo. Professor Reeds passed friends I met who had a car. It was an Salem State University students on an abundance of information amazing experience, as I had learned during our first week. I found the about the city. It was especially to surf years before in Marblehead, people of Oviedo to be very kind, interesting to learn parts of their MA, but had never really had the friendly, and curious. I will admit that history which linked them to events opportunity to practice anywhere initially, I found the constant staring of the Spanish Civil war; a past many with significant waves. I remember odd. Over time, you understand their outsiders know little about. We my first week when some of us curiosity; the people want to get to were introduced to areas where we spent Fourth of July on the beaches know you and learn about someone could shop, La Gascona, and a row in Gijón watching the surfers and who is not from Asturias. During of sidrerías. After the tour many of wishing I could join them; little did my time in Oviedo, I could feel how us returned to the row of sidrerías to I know, that I would get to “ride the alive both la gente and la cultura enjoy sidra as a group. waves” before my time in Spain were. The energy I experienced in Oviedo and the Asturias region are ended. Study abroad has a way Oviedo was breathtaking, especially perfect for learning Spanish and to present such unexpected and that of a summer in Oviedo. Pueblo immerse yourself in the culture as it wonderful experiences. fiestas every night! Three nights full is not often that you find someone The University of Oviedo excursion of music, chorizo, sidra, and cerveza! who speaks English. Victor Coto, to Llanes revealed the most amazing It was amazing to see people of all my amazing Advanced Spanish beaches I have ever seen. The ages enjoying this fiesta into the professor was full of impressive views were breathtaking! On one early morning, dancing, singing and worldly knowledge. Inside the independent group excursion, while passing sidra around. It was great to classroom we were required to we intended to visit the beaches see community coming together in speak only in Spanish. I found in Avilés, we actually ended up this way. this instructional format helpful enjoying the beaches of Salinas. Oviedo is still fresh in my mind. As as the morning lessons were We took the local public bus from a Spanish major at Northeastern divided between work on grammar Oviedo to Avilés and were told that University, I am required to and context for two hours; we we could walk to the beaches. After participate in a study abroad participated in various activities a 45-minute walk, we finally arrived program. I hope to return to and listened to lectures, always in in Salinas where we discovered the the University of Oviedo for my Spanish. Victor, in particular, and gorgeous, huge span of beach; it Northeastern Study abroad program the other University of Oviedo was worth the walk. However, we requirement. I had such a great time professors were extremely later discovered there is a local bus getting to know everyone there and patient and always found a way to that takes you from the Aviles bus miss them so much. When I was demonstrate the topics of the lessons terminal to a stop near the beach, leaving Oviedo to return home, my without resorting to English. The a 7-minute ride; we all had a good host mother, Milagros and many second half of the day, I spent the laugh. of my Spanish friends said, “Nos first two weeks taking a literature I became fully involved in the vemos”. I know they are right and course and my last two weeks taking social scene with my Spanish that I will see them again. a history course - both were also contemporaries, a result of very good experiences. I had become accustomed to Spanish instruction being primarily focused on studying about Spanish language. These classes allowed me to see how well I could actually apply my Spanish knowledge. Like the morning classes, they were only conducted in Spanish. I think my literature and history teachers knew very little English, which I found to be beneficial as even when speaking to them outside of the classroom we would only converse in Spanish. The knowledge I received in my classes enhanced my experiences when visiting some of the locations we had discussed. I thoroughly enjoyed weekend excursions to Covadonga, Gijón, Santillana del Mar, Llanes, Avilés/Salinas, and other Caroline Sullivan (on the right) and other members of last summer’s study abroad trip at the bus station in Gijón, Asturias. 2 A¿Qué pasa? Quoi assistant professor of history and Salem Public Schools de neuf? Novità? specializes in Ancient Greek and Translator Resource List: Rome. Look for WLC 500 Directed The department will again Department News Study in Ancient Greek in the spring collaborate this year with the Salem Abounds schedule. Public Schools to provide a listing of students, faculty, administrators Departmental Autumn Soirée. and staff who are willing to be Thank you to all who helped to called for interpreting jobs in organize and attend our fall “Autumn the Salem schools. Last year, we Soirée” at Finz Seafood and Grill helped to send interpreters in eight in September! Faculty members different languages: Arabic, Chinese, donated their time, auction items Albanian, French, Portuguese, and culinary expertise in order to Spanish, Vietnamese and Russian. make the evening a memorable one! If you are a member of the SSU We enjoyed desserts from many community and are fluent in a parts of the world, world music and foreign language and in English, are dance, and were successful in raising interested in helping new immigrant around $2,000 for our departmental families navigate the public school gift fund. The funds raised will system, and would like to be included be used for student scholarships, in the resource list, please send research, travel and academic your contact information to Prof. enrichment activities. Professor Elizabeth Blood with Don Ross, Blood ([email protected]). For more photos of the Soirée, please Center for International Education Interpreters are hired directly by the Salem Public Schools and paid at a visit the online edition of Lingua New major concentrations. competitive rate. Franca: We also welcomed new French http://ssclinguafranca.wordpress.com/ and Italian majors to our BA in Study Abroad. World Languages and Cultures Start planning now for summer this fall, as our Spanish major 2014! The department will again continues to thrive! To our new be offering 6-9 credit summer students: Bienvenues! Benvenuti! programs in French (Québec), Italian ¡Bienvenidos! (Florence) and Spanish (Costa Rica) during the summer. Applications and New Course. information sessions will be held in A new course will be offered early spring 2014 semester. Check in spring 2014: Introduction to our website for more information at Translation (WLC 300)! Open to salemstate.edu/languages. students who have completed FRE 201, ITL 201 or SPN 201, this course offers an overview of the profession and practice of translation. Created for majors and minors, this course can count as one of the interdisciplinary course options on the BA in World Languages Professor Dávila let it all out on the dance floor at the Soirée and Cultures French, Italian or Spanish concentrations. The Intro to New Languages. Translation course will also be the The department continued to expand cornerstone of a new “Certificate this year, adding intermediate in Translation” which we hope to German and Latin courses to launch in 2015. Students in any our daytime curriculum which undergraduate program may enroll now includes elementary and in the certificate; language majors intermediate language courses in and minors can use their language seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, courses towards the major/minor French, German, Italian, Latin and as well as towards the certificate. Spanish. The certificate will also be open It’s all Greek to us! Also, the WLC to non-matriculated students who department, in collaboration with are simply interested in acquiring the History department, will offer the language proficiency and a special course in Spring 2014 professional skills needed to become in Ancient Greek. The course will translators. be taught by Prof. Erick Jensen is Dance lessons at the soirée at Finz in Salem continued on next page 3 Congratulations Language tutoring Congratulations to Spencer Wolf The languages peer tutoring service - who received the ISE Language at the Language Lab is busier than Matters Award and the MA German ever this semester. Students are Educator of the Year Award at strongly encouraged to seek help the Annual Business and Awards if they fall behind or simply feel Luncheon at the 46th Annual MaFLA a bit lost. Remember: Spending Conference on October 19, 2013. time with a tutor is invariably more efficient than studying on your own, Language Laboratory especially if you’re feeling a bit lost Starting this fall, the Language Lab and confused. Make an appointment has moved to a new location in with a tutor here: lrc.salemstate.edu/ the Sullivan Building’s first floor. tutors. We’re excited to have it closer to our classes. So far it is has proved to be a lively place with the lounge area proving particularly popular for students looking for somewhere comfy between classes. Come by and visit in Sullivan 117. Everybody danced at the Soirée!

In Memoriam: Henri Urbain was born to Dr. Henri Urbain and French parents in Hanoi, Vietnam in 1927 and Dr. Edwin Lopes Francis later raised in France. This year, the university mourned He moved to the United the loss of two professors emeriti States and pursued who were instrumental in creating a PhD in California the department of World Languages and then came east to and Cultures: Dr. Henri Urbain and Dr. Beverly, Ed Francis. Urbain and Francis were to join the Salem State both immigrants to the United States faculty. He taught French who developed passions for travel, and Spanish here for 33 languages and world cultures. years, and was an active member of the faculty. Ed Francis was born in Boa Vista, An avid traveler, Urbain Cape Verde in 1918. He later moved also spent his retirement to East Boston, where he was raised years discovering new and went to school. After serving cultures and visiting in during World War II, Francis family members in returned to the Boston area to Dr. Edwin Lopes Francis Guatemala, pursue undergraduate and graduate and New Caledonia. degrees in Romance Languages (French and Portuguese) at Harvard Both Urbain and University. He joined Salem State in Francis taught in 1956 when it was the Salem Teachers the French program College and helped to transform the at Salem State. institution into Salem State College, Unfortunately, the teaching English and American French major was literature while also developing the cut in the late 1980’s Foreign Languages department, and replaced in 2000 where he taught French. In 1968, with a BA in Spanish. he helped to create the college’s We hope that both general education curriculum, which professors would will only be phased out starting in have been proud to Fall 2014. Francis retired from Salem know that this year State in 1992 and spent much of we revived the French his retirement traveling and visiting major by creating a family around the world. French concentration in the new BA in World Languages and Cultures. Dr. Henri Urbain 4 What I received from teacher. I was accepted for a position displayed language labs, textbooks Salem State University in Spain for the following year, but and other things that aid in the I decided it was time to find a job learning process. I can honestly say Daniel Godden, Spanish Program Alumnus here in the U.S. I started applying, that the education and experience I went through many interviews and received from Salem State University Hello all, I’m here to tell you about was eventually offered a position. led me to where I am now, and I am my experiences through college I am currently studying at Elms very happy with where I am. I am which brought me to where I am now: College for my M.A.T. I also attended doing something I love, something a Spanish teacher at a public high the 2013 annual MaFLA conference that I was never sure I wanted to do. school. I began my college education which was held in Sturbridge, MA. To those reading this, I want you to as a Mathematics major. In the The conference involved a variety do all you can while in school and summer of 2008 I studied abroad in of workshops to help new and take advantage of the opportunities Oviedo, Spain for a month. I loved it. I veteran teachers. As a new teacher, I presented, as I did. You never know fell in love with the language, culture learned so much about how to teach. where life will lead you. and the people. Upon returning I There was also an exhibit hall which changed my major to Spanish. Later, in the fall of 2009, I studied abroad again, this time for a full semester. It was a fantastic experience. I lived with a host family. I learned so much, not only about the language, but also about myself. I graduated with a B.A. in Spanish. I did not know for sure what I wanted to do, only that I wanted it to involve the use of my newly acquired language skills. A professor told me about a program in Spain where Americans can go teach English in a public school as a cultural ambassador. I chose to do the program and have not regretted that decision. It turned out to be another amazing experience and it confirmed Daniel Godden (on the left) with Palmer public school Spanish teachers Olga López and Kaylee Hotchkiss pose with Massachusetts my thoughts that I wanted to be a 2013 Teacher of the Year Kathleen Turner at the MaFLA Annual Fall Conference

SSU Well Represented Lopez Natale, Amanda Minervini, at MaFLA and Richard Strager. Current MAT students also presented research, Amy Mihailidis, MAT in Spanish Alumna including Patricia Sánchez and Amy St. Arnaud. Many MAT program “The Massachusetts Foreign alums attended the conference and Language Association is a non-profit stopped by to support the advocacy service organization committed to the booth. Gerta Pasquarello, Lillian Duffy, professional growth of its members Osvaldo Mejia, Adriana Gónzalez, Olga and to the promotion of quality Pearson, Maggie Sears, Kimric Welsh, teaching and learning of languages to name a few. Current and former and cultures from kindergarten undergraduates like Amanda Tower, through the college level and beyond.” Daniel Godden, and Sarah Silva also http://mafla.org were seen. There was wide representation from As we reflect on the heavy SSU at the 46th Annual MaFLA Fall participation of the SSU community conference. The conference was held with MaFLA it is not surprising in late October at the Sturbridge to hear that Jessica Clifford, MAT Host Hotel and Conference Center Graduate 2010, will be taking more of in Sturbridge, MA. Many faculty, a leadership role in the organization. current students and program alum Jessica presented two sessions and contributed to the event. coordinated the advocacy booth this SSU faculty member Nicole Sherf year. She has also been elected to the Co-Chaired the Conference. Faculty Second Vice President position for presenters included Michele Dávila- 2014 and will chair the conference in Gonçalves, Elizabeth Blood, Kathy 2015. Go, Jessica! MAT in Spanish alum Lillian Duffy at the Advocacy Booth continued on next page 5 The Advocacy Booth had a great It is impressive to see the year at the conference. Christina participation our students and Berry, MAT graduate 2010, and faculty at MAFLA. This speaks Amy Mihailidis, MAT graduate to a growing community of 2009, were advocacy interns that professionals dedicated to the organized advocacy initiatives betterment of World Language and volunteered time at the Education in our state. Keep up booth. SSU faculty member Ken the collaboration! Reeds could also been seen in the exhibit hall manning the Salem The conference’s artwork was designed by SSU undergraduate State table. student Tyler Wile

What can you do with majors just because they cannot see written communication, intercultural a degree in [fill in your how they could be practical in the abilities, people skills, problem real world. solving and critical thinking, mental favorite language]? Many majors have a career path or flexibility and adaptability, among Jon Aske, World Languages and Cultures limited set of paths attached to them. other things, all of which are in great Nursing majors will someday demand in the real world. All kinds of I overheard a student asking our become nurses and social work businesses hire people with degrees department secretary a very majors will become social workers. in the humanities with the important question the other day. Criminal Justice majors will end up expectation that they will train you to The question went something like doing one of a limited number of do a specific job as long as you rank this: I am thinking of majoring in things, such as become a police high in all those other general areas I French and I was wondering what officer, or a parole officer (or going to just mentioned. In a way a kinds of jobs I could get with such a law school, perhaps). Even for humanities degree gives you much degree. I was glad the question was biology majors it is probably more flexibility than other types of not directed at me, for I didn’t have relatively easy to answer the degrees because there are so many the time to give her a satisfying question of what they can do with things that you can do with them. On answer. The reason for this is that the that major. But when it comes to the other hand, it is important to answer is not simple. Still, I felt I majors in the humanities, the answer realize that you cannot just go and wanted to answer that question and I is not so simple. What can one do show your humanities degree and would like to do that here and now. with a degree in English? What kinds expect to be given a job, for sooner or later you have to actually prove That student’s question got me of jobs do English majors go into that you rank high in all those crucial thinking about the fact that I never (besides teaching)? The same thing is skills: that you are a good really knew what kinds of jobs one true for philosophy, linguistics and, communicator, that you have an could do with a degree in linguistics, of course, languages. open and flexible mind, that you think which was one of my majors in There are some obvious things that critically and are good at problem college. Perhaps I didn’t pay much you can do with a degree in a solving, and so on. You actually have attention to that question because I language like French or Spanish, to have those skills and the piece of knew that my other major, Computer which are: translator/interpreter and paper that says you majored in one Science, was the practical one, the language teacher. Other less obvious of those fields is no substitute for the one that would probably allow me to career paths are Foreign Service real thing. get a real job in the real world (little work and travel and tourism jobs. did I know!). But I also think that However that is probably not what That said, I always advise majors there was, and there is, this feeling in most people with a degree in who are not on a teaching path to some academic disciplines that it is languages end up doing and to give a seriously consider having a second not cool to discuss the “practicality list of the jobs that people with major in addition to their Spanish question.” Isn’t studying linguistics— language degrees do would fill many major. I advise them to do a second or French, or Spanish—rewarding pages indeed (if you Google this major instead of just a minor along enough? Do you have to have a question that’s what you’re likely to with their Spanish major. After all it’s practical reason too? Unfortunately I find, without any further just about 21 more credits (seven think that this happens often enough explanation). courses) and they hedge their bets in and it shouldn’t happen. Actually, the flexibility area for when they’re professors and departments should The reason for that is that majors in looking for jobs. Common be willing and able to discuss this the humanities do not often lead to compatible second majors for a question from day one. The other specific jobs. And that’s not bad. It’s language major would be geography side of the coin, which is also actually a good thing. A major in the and tourism, communications, and problematic and probably happens humanities is associated with an business, to name a few. open-ended skill set which involves often enough, is that many people Another thing you have to keep in probably do not consider certain interpersonal communication, 6 mind is that you cannot expect to learn a language (and gain all the benefits of being bilingual) by merely taking the twelve language classes in their major. According to the State Department under 575-600 classroom hours is enough to achieve (limited) fluency—low advanced level—in Spanish (it’s 2,200 hours for Chinese!). This is more than the number of instruction hours in those 12 courses, since 50 min. x 3 times a week x 14 weeks x 12 courses = 420 hours. In practice, however, often the necessary intensive study is lacking in university language courses, some of which may be lecture based and include little opportunity for real practice in the language. Also lacking are often real-life immersion and language contact experiences outside the classroom, something that students have to seek on their own and don’t always do, or even sufficient study outside the classroom, which is also crucial (ideally 2-3 hours should be spent outside the classroom for every hour spent in the classroom, something that doesn’t always happen). Thus the end result is that it is not uncommon for students to graduate with a major in a language without having achieved real fluency. Learning a language well, so that you can converse and write it fluently, takes many thousands of hours, including immersion in the language and culture, typically only achievable through living abroad. It is this kind of intense experience with the language that will bring you close to having those skills I was talking about that businesses desire. That kind of intense immersion is also a must if you’re going to be a translator or a language teacher. Unless you do that, you will find yourself unprepared for the expectations of (good) jobs in the real world when you graduate. The degree (or “piece of paper”) is a requirement, but it is not enough, for you will need to be able to back it up with actions. That’s why you should take very seriously every opportunity to learn and grow while in college. That, and not the piece of paper, is what an education is all about. Many students who major in a language go straight to graduate school. There are many masters and doctoral programs for which a language major is a good start. Even if you are not planning to go straight to graduate school you should realize that your studying and learning days are not over after you graduate from college. Whatever you do, to succeed in life and in the new economy you have to be a life-long learner. See online version for recommended links: ssclinguafranca.wordpress.com From left to right: Joshua Brown and Marta Marucci (Treasurer of the ITL Club)

Italian Club Visits Museum

On November 26, 2013 the Italian Club invited SSU students and members of the community of Salem to visit the Isabella Stewart Garden Museum in Boston. The guided tour explored Renaissance works of art and the new additional wing and courtyard of Renzo Piano.

7 Future Teachers studies. Even when I found myself along the way, because I could never of Italian in the US ‘lost in translation’, there were many put a monetary value on what I have new friends to help me to get back on been able to achieve thus far. All I Program: Learning a the right path, or “la strada giusta” can do is say a simple THANK YOU to foreign language is a -in my perfect broken Italian. From my family, friends, Professor Richard lifetime adventure! that point on, my life has become Strager and my dear advisors Prof. a perpetual freeze frame, with the Anna Rocca and Prof. Margherite Karl-Etzer Limage, SSU Alumnus thoughts of waking up every day to a McLellan, along with the amazing Salem State University has life full of escapade. staff from the world languages and exceptional cultural diversity, with I arrived in Manerbio last September cultures department at Salem State. I various groups and clubs that to start my teaching internship. At will forever be grateful for the efforts celebrate different cultures. This was first, I felt a little anxious because that you have invested into helping particularly true in world languages I did not know what to expect. But me accomplish a dream. and cultures department where I was the feelings of uncertainty started given all the necessary tools to be a to fade away when I finally had a valuable member of our society and chance to begin the program. My new had the chance to explore one of my colleagues were very welcoming, long-life dreams: to travel the world. and the students were very generous Furthermore, if you have a traveling with their many suggestions for appetite as grand as mine, world places in the town that I needed to languages and cultures department visit during my stay. In reality the also provides opportunities even town, a commune of approximately after the completion of your thirteen-thousand people, is a world undergraduate career at SSU. One of difference from Boston, where of those is called Future Teachers of I live. The opportunity to live in a Italian in the US Program, a program completely different environment has I am currently in. So here I am now, played a major role in my learning teaching English in northern Italy, in experience. Manerbio (Brescia) in the Lombardy The level of enthusiasm that I region. have seen from the students while My personal adventure started two assisting Italian teachers or when years ago, when I decided to study leading a lesson has amplified my Italian at Salem State. After three love for learning about other cultures. semesters, I went to Florence, Italy, Their curiosity to learn everything for a semester study abroad program. about the American way of life, its After this first trip, I fell in love with cultural dynamism, or other general the Italian language and culture. subjects has been making my stay While traveling all across Italy, I was here in Italy worthwhile. able to put to good use the language I will never be able to repay the skills that I had acquired through my individuals that have helped me Karl and the English teacher he works with.

Smelling the Roses is a dislike for the travel experience contrasted by the on the Way to the Stop essentialness of new perspectives. While smoking is certainly not a loss, it is sad to think Kenneth Reeds, World Languages and Cultures how much enjoyment of the trip has been reduced Travel is an experience which tends to teach a succinct yet through this chattelization. Travel should be invested enticing amount about where you visit and considerably with romantic notions of wind-blown hair and challenges more about yourself. This is a healthy and valuable overcome through resourceful self-reliance. Be it Ibn practice. That said, for many years I have joked that I Jubayr’s descriptions of early Christian Sicily to Robert dislike travelling. In stating this I do not mean that I avoid Luis Stevenson’s inspiring young readers with accounts visiting other parts. Quite the contrary: familiarity with of derring-do; or George Orwell’s description of the foreign countries has contoured my life and fashioned the disintegration of Spain’s Republic and Bruce Chatwin’s background for many of the most important choices that fictionalization of real people in varied lands… writing personally and professionally have made me into who I about travel has long been a mainstay of human am. What I mean is that I remember flying on planes when experience. After all, a trip somehow feels incomplete until there were smoking sections. Since those days the space the tale is told. between seats has reduced, the lines for boarding passes Those stories usually begin with a mention about the and tickets have grown, and our luggage has been slowly destination, but this is rarely important. What matters exiled while passengers are increasingly dehumanized are the obstacles overcome and the knowledge attained. to a luggage-like degree. This I do not enjoy. The paradox 8 Arriving to the terminus means the anecdote is over and The story closes with the moment of their meeting, but although making it to the end was the point of the trip, it does not reveal what happens. Throughout Bolaño plays is seldom a highlight of the telling of the tale. Narration is with the tension like a musical crescendo. It increases movement and stopping means ending the story. This is a and decreases, steadily moving towards the unrevealed fact people sometimes need to be reminded of. We hurry climax. As the final paragraph runs short and it becomes to reach our goals, rush towards the future, and hastily clear that the last words will not divulge what the reader progress; always moving forward towards something needs to discover, disappointment ensues. Yet this feeling that we think will somehow be better. In this focus on a is overwhelmed by the realization that Bolaño has played seemingly reachable, but never caressed destination we with his reader and taught a lesson. The lesson is to enjoy have the potential to miss the good of the negotiated the trip. The destination is not as important as the process obstacles or the gratification of the travel experience. of getting there and the fun is in telling the tale. As the title In this, of course, travel is a metaphor for life and it is suggests, this is a particularly literary lesson. An author, of something that Roberto Bolaño illustrates well in his story course, wants someone to concentrate on the story. “Una aventura literaria”. So, with that in mind, I recommend Bolaño’s story. Enjoy the ride (even though you know how it doesn’t end). The short fiction is an experiment in literary technique. Bolaño creates tension through two characters who, slowly –over the course of the narration- move closer to the moment of coming face to face. What will happen? Will one kill the other? Is there a peaceful way out of the assumptions that each has developed? It seems likely that all will end horribly, but will it? The reader will never know.

Deutsch lernen macht spaß! love to continue to see her and speak her language with Amanda Minervini, World Languages and Cultures her. I could go on forever saying how said. Kati Nalbandian has a strong If I can become proficient in much I love teaching languages personal motivation to connect with this language I plan to live in and what a blast it has been to German culture that has to do with Berlin after graduation. I am teach German 101 at SSU this fall, a her family history. She also wishes to a Theatre Major and wish to language that had not been offered as live and work there in the future: become involved in the arts a day course before. But I promise I To learn the German language in one of the most artistically will only say a few words and let my is an important goal in my life. diverse cities I have ever students speak. We meet three times I have family in several areas seen. I hope to study abroad a week for fifty minutes: on Fridays, of the country and have met there this summer with some we take turns bringing chocolate to two of my cousins who are of my classmates. share. We call this habit: “Schokolade closest in age to me. My Oma Didn’t you know? Starting next Freitag.” The first day of class, after has always been an amazing summer, Salem State Students who going over the syllabus, I played inspiration to me. She was have taken at least German 101 some German music videos and born and raised in will be able to study in Berlin, the gave my students a hand-out with a and was only a teenager when wonderful capital of Germany, at the quite long list of German singers and Hitler began his occupation. prestigious Humboldt Universität! bands. I wanted to let them hear how Her life story is incredible and Teaching German to students like this German sounds, how musical it can could become a book if I was has been ausgezeichnet! be, and it was also a fun introduction to share it all here. to German culture. I suggested going online and bringing one song/ However, because of her I video to the next class. These songs am here in America. She had provided the soundtrack of our first my father and aunt in the stroll into the German world. Why United States in the early German, though? 1950s. She is still alive today and it would mean the world Michelle Barrasso wants to study to me to be able to have one German because she is a history conversation in German with major interested in German history her before she passes on. Of and the Holocaust. Furthermore, she course, one of my cousins in wants to work in Germany someday. Berlin is a dear friend of mine “I also love the way German sounds after meeting her for two and have wanted to expose myself consecutive summers. We are to it for a number of years,” she like soul sisters and I would 9 Study Abroad 2014 Special events this summer!!: Fátima Serra, World Languages and Cultures • Second time around for our summer Costa Rica Program in June 2014. Spend a month in Heredia, The new SSU Core being implemented in 2015 has a world Costa Rica, discover volcanoes, beaches, wildlife cultures requirement and the best way to fulfill it is by and nature adventures while earning six credits of total immersion in a new culture abroad while learning a Spanish. www.soleducation.com/salemstate For more different language. information, contact Dr. Serra: [email protected] The world languages and cultures department has great, • First time around for our Berlin summer Program: affordable programs that will help you achieve this goal. A http://www.centerforstudyabroad.com/humboldt- program abroad will also enhance your résumé and make university-berlin/ Earn language and culture credits in you stand out when applying for a job or graduate school. German and participate in activities and excursions in the area. Starting mid-June. For more information, After all, studying abroad is an INVESTMENT. When you contact Dr. Minervini: [email protected] write your next CV, enhance your experience in a different country by pointing out the valuable skills your abroad Early registration is suggested for both programs! studies contributed to your education: Financial Aid available. • Knowledge of other cultures To enroll in these programs or other programs in the world at SSU stop by the Study Abroad office at the Center for • People skills and understanding of difference International Education in South Campus, 8 Harrison Rd, • Fluency in different languages (the little green house). • Ability to plan and execute additional studies in a challenging environment Visit: • Problem solving http://www.salemstate.edu • System creator academics/4428.php • Fast Paced Learner Contact: • Group worker [email protected] Go ahead and plan your study abroad with the World Languages and Cultures Department. You can choose semester and/or summer programs in Spain, Canada or Italy.

Students and professors at end of studies program party in Heredia, Costa Rica, 2012 10 Spanish-English which supposedly meant something to produce these words is identical Cognates: Viento like “to blow,” from where we also for both words. The only thing that seem to get a word like weather in differentiates a t and a d is that to and Vent English. make the d, but not the t, your vocal Jon Aske, World Languages and Cultures The thousands of years of separation chords are vibrating! Not that you explain why viento and wind look could detect this vibration by putting The following was written as part so different on the surface despite your fingers over your Adam’s apple of a forthcoming book that Dr. having exactly the same meaning. (something you can do for other Aske will be working on during his Natural language change has acted pairs of sounds, such as s and z, as sabbatical in the spring semester on that original word differently in in sip and zip), since the duration of of 2014. The book is about Spanish- the consonants t and d is English cognates, words that have so brief, around 1/10 of a the same origin, Latin words in second, but it’s there and most cases. The purpose of the book it is the only auditive cue is to introduce linguistic concepts that we have to distinguish related to language sounds, language these two sounds, and thus change, and the history of Spanish those two words. But we’re and English, while at the same wired for making that sort time helping readers improve their of distinction. Spanish (and English) vocabulary. The So we can already explain first part of the book will introduce or at least understand the linguistic and historical concepts. connections between the The second part will exemplify those first four letters of wind concepts with actual cognate word the languages that split off from and ventum. You might like to know sets. This is an example of one such it, languages that are ancestors of now that the -um part of ventum in word set. Spanish and English respectively. Latin is an ending that wasn’t really Only one letter is the same in these part of the word’s root. The ancestor words: the letter n! language of English had it too, but Spanish words English words But appearances can be deceiving English lost most such endings over viento ventilar, vent, ventilate, a thousand years ago. The m was ventilation, ventilation, if you don’t know what to look for. What if I told you that the letter v lost as Latin became Spanish and ventilador, ventilator; wind the u mutated to o, another common ventana, in Latin was pronounced not like it is pronounced in either English or type of change for the same reason ventanilla, we saw above for e and i. On its way vendaval Spanish nowadays, but rather the way the letter w is pronounced in to becoming Spanish, Latin short English? Then we can already make e (ĕ) also mutated to the diphthong ie in Spanish. This was a totally All these words, except for wind, are a connection between two sounds in regular change, just like the others: related to the Latin word ventum, the pair viento and wind. Then what if Whenever a short e was stressed in meaning “wind”, the direct ancestor I told you that the sound of the letter Latin, it changed to ie in Spanish. of Spanish viento with the same e in Latin ventum and the sound of This explains all e/ie alternations in meaning. Interestingly, though much the letter i in English wind are not all Spanish words, of which there are harder to see, the English word wind that different. Make the sound e as many. For instance Spanish has e is also related to them, though it is in the word met and then the sound in setenta “seventy” but ie in siete a different kind of relation, one that i as in the word mitt, again and again “seven”. Notice that the e in setenta is goes further back in time and one and you will see that there is just a not stressed, whereas the ie in siete which takes some training to see. slight change of the tongue position: a little higher for i than for e. Because is. Learners of Spanish are very well We say that Spanish viento and of this, we find that it is very common aware that this alternation exists in English wind are historical cognates for an e to change (mutate) to i in the present tense of hundreds of so- because they both descend from languages through time, and vice called stem changing verbs. a word in an ancestor language versa, sometimes for reasons that The continuation of this article can be that predates Latin and English by we understand, having primarily to read in Lingua Franca’s online edition several thousand years. That ancestor do with influence from surrounding at: language, of which we have no record sounds, and sometimes not. http://ssclinguafranca.wordpress.com/ whatsoever because its speakers did not write any of it down, but which Finally, have you noticed that the we can surmise from the evidence left sounds of the letter t and the letter in the descendant languages, is called d are very similar both in the way Proto-Indo-European, or PIE for short. they sound and the way they are The story of wind and VENTUM goes produced? Say tip and dip several all the way back to the PIE root *w¯e-, times and you will notice that what you do with the tongue in the mouth 11 World Films for the New England Winter Fátima Serra, World Languages and Cultures

World languages and cultures educators enjoy films with our students. Apart from providing invaluable exposure to the language and culture, movies feed our emotional core and the narrations affect the way we communicate and relate to each other in the world. And they are also a lot of fun! Why not try watching some foreign films at home? Here are some recommendations of recent films from the Spanish-speaking world, highly acclaimed by critics and audiences. The three of them deal with the lives of common people under the oppressive dictatorships of Chile and Argentina. Yes, some of you have already seen cinema dealing with these subjects… But in these recent takes on the subject, we see losses and triumphs masterfully told with plots that stand on their own without the political subtext. That sets them apart from previous existing films and leaves the audience not only with powerless victims, but also with a bittersweet sense of victory.

Clandestine Childhood (2011) http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/infancia_clandestina/

NO (2012) The Secret in their Eyes (2009) http://www.rottentomatoes.com/mobile/m/no_2012/ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/secret_in_their_eyes/ 12