Academic Program

Why Foreign Language Study is a Good Idea for Every Student

by

If you are a senior who has engaged with foreign-language study while at Wesleyan, the rationale below will help you explain to prospective employers the skills you have gained through such a course of study.

Why Foreign-Language Study is a Good Idea for Every Student  

We assume if you have reasons to learn a particular language (to study, work, travel, or live abroad or for resources not fully available in English translation), you already know why it is important. Here are reasons to study any language besides English or whatever you regard as your native language:

  1. Many employers, professional schools, and graduate schools see serious study of a second language (potentially, a double-major) as evidence that you can (a) put yourself more easily in others’ (colleagues’, clients’) shoes and (b) communicate more effectively even in English.
  2. You will never know your own language and culture more deeply than by studying another–by looking at it from the outside. Learning to thrive with the unfamiliar is often linked to creativity in many intellectual and professional contexts.
  3. Language learning teaches you to think more clearly and sharpens your brain’s ability to make sense of the world.
  4. Deep study of another culture through its language brings home how much of value will never be made available in English.
  5. Puzzling out another language and culture will help you understand (and empathize with) the difficulties of non-anglophone immigrants, colleagues, clients, and travelers in the U.S., even if you never leave American shores.
  6. Learning another language well makes it easier to learn any language in the future. Even if you never need this, the experience–especially if you study abroad–will make you far more confident in your ability to face any intellectual or professional challenge.  
  7. Foreign-language courses fit easily into study plans: offered on highly varied schedules, they provide a stimulating (and fun!) break from problem-set driven, heavy-reading or arts courses.

Wesleyan offers:

Arabic language and culture: http://www.wesleyan.edu/academics/faculty/aaissa/profile.html

American Sign Language: http://www.wesleyan.edu/lctls/courses.html

Classics (Greek and Latin): http://wesleyan.edu/classics/

East Asian Studies (Chinese, Japanese, Korean): http://wesleyan.edu/ceas/

German studies: http://wesleyan.edu/german/

Hebrew language and culture: http://www.wesleyan.edu/academics/faculty/dkatz01/profile.html

Romance Languages & Literatures (French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish): http://wesleyan.edu/romance/

Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies program: http://wesleyan.edu/russian/

Any other language: http://www.wesleyan.edu/lctls/silp.html

Do not hesitate to contact any faculty teaching these above language(s).

 

Spring Intensive Open House — Mon., May 9 noon-2 p.m.

by

Spring Intensive Open House

This semester 35 students and 7 faculty took part in the spring intensive pilot program where they enrolled in/taught one course at a time within four 3-week periods. Come view student projects and interact with students and faculty participating in the spring intensive at our end of semester open house.  

When: Monday, May 9, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m.

Where: Exley 189 (24/7 study room)

Made-to-order smoothies will be catered by Middletown’s own Raw Youniverse.

 

Civic Engagement Certificate!

by

Civic engagement encompasses a wide range of activities in which individuals work to strengthen their communities, to realize common goods, to enhance the capacities and dispositions necessary for democratic self-rule, and, in general, to deliberately shape their common life. Wesleyan University prides itself on enrolling and nurturing students with strong social consciousness. Students participate in a wide variety of formal and informal “civic” activities in Middletown and around the world. These activities include volunteer work, practica, activism, and service-learning courses. This certificate is designed for students interested in reflecting upon these activities and integrating their civic and academic efforts.

Requirements. During their sophomore through senior years, CEC students will complete a series of structured academic and cocurricular activities including courses, volunteering, practica, and opportunities for reflection that will enable them to develop a broad understanding of the varied components of civic engagement.

You can read more about the certificate and the graduation requirementshere.

During the information session, you will hear from the program director, Barbara Juhasz, and current CEC students. 

 

Education Certificate, Research and Service

by

Have you considered a career in education? Are you interested in hearing about educational research and service happening at Wesleyan and beyond? Would you like to learn more about Wesleyan’s Certificate in the Study of Education as well as the steps you should consider taking if you would like to become a teacher? Would you like to learn more about volunteer opportunities? If so, then join the Wesleyan Education Network listserv! Just email Professor Steven Stemler (steven.stemler@wesleyan.edu) and request to be added to the listserv.

 

It’s Not Too Early to Think about SPRING!

by

It’s Not Too Early to Think SPRING!

As you plan your courses this fall, keep the Wesleyan “Spring Intensive” in mind.  This new opportunity will allow you to plunge into a new course every three weeks and to intensively focus on project or topic at a time rather than balancing several. The goal of the program is to give students an opportunity to build cohesiveness across their courses, collaborate with faculty, engage in project-based learning and sample from some never previously offered courses from prominent visitors.  Each three week course will carry a full credit covering the same amount of material as 14 week courses. Check out the menu of courses here http://wesleyanspringintensive.blogs.wesleyan.edu/

Who can participate?  Up to 50 students interested in building their spring schedule with intensive courses and other for-credit experiences.

Can I take other courses?   Though most admitted students will take their courses exclusively in the intensive format, students may enroll in one or more semester-long credits for a senior thesis, independent or group tutorial, student forum, or internship. Students can also take quarter-credit courses outside the intensive format, schedule permitting.

When will intensive courses meet?  Classes will meet Monday through Friday for 2 hours and 50 minutes for three weeks.

How will students be admitted?  The Intensive program is POI. Interested students may apply for admission by meeting with Professor Lisa Dierker (ldierker@wes) or any of the faculty teaching through the intensive program, before or during spring semester planning period. Admitted students will then seek final course selection approval from their advisors.

A bonus! Students admitted to the Intensive semester will not need to participate in pre-registration for spring 2016.

“RISK” Symposium Sat., May 2 — 11 a.m. all day

by

The Symposium is a day-long interdisciplinary critique, which:

Prompts the exchange of ideas and methods of inquiry between students and faculty across the curriculum;

Stimulates creativity and innovation; and

Serves as a platform for juniors to develop senior research topics.

Why Risk?

Notions of vulnerability, security, and susceptibility are central to the ways we think and avenues of inquiry. “Risk” can apply to issues of statistical probability, genetic citizenship and responsibility, immigration and the precarity of citizenship, or climate change. We are eager to engage in an interdisciplinary conversation that honors these dimensions and complexities from many different vantage points and on a variety of scales.

Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 2, beginning at 11 a.m.  Lunch and dinner will be provided. The event is free, but registration is required. Email Gabriel Frankel (gfrankel@wesleyan.edu) to register.

For more information: Symposium Schedule