Points of Pride
Points of Pride for the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures (LAN):
Academics
The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages recognized the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures’ teacher education program in its inaugural Global Engagement Initiative, which honors programs that actively engaged students in using the language beyond the classroom.
The Italian club La Tavola was founded by a student-led group of Italian-American and Italophiles. It has grown into a full-fledged RSO with cultural events and conversation hours.
Gino Richardson, Italian Studies minor and president of La Tavola, applied for and received (out of only 15 others in the entire country) the recognition of Italian ambassador through the National Italian-American Foundation. He also won a trip to Washington DC and a NIAF Grant that covers cultural events at Illinois State.
The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures received a grant from the European Union Centers of Excellence to help with the establishment of a European Studies major on campus. A two-day European Studies Symposium was held in April 2015.
The Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures offers Spanish 120, "Introduction to Academic Spanish for Spanish Speakers" each year to meet the increasing population of heritage Spanish speakers who attend Illinois State.
Student Life
Spanish
Sigma Delta Pi
Illinois State's National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society chapter, Sigma Delta Pi - Eta Upsilon, earns frequent recognitions, including:
- Capítulo de Honor y Mérito: Honor Chapter (2018 was the 6th year in a row)
- Premio Octavio Paz: Maintain Honor Chapter status for three years
- Premio Minaya Álvar-Fáñez: Chapter Advisor (Angela Bailey de las Heras)
- Premio Gabriela Mistral: Outstanding Student (Rita Hess '14, M.A. '16)
Sigma Delta Pi - Eta Upsilon offer Spanish majors and minors a wonderful campus community and many opportunities to get involved with the promotion of Spanish, bilingualism, and cultural events at ISU and in Bloomington-Normal. They volunteer at the Children’s Museum for the annual Día de los Muertos event for families, they hold conversation hours for our community high school students, and volunteer in Unit 5’s bilingual elementary program, among other service activities.
Spanish Club
The Spanish Club is the recipient of numerous awards, including these recognitions:
- Diversity Advocacy Office's Outstanding Registered Student Organization in 2018, 2015, & 2009
- Diversity Advocacy Office's Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year (Marinelly Castillo) in 2018, 2014
- Diversity Advocacy Office's Outstanding New Program of the Year (Let's Talk and About Venezuelan Immigration) 2018 (and others in 2016 & 2014)
Spanish Club hosts weekly conversation hours and culture nights as well as exciting large-scale events such as Fiesta Latina that help students faculty and the greater B/N population find community through language and culture.
French
Over the past five years, our on-campus French Film Series has screened 30 contemporary and classic films for students enrolled in French courses. Movie showings this upcoming year can be found here.
Illinois State's French Honor Society, Pi Delta Phi does the following each year:
- organizes twice-weekly French conversation hours
- inducts six new members
- hosts themed presentations such as teaching English in France presented by a former TAPIF participant
- members study abroad either in Angers or Grenoble, France
French professors and instructors organiz and host French conversation hours and cultural events outside such as crêpe parties, outings to the zoo, nature walks, art parties, and more, all where students are able to practice their French outside of the classroom.
Italian
Italian instructors organize Cineforums of Italian movies that students in all Italian classes attend to expose themselves to Italian in original format and in cultural contexts. Movie showings vary from "Divorzio all'italiana" (1961), to "Lazzaro felice" (2018) to "Cinema Paradiso" (1988) to "Le fate ignoranti" (2001) and more.
Italian instructors organize weekly Italian conversation hours every semester to permit students additional exposure to and practice in Italian outside of the classroom. Each conversation hour provides the opportunity to speak Italian in a variety of contexts such as while making fresh pasta, during a visit to the farmer's market, game night, and Carnevale celebration.
Latin
Latin club has weekly meetings at which they take part in events such as a Roman-themed Friendsgiving, as well as a Halloween Latin lock-in.
Latin students have also participate in the ISU Manuscript Project, in which as they learn more Latin and they also have hands-on experience with Latin paleography, codicology, and diplomatics.
Faculty
Dr. Susan Hildebrandt was named the recipient of the College Outstanding Service Award (Humanities) for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Dr. Roger Thomas was named a College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Lecturer for fall 2014.
Speakers and Events
Throughout the year, LAN provides funding for campus and community events. These events include film rentals for the Spanish Film Club and AsiaConnect Film Festivals and sponsorship of the Children’s Discovery Museum’s El Dio de los Muertos educational event.
Herbert Quelle, Counsul General of Germany, was a guest speaker in fall 2014 and presented Reflections on 25 Years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall.
Former Algerian freedom fighter and author Hamou Amirouche, the author of Memoirs of a Mujahed: Algeria's Struggle for Freedom, 1945-1962, spoke in February, 2016 at ISU. This event was sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, the Department of History, the Department of Politics and Government, the Harold K. Sage Fund and the Illinois State University Foundation.
Dr. Susan Hildebrandt and Ms. Laura Edwards received a CTLT grant to conduct a two-day Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Familiarization workshop to train LAN faculty to incorporate the OPI into their classroom methods.
Scholarships and Awards
The most recent winners of LAN's student scholarships and awards:
2020 - 2021
Undergraduate Awards:
- Allie Ward Billingsley Scholarship: Mackenzie Brady
- Alma Latina Award for Outstanding Activity in Spanish Club: Adriana Rosales
- Ana Marie F. Parent Scholarship: Jordan Mead
- Catherine O'Leary Endowed French Scholarship Fund: Matt Tronc
- David J. Parent Scholarship: Nick Boland
- German Alumni New Student Scholarship: Mando Gjinollari
- Jo Ann Kelley Memorial Endowed Scholarship in Spanish: Jordan Mead
- Petrossian-Tarrant Scholarship: Not Awarded due to COVID-19
- Roger R. Ruddy Memorial Scholarship: Mia Radanavong
Graduate Student Awards - Each award carries a modest cash prize:
- Charter Department Graduate Student Award for Excellence: Marta Carbajal
- Montserrat Vilarrubla Award for Excellence in Teaching: Daniela Pancrazio-Diez
- Billingsley Initiative Award: Susana Dimas, Andrea Iturbe, Beca Monasterio-Velilla, Germán Ortiz
Alumni
Alumni frequently visit campus to speak to students. Recent visitors include Michael Bosco, Alan Medina, Victoria Pike Douzamy, Mike Romagnoli, and Judge Melissa Barnhart, who spoke with LAN students about teaching, international business, translation services, interpreters in health care and more.