Recent Events
AL & ESL | Arabic | ASL | Chinese | Classics | French | German
Japanese | Russian | Spanish & Portuguese
CMLL
Animal/Language: An Interdisciplinary Conference
Animal Language: An Interdisciplinary Conference, March 21-23rd 2019 at Texas Tech University, was organized by The "Animal" in the Humanities Research Group: Dr. John Beusterien (Spanish), Dr. Belinda Kleinhans (German), Dr. Katy Schroeder (Animal & Food Sciences), Dr. Lucas Wood (French), and Dr. Pamela Zinn (Classics), in collaboration with Joe Arredondo (Landmark Arts) and Dr. Kevin Chua (Art History). This international conference engaged with a central feature of what is becoming known as the "animal turn" in the humanities: the relationships between animals and language in human understanding. It brought together scholars from a range of disciplines, including literature, history, anthropology, philosophy, religious studies, the visual arts, the psychological sciences, and companion animal science. They shared their research, investigated the networks of relationships connecting animals, humans, and language in diverse historical, cultural, social, and philosophical contexts, and explored what particular perspectives on these questions reveal about the groups that hold them. Many CMLL faculty and students participated. This conference is in part sponsored by the Humanities Center, Texas Tech University. A list of CMLL presentations is found in the Academic Excellence section.
Texas Tech University J.T. & Margaret Talking College of Visual & Performing Arts School of Music hosted guest artist, Ute Lemper, "Songs for Eternity, on Saturday, January 26th in Hemmle Recital Hall.
The performance was made possible by a grant from the Texas Tech Center for Global Communication in support of a multidisciplinary project on Identity and Resistance in Global Contexts.
On Friday, January 25, CMLL was fortunate to have a Q&A with Ute Lemper during which students and faculty gained valuable insight into her personal journey and finding her voice to keep the memory alive of the victims of this tragic period in history.
Q&A with Ruthie Foster
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Ruthie Foster, 3-time Best Blues Album Grammy-Nominee, 7 Blues Music Awards, and 3 Austin Music Awards, performed for the Texas Tech University Presidential Lecture & Performance Series on February 22nd in the Allen Theater. On February 21st, CMLL was fortunate to have a Q & A session open to the public during which Ms. Foster shared insights into the music industry as well as her personal journey.
Symposium and Exhibition on Identity and Resistance in Global Contexts
On April 5th, 2019, 171 undergraduate students attended the second annual Symposium and Exhibition on Identity and Resistance in Global Contexts. This event was generously supported by the Texas Tech Center for Global Communication, the Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication, and the Humanities Center at Texas Tech. A total of 51 undergraduate students presented research projects in the form of paper presentations, posters, 3D models, artwork, podcasts, and digital stories. The projects covered a diverse range of topics in architecture, media and communication, music, history, languages, and cultures in the U.S. and around the world with a special focus on human populations and conflict. Moderators guided post-presentation discussions and judges evaluated students' effectiveness in communicating research findings to a broader audience. The best presenters were awarded scholarships to support their continuing studies at Texas Tech. Many of the presenters, as well as many other students around campus, will publish their work in a digital archive housed in the TTU Library. The symposium and exhibition were part of a two-year grant-funded project led by Dr. Alec Cattell in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures (CMLL) with co-PIs Shelley Barba (University Libraries), Sarai Brinker (School of Music), Dr. Idoia Elola (CMLL), Dr. Joseph Hodes (Honors College), Dr. Andrea Jonsson (CMLL), Dr. Belinda Kleinhans (CMLL), Dr. Kent Wilkinson (College of Media & Communication), and Dr. Julie Zook (College of Architecture). A list of presenters from CMLL is found in the Academic Excellence section.
LL&RC hosts the Spring 2019 Workshop for Regional Teachers
On March 2nd, 2019, the Language Laboratory and Research Center (LL&RC) hosted a workshop for regional teachers entitled "Technologies that Support Your Language Instruction." The event was a collaboration with the Texas Foreign Language Association, LISD, Region 17, and Stevens Learning Systems. Seventeen foreign language teachers earned five hours of professional development. Attendees came from Canyon, Crosbyton, Dimmitt, Idalou, Lubbock, Midland, Olton, Plainview, Seminole, and Sudan.
Presenters from CMLL included Dr. Alec Cattell, Dr. Christopher Vasquez-Wright, Katherine Brooke, and Yzabel Vazquez. Presenters from LISD included Laura Cook, Tana Palafox, and Emily VânDôn. Attendees were introduced to free and affordable technologies that support the presentational, interpersonal, and interpretive modes of communication. Through workshop activities, they learned how to navigate and implement various web-based applications into their curriculum so students may achieve ACTFL world readiness standards. The technologies included Screencastify, Pear Deck, Flipgrid, and Chatzy.
In addition to the benefits of attending the workshop, the peer-to-peer interactions during lunch and open discussions during the sessions helped create a network of support for regional teachers. LL&RC plans on hosting this event again next spring.
CMLL Study Abroad Fair
With an increasing emphasis on language learning and experiencing culture, students of all majors and minors were invited to the CMLL Study Abroad Fair on February 6th in the lobby of the CMLL basement. Faculty-led program directors for Munich, Germany; Reims, France; Jordan; Russia; Cuba; China; Seville, and Spain were on hand to provide information about their respective programs for summer 2019. Student peers who previously studied abroad were present to share their personal adventures experienced while abroad.
Doug Moyer, General Studies (Senior) was this year's lucky winner of the drawing for a backpack filled with travel accessories compliments of CMLL as a means to stimulate interest in traveling abroad.
Applied Linguistics & ESL
Caliche 2019 Conference – CALICHE: Languages in the World: Teaching, Learning and Researching
The 8th Annual Applied Linguistics and Second Language Conference on Learning and Teaching took place April 5-6, 2019 and was organized by CMLL Applied Linguistics and Second Language Studies program at Texas Tech University with conference chair, Yesica Amaya. Plenary speaker, Dr. Carrie Jackson (Pennsylvania State University) and other conference attendees networked and received valuable feedback. Contributions included fields from Applied Linguistics, Formal Linguistics, Cognitive Science, Psychology, Education, Political Sciences, Sociology, Philosophy, and Interdisciplinary. A list of presenters from CMLL can be found in the Academic Excellence section.
Culture Conversation groups were very effective in the fall so they continued into the spring semester. Each week, American and international students gathered to discuss cultural topics providing a great opportunity for cultural exchange and building cultural intelligence.
English in the Evenings is a new program offered this spring providing Lubbock community members the opportunity to hone their English proficiency skills working with skilled ESL instructors, Linley Melhem and Olga Pahom. Communication skills emphasized during the short-courses include: reading, writing, listening and speaking. The month-long courses were offered on Monday and Wednesday evenings from which participants could choose from three topics: Listening Comprehension and Spoken Communication in English; Reading and Composition in English; and TOEFL Preparation. Listening Comprehension and Spoken Communication in English practiced on improved understanding and speaking English. Reading and Writing in English focused on improving these important skills. TOEFL Preparation was designed to cover all English areas necessary for those who would like to prepare for the TOEFL exam.
New Course Offerings
CMLL 2307 Cultural Intelligence is offering several new courses in the fall of 2019 of which CMLL 2307 Cultural Intelligence. Students develop the skills for effective cross-cultural interaction through an understanding and practice of the components of cultural intelligence.
ESL 5317 Advanced Projects in Academic English "Theses and Dissertations" will be offered for the first time in summer 2019. As a popular choice for the past two spring semesters, a decision to offer it in the summer. The course provides international students who plan to write a thesis/dissertation in their respective disciplines will be introduced to the genre and structure of a thesis/dissertation and to writing strategies for its successful completion. Topics covered include developing research questions, creating a thesis/dissertation proposal, and writing and revising the main chapters. In addition to the focus on writing and revising various parts of the thesis/dissertation, discussion will be given to other relevant issues including selecting and working with a committee, conducting ethical research, time management, and preparation for the oral defense.
Arabic
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Several Arabic language students visited the Holy Quran Pursuit exhibit at the Texas Tech museum on January 19, 2019 where they also tried their hand at Arabic calligraphy.
The Arabic Language Student Association (ALSO) set up a table in the Free Speech area where they demonstrated writing students' names in Arabic calligraphy on February 27th. This not only provided a fun way to interact with students but provided a means to engage students in learning languages, particularly Arabic.
On March 18th, ALSO represented Arabic during Texas Tech Diversity Week in a couple of ways: participation in the flag parade organized by the Office of International Affairs and engagement with students in learning about Arabic language and culture in the Free Speech area. ALSO in collaboration with Arabs without Borders Organization hosted Arabic movie night in the Escondido Theater on April 2nd.
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Joining together the Arabic Language Student Org and Arabs without Borders, Texas Tech students were invited to the Arabic Culture Food Social on April 5, 2019. Delicious Arabian food, specifically Saudi and Palestine, was served to guests who came to bridge the culture gap by sharing a meal, listening to Arabic music, and learning about Arabic culture. The Arabic Club ventured to a local restaurant where students learned about different Arabic dishes and practiced ordering food in Arabic.
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Participation in CMLL Culture Day, weekly Club meetings and Movie Nights, attending guest lectures from native Arabic speakers (Egyptian and Syrian) highlight the Arabic program and culture but also serve to build speaking and comprehension skills in Arabic. Dr. Hassan Al Mekdash (below) shared his inspirational personal journey at Texas Tech and his Syrian culture with students enrolled in Arabic classes.
ASL
American Sign Language Concentration Approved!
The Languages & Cultures BA degree has a new concentration in ASL beginning fall 2019 which consists of 33 hours of ASL coursework. Students have been patiently awaiting the possibility of majoring in Languages & Cultures with a concentration of ASL which is now a reality. Two new courses, ASL 3300 Introduction to the Interpreting Profession and ASL 4301 Topics in ASL Interpreting: Community Interpreting will be added to the fall 2019 course offerings.
New Courses Approved: ASL 3300 Introduction to the Interpreting Profession and ASL 4301 Topics in American Sign Language Interpreting: Community Interpreting
ASL 3300 Introduction to the Interpreting Profession is an overview of American Sign Language/English interpretation. Provides a historical framework for current principles, ethics, roles, responsibilities, and standard practices of the profession.
ASL 4301 Topics in American Sign Language Interpreting: Community Interpreting addresses skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviors pertinent to interpreting. Topics may include: education, ethics, theatrical/music, and Greek/Latin roots.
Silent Raiders Events
Silent Raiders invited the Lubbock deaf community and 2nd year ASL student to "Signing Bunco Night" at Life/Run Center for Independent Living on February 15th for a fun game night with all communication in ASL. On February 16th Tech Deaf Culture Alliance hosted a Valentine get together in Wagner Park with food, games, and fellowship for the Deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students including ASL students. Silent Raiders met twice, February 21st and March 26th, for Silent Dinners at local restaurants during which time students and instructors communicated through signing. Movie and Game Night took place on March 6th in Chitwood/Weymouth Hall Office hosted by Silent Raiders. On April 5th, Silent Raiders organized Deaf Panel in the SUB Escondido Theater where local Deaf members discussed their personal experiences. Spring like weather on Saturday, April 6th provided the perfect day for a two mile Deaf Hike on the Rojo Grande and Sunflower trails in Palo Duro Canyon. The Tech Deaf Culture Alliance's president and Silent Raider Vice President competed in the Texas Tech Worldwide Showcase on April 27th. Activities for Silent Raiders drew to a close at the End of Year Banquet on April 20th.
Silent Raiders have a new website where students can find valuable information regarding events, membership. Take a look and let them know what you think!
Chinese
Chinese Language Area Studies Concentration Approved!
The Languages & Cultures BA degree has a new concentration in Chinese beginning fall 2019. Students are thrilled at the possibility of majoring in Languages & Cultures with a concentration of Chinese Language Area Studies. Dr. Yanlin Wang worked tirelessly to develop the concentration with new courses that will provide students a firm foundation in Chinese. The concentration as with the other concentrations comprises thirty-three hours including: Chinese language, business, culture, history.
New Courses Approved
- CHIN 3301 Chinese Phonology: History, Development and Comparison is a survey of the history and development of Chinese pronunciation and investigation of the phenomena of phonetics, phonology, and sociolinguistics.
- CHIN 3306 Chinese Culture explores the foundations of Chinese civilization and various dimensions of Chinese culture. Provides students with a deeper knowledge of Chinese culture and society.
- CHIN 3311 Business Chinese I will develop Chinese business culture and etiquette and Chinese language skills for communication in the Chinese business environment.
- CHIN 4301 Chinese Characters and Calligraphy is a survey of the history and development of Chinese writing system and development of the Chinese calligraphy knowledge.
- CHIN 4308 Chinese Grammar is an overview of various linguistic levels of Chinese language – phonology, morphology, syntax, and writing system.
Chinese Club Events
At the beginning of February, all Chinese classes celebrated Chinese Spring Festival by different activities including writing Chinese calligraphy, making Chinese handcrafts 春 (chun: Spring), having the pot-luck party, sending red envelops.
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Next, classes celebrated Chinese Lantern Festival which is also called "Chinese Valentine's Day" at the end of February with a series of activities, like make the papercutting of the pig (the Year of the Pig) and finding a Chinese Valentine.
Throughout the semester, members of the Chinese program taught Chinese to members of the Monterey High School Chinese Club.
The Department of Classical & Modern Langauges & Literatures and the Texas Tech Office of International Affairs sponsored the Chinese Calligraphy Contest on March 23, 2019 in the Hall of Nations with Chinese Cuisine, snacks and drinks including a presentation on making Chinese dumplings by two students from CHIN 1502.
This event attracted about 70 spectators and participants from TTU and LISD. Students learned about the art of Chinese calligraphy, watched a calligraphy demonstration, and practiced the calligraphy writing. Nearly 20 students from TTU and LISD competed on the calligraphy writing. They wrote famous Chinese quotes using Chinese calligraphy brushes and then introduced the quotes and explained why they chose them.
Classics
Mining Matters: Industry, Community and Empire in the Roman West
Dr. Linda Gosner (University of Michigan, Ann Arbor) is a Roman archaeologist who specializes in the material culture and history of the Mediterranean from the Iron Age to Late Antiquity. She presented an intriguing talk entitled, "Mining Matters: Industry, Community and Empire in the Roman West" on February 12th in the CMLL Qualia Room.
The Silk Road - A lecture by Jeremy McInerney, visiting professor from the Universtiy of Pennsylvania
On April 24, 2019, McInerney lectured on the origins of the Silk Road in the Qualia Room as part of a series hosted by the Institute for the Study of Western Civilization. He shed light on recent evidence of people, goods and ideas moving across central Asia before the Silk Road was thought to be operational. From the territorial control Alexander the Great's and his trade network into and out of China to the Seleucids blending cultures of Greek, Indian and local culture, McInerney showed how they serve as a backdrop to understanding how many empires around Eurasia could control trade networks and the nodes along it in order to control the trade tax and raise revenue. His thought of a concentrated control challenges the long-held belief on the area and the how empires interacted and not simply narrative about the West conquering the East.
The Judean Alexander Romance Lecture
Ory Amitay, Senior Lecturer in History and Head of Ofakim Honors Program, University of Haifa, presented "The Judean Alexander Romance" on April 11th in the CMLL Qualia Room. Amitay used the enduring interest in the visit by Alexander the Great to Jerusalem to shed light on a little known version of the story as preserved in the also little known epsilon recension of the Greek Alexander Romance. The lecture was co-sponsored by the Texas Tech Departments of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures and History, the Texas Tech Humanities Center, the Texas Tech Classical Society, the Texas Tech Institute for the Study of Western Civilization, and the Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association of West Texas and Easter New Mexico.
Classics Awards & Graduation Ceremony
Awards were presented to deserving students on May 2nd in the Qualia Room.
Howard & Fotini Perlmutter Classics Scholarship
This endowed scholarship is awarded in memory of Dr. Howard Perlmutter and in honor of Dr. Fotini Perlmutter, to be designated for an undergraduate student majoring in Classics. The prize is awarded to the student with the best essay or project on Ancient Greek or Roman Civilization as selected by the Classics faculty. This year's winner is Marisa Stephens, who has been a dedicated Greek student and eagerly engages in her classes in translation. She is a dual major in BA Language & Cultures-Classics and BS in Kinesiology and also has a minor in English! Marisa's winning project grew out of her research paper for Dr. Zinn's 'Animals in Ancient Thought' Classics Seminar in spring 2018. The paper compared views on cats in the ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. Under Dr. Zinn's supervision, she turned it into an article which she submitted in January 2019 to Aisthesis: The Undergraduate Journal of Classical Studies published by Stanford University. It was accepted in February 2019 and is now being revised for publication. The article version of Marisa's project, 'Cats Turn the Tides of the Battle of Pelusium', explains the role of cats in winning the battle for the Persians (against the Egyptians) in 525 BCE, against the backdrop of ancient Egyptian, Greco-Roman, and Persian views about cats and their cat-related practices.
The Leonid A. Jirgensons Scholarship in Latin
Calvin Birchall-Roman (dual major: BA Languages & Cultures-Classics and Engineering) is this year's winner of this scholarship which is awarded to a student pursuing a major in Classics with advanced Latin or teaching certification in Latin. Applicants must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA, and participate in Classics programs and activities sponsored by the department.
Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) Outstanding Achievement Award
Recipients of this award are nominated by their school, college or university and receive a complimentary one-year membership in CAMWS for the following academic year, including an electronic subscription to The Classical Journal and access to the Loeb Classical Library On-Line and a subscription to Greek Keys. Our winner this year has already been mentioned – she has been a leader in the Tech Classical Society and engaged in everything we do. She will be missed when she goes off to the University of New Mexico in the fall, but with hopes of seeing her at CAMWS in 2020! Congratulations to Kristen Dupree!
The faculty are proud of all of their students, and especially their graduating seniors. In addition to Kristin, it is important to point out that Chloe Morris, another leader in the Tech Classical Society, will be heading to Kings College London to continue her graduate studies after excavating Argolis in Northern Greece this summer with the University of Montreal and that Chloe Lowetz, who will be staying here at TTU to work towards her masters in Classics. Chloe, current president of the Tech Classical Society, should also be applauded for her strong Senior Honors Thesis and presentation of it at the Classical Association of the Midwest and South in Lincoln Nebraska.
On May 11th, Classics faculty and students celebrated the end of the academic year and graduating seniors and MA students at a party hosted at the home Drs. Roy and Tortorelli.
French
The French Club met weekly throughout the semester for various activities which always involved conversation skills. Students were able to receive peer tutoring during the meetings most weeks.
Pi Delta Phi Initiation and French Scholarship Awards Ceremony
2018-2019 Pi Delta Phi Officers (Noemie Hamaide, President; Megan Yandell, Vice-President; Alex Smith, Secretary-Treasurer) initiated 5 new members in to the French honor society who promise to uphold the motto to advance the French culture on May 6th in the Qualia Room. In conjunction with the initiation, 2019-2020 French Scholarships were awarded and the election of officers.
Pi Delta Phi Initiates
(left to right): Gina Elder, Veronica Moreno, Bryan Mata, Lauren Brewer, Jonathan
Bishop (not pictured)
2019-2020 Pi Delta Phi Officers
(left to right: Mata, Brewer, Corpman, Jonsson)
President, Kailey Corpman
Vice-president, Bryan Mata
Secretary-Treasurer, Lauren Brewer
Faculty Advisor, Dr. Andrea Jonsson
2019-2020 French Scholarships Awards
Beatrice Alexander Scholarships
Genevieve Ezuruike
Adnane Sounni
Bryan Mata
Daniela Mambe
Jacob Gilmore (Summer 2019)
Lauren Martin
Carissa Kissick
Beatrice Alexander Fellowship - Kailey Corpman (Summer 2019)
Beatrice Alexander Scholarship Contest - Mildred Chikumbindi
Wendell E. McClendon Scholarship - Uchenna Nwabueze
Christine de Pizan Scholarship - Michaela de la Houssaye
Lorum Stratton Study Abroad Fellowship - McKenna Harris (Summer 2019)
Pickford Recruitment Scholarship - Kailey Corpman
Theatrical Performances
The Qualia stage lit up with an exceptional theatrical mini performances immediately following the awards ceremony and reception. Let's give a standing ovation to the students of FREN 4303 Advanced Conversation and FREN 5320 Twentieth Century Literature for their exceptional performances of scenes from Le Tartuffe, Molière (1664) and Antigone, Jean Anouilh (1944).
Master Performers
Kailey Corpman
Noemie Hamaide
Anastasia Kenessey
Marcus Roberts
Alex Smith
Yzabel Vazquez
Megan Yandell
Undergraduate Performers
Olivia Copeland
Jacob Gilmore
Ketsia Kimbimbi
Ryan Michelin
Kate Morales
Chinyere Nwosu
Lt. Col. Jane Male Guest Lecture
On May 3rd, Lt. Col. Jane Male presented a lecture titled, "How Language and Culture Enhances Air Force Careers". Lt. Col. Male is the Chief of Victim and Witness Policy, Military Justice Division, Air Force Legal Operations Agency, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. She develops and oversees policies relating to implementation of Victim and Witness Assistance Program (VWAP). She received a direct commission as an Air Force judge advocate and entered active duty in January 2007. She is admitted to practice law before the Supreme Court of Texas, Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals, the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, and the United States Supreme Court. As a Defense Institute of International Legal Studies International Operations Office, Lt. Col Male was the first-ever U.S. military embed in the Republic of Mali from March 2016-2017 where she was honored as a Knight of the National Order by the Malian President. In August 2011-August 2012, she deployed to Kunduz, Afghanistan with the NATO Rule of Law Field Support Mission and has conducted missions in more than 20 countries across five continents. She is a member of the Language Enabled Airmen Program (LEAP) and maintains proficiency in French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
German
German program participated in Texas Tech Winter Welcome on January 17th in the SUB Ballroom introducing new and transfer student to the German program. The German Club met on January 26th for the "Songs for Eternity" concert with Ute Lemper presenting songs written in the ghettos and concentration camps by Jewish prisoners. Throughout the semester, German movies were screened and study sessions were held for students enrolled in German courses.
Students entering the CMLL building on February 6th purchased German pastries and coffee during the fundraiser, German Breakfast. With spring in the air, the club first enjoyed a picnic in the park on March 31st.
German Awards Banquet, May 3
Outstanding Students from German Classes
GERM 1501
Travis Gentry
Trace Richardson
Jacob Barrow
Gabriela Diaz
Peyton Redman
Marissa Dolle
GERM 1507
Senina Barboza
Jacob Craanen
GERM 2301
Nicole Burns
A. Jordan
Kunyuan Guo
GERM 2302
William Fox
Luke La Telle
Elise Eisenberg
Mike Brigham
Tom Gibson
Upper Level Scholarship Awardees
GERM 3301
Jada Douglas
Nykia Barton
GERM 3303
Courtney Gragson
Bryce Capers
GERM 4305
Yana Romo
Ben Craddock
GERM 4309
Pablo Freitas Britto
Spencer Diem
Scholarship Awards
Study Abroad Scholarships
Bryce Capers
Samuel Hayes
Jonathan Larghe
A. Jordan
Ted Alexander Scholarship
Sarah Schiffecker
Claudia Schumann
Bryce Capers
Yana Romo
Maegan Hammill
Samuel Hayes
Emily Peek
Peyton Redman
Qualia Scholarship
Jonathan Larghe
Japanese
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Nagisa Shimizu and Yamato Kitahashi, graduate part-time instructors, organized an end of the semester Japanese Potluck meal for learners of Japanese. Everyone gathered in the Qualia Room in early May for a time to taste Japanese cuisine and learn more about the culture.
Russian
Dr. M. Rybalko Lecture
Dr. Rybalko, Assistant Professor of History (Irkutsk State University, Russia) presented a lecture on April 11th titled, "Contemporary Russian Society: Problems and Prospects". The presentation addressed current issues of the Russian society after the conflict over Crimea in 2014 including topics on bureaucracy, corruption, nationalism and continuing polarization of regions with the highest achievements in prosperity and developments in Moscow and St. Petersburgh, new forces to withstand the Western economic pressure and oil price fluctuations specifically in Siberian regions.
2019-2020 Russian Club Officers
Andrew Watters – President
Verajalen Manicavelu – Vice-president
Brice Brown – Treasurer
Russian Club Spring 2019 Activities
Russian club gathered on February 6th for a screening of the famous Soviet producer Georggii Daneliia's movie, movie "Я шагаю по Москве" (translated as "Walking the streets of Moscow").
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Love was in the air on February 13th during the lecture presented by Irina Drigalenko, "Romantic Russian and Dating Etiquette" and Valentine proposals. Students were introduced to and practiced romantic expressions and nicknames, sang love songs, discussed the dos and don'ts of Russian dating , made mock proposals on bended knee and accepted or declined mock proposals.
The Russian Club is known to volunteer in the community each academic year with this year being no different. The club members took shifts serving pancakes and giving a helping hand during the 2019 Lubbock Lion's Club Pancake Festival on February 16th at the Lubbock Civic Center.
Moving into March, the Russian Club celebrated Maslenitsa on March 5th with a feast of Russian specialties. Maslenitsa, a week-long celebration of the Eastern Slavic religious and folk holiday, began as a pagan tradition; a sun-festival, personified by the ancient god Volos, and a celebration of the imminent end of the winter. In the Christian tradition, Maslenitsa is the last week before the onset of Great Lent. Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians alike observe the holiday. During the Russian Club meeting Irina Drigalenko presented the history and traditions of this festival after which students sampled authentic food including blinis which is served on the streets during Maslenitsa. Learning and reciting poems related to festival poetry and singing competitions made for a culturally rich event.
April Fool's Day is celebrated not only in America but also in Russia. Dr. Qualin brought "The Fool", a popular and entertaining card game to the table to play with the curious and competitive. Being a highly competitive game, players evade coming in last to avoid being called the "idiot" or "fool".
Dr. Qualin presented the origins and evolution of Russian rock on April 23rd emphasizing that Russian Rock rocks! Students engaged in a Q&A with Dr. Qualin after the presentation.
The semester drew to a close with the annual end of semester banquet on April 26th in the Qualia Room. Awards were presented, initiates inducted into Dobro Slovo and good-byes were said to finalize a successful academic year.
Dobro Slovo National Honors Society Induction Ceremony
Award Ceremony
Best Students of the Year
Russian Calligraphy Awards
First Place: David Paredez
Nicholas Acosta received an award for his exceptional contribution to the Russian program as a teaching assistant.
Veniamin Blokh, Music DMA candidate
Worldwide Showcase is an annual event hosted by the Texas Tech International Student Council where Texas Tech students can showcase their culture and heritage and share it with Lubbock and Texas Tech communities. Russia was represented by Veniamin Blokh with an outstanding piano performance of Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky on April 27, 2019.
Spanish & Portuguese
20th Annual Céfiro Conference
Céfiro Enlace Hispano Cultural y Literario, the Spanish and Portuguese graduate student association at TTU hosted the 2019 conference, "Cultural and Linguistic Exchanges in the Digital Humanities Era" from February 28 to March 2, 2019 at Texas Tech University. Experienced and young scholars – graduate and undergraduate students presented their research. A list of presentations from CMLL faculty and graduate students is located in Academic Excellence.
Keynote Speakers
- Prof. Barbara A. Lafford (Arizona State University): "Revisiting the normalization of CALL. A critical pedagogical approach"
- Prof. Steven Sloan (Texas Christian University): "Reflections on the early 20th century Latin-American chronicle in the age of hypercommunication"
- Prof. Luis Pradanos-Garcia (Miami University): "Post-growth imaginaries in post-2008 Spain"
The conference ended with a dinner at the home of Dr. Pereira-Muro to celebrate twenty years of the Céfiro with current students, faculty and alumni.
Teaching Workshops
Students in Dr. Rossy Lima's 5384 —Theory and Methods in Teaching Spanish as a Heritage Language— developed and executed a three-day workshop that aided language teachers, provided tools and broaden their knowledge of heritage language students. Each workshop was carefully designed to cover the specific needs of this student population; these approaches also took into consideration L2 learners. With the support of TLPDC (Teaching Learning & Professional Development Center), students excelled at delivering each topic, ranging from practical tools for vocabulary expansion, to integrating digital literacies in the heritage language classroom. Every workshop included printed activities and access to a public online drive where participants could access other materials. This initiative will be transformed into a teaching manual to be published this summer by Obsidian Academic Publishing.
Alicia Luque Lecture
On January 22, Alicia Luque, MSc, MA, Ph.D. Candidate in Spanish Linguistics (University of Illinois at Chicago) presented a lecture entitled, "Be(com)ing Bilingual: The Role of Cognitive Control and First Language Flexibility" . In her talk, she explored the complexity and challenging endeavor of learning L2 during adulthood. She reported the results of two studies aimed at elucidating the role of cognitive control and first language flexibility, two factors that play a role in bilingualism and that have been posited to be important for successful L2 learning.
Britta Anderson Presentation
Detail from "Historical Mural," Chicano Park, San Diego By Toltecas en Aztlán, 1973
Dr. Britta Anderson presented a talk, "Border Studies beyond the Wall: Latinx Fiction and Muralism on Interstate Route Tenochititlán-Los Angeles" on January 22 in the CMLL Qualia Room. In an analysis of Helena Maria Viramontes' 2007 novel Their Dogs Came with Them and the public murals in San Diego's Chicano Park, Dr. Anderson advocates for an expansive understanding of border studies that accounts for the racialized and gendered policing of citizenship and movement that extends beyond the geopolitical border region. An examination of the social and spatial borders produced through the construction of California's extensive freeway system in the 1960s which altered the urban geography and displaced thriving Chicano communities provided a framework of highway construction as a continuation of colonial violence. Cementation is a term Anderson introduced to describe the parallel physical hardening of the urban landscape through cement infrastructure and the rigidity of institutional portrayals of border subjects. Through centering the visual and literary texts as politically engaged artistic practice, she proposed that the appropriation of discourses of spirituality in the novel and public art facilitate mobile, fluid border subjectivities that challenge the logic governing urban planning decisions, state disciplinary organizations, and the field's current understandings of border subjects.
Hispanic Market Story Time - Cuenta Cuentos
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The spring semester was an excellent time to provide trilingual readings to children at the Hispanic Market in Clovis Rd. With the support of Mr. Kirk Abarca, market manager, the Spanish as a heritage language program prepared to enchant the attendees with bilingual stories that were gracefully interpreted to American Sign Language by Megan Aranda. Each monthly visit during January, February, March, and April was also equipped with book giveaways and activities. We would like to recognize the efforts of SHL instructors and students who volunteer to provide this special time on Saturday afternoons: Sylvia Flores, Verónica Morales, Isabel Ojeda, Yerko Sepulveda, Dora Aranda, Vicente Iranzo, Carlos Cornejo, Omar Gonzalez, and the heritage language students.
April 30th was an exciting day for bilingual elementary aged children from Lubbock ISD who participated in the Bilingual Story Hour held in the Qualia Room.
Graduate students and faculty read stories in both English and in Spanish that came to life with a visit from a special dinosaur.
Latin American Film Festival, April 10 – April 26, 2019
The Spanish as a Heritage Language program, in collaboration with TTU Library, the Thomas J. Harris, Humanities TTU, SFC grant, and CMLL, presented the Latin American Film Festival with five showings of award-winning films that portrait the culture, traditions and values of these Latin American countries. The films were carefully selected to engage the students in a discussion following each showing. These films were: Y también la lluvia, El futuro Perfecto, El Libertador, Ixcanul, and Qué culpa tiene el tomate. Every showing was accompanied by popcorn and received an attendance of around 40 students, per show, from heritage language and second language classes. This festival offered the opportunity to listen to different language variations, such as the Spanish of Ecuador, Venezuela, Argentina, and Guatemala, while also being exposed to social, emotional and political realities of these countries.
James Lee, Professor of Spanish & Latin American Studies School of Humanities & Languages, Deputy of Head of the School of Languages & Linguistics UNSW Arts & Social Sciences Lecture
Professor James Lee presented a lecture titled, Instructed Second Language Acquisition and the Allocation of Visual Attention Part 1: Native and Nonnative processing of Active and Passive Sentences" to students and faculty on February 7th in the Qualia Room.
Literary dinner joins CMLL at Seville and Lubbock
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Spanish graduate students in SPAN 5364 spent the semester reading the fascinating 19th century novel Fortunata y Jacinta, by Benito Pérez Galdós. This novel, considered second to Don Quijote in the Spanish literary canon, is an incredible document of daily life in Madrid in the second half of the second century, and includes many references to dishes that are still popular in Spanish cuisine. The students in Lubbock organized a dinner at Dr. Pereira's home that featured food, drink and music included in the novel. Our graduate students in Seville decided to host a parallel dinner at the Director of TTU-Seville Center Dr. Sara Pink's home with the faculty, staff and students working in Seville this semester. They even created a beautiful literary menu for the event! What a wonderful and delicious way to celebrate Spanish literature and food across the Atlantic.
Graduation Ceremony for Spanish Undergraduate and Graduate Students
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The Spanish-Portuguese program organized a special in-house graduation ceremony followed by a reception on May 17th for all Spanish undergraduate majors and graduate students who graduated in May and will graduate in August 2019. For a complete list of May 2019 CMLL graduates, see the Academic Excellence section.
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Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures
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Address
CMLL Building, 2906 18th St, Lubbock, TX 79409 -
Phone
806.742.3145