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CMLL

The Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures is proud to announce that 80% of the 2015 cohort of full-time students graduated within 4 years, placing it at the top of this ranking within the College of Arts & Sciences at Texas Tech University.

Retirement Reception Honoring Dr. Connie Scarborough and Dr. Steve Corbett

Drs. Connie Scarborough and Steve Corbett were warmly honored by CMLL, family and friends at a retirement party on August 26 in the CMLL Qualia Room. Dr. Jorge Zamora paid homage to Steve Corbett after working alongside him for many years in the Spanish program and in their joint leadership of the study abroad Mexico field trip.

Zamora recounted some of the heartfelt and interesting situations encountered during those times abroad, which strengthened their personal and professional relationship.

Dr. Sara Guengerich shared a warm tribute to Connie Scarborough's professionalism as a mentor and colleague as well as her personal interest in the lives of so many in the department including Guengerich' s. CMLL congratulates both of these exceptional professors on their momentous retirement and would like to thank them for their remarkable contributions to the Texas Tech Spanish program and to the department.

CMLL 2019 Graduate Student Orientation

Eighty-nine new and continuing graduate students took part in the annual CMLL Orientation on August 23 in the Qualia Room. CMLL welcomed 53 Master's and 36 Doctoral students in the Languages and Cultures, and the Romance Languages Programs to the Academic Year 2019-2020. Throughout the day, students learned CMLL policies and procedures, took part in practical teaching workshops, met with graduate academic advisors, registered for classes and prepared for teaching this fall.

Global Challenges and Careers in Interpretation and Translation Lecture

Alec Cattel, Audrey Sendejo, Jaime Fatás-Cabeza, Winnie Heh

The Texas Tech University Center for Global Communication sponsored a presentation titled, "The Global Challenges and Careers in Interpretation and Translation" on October 1 in the Texas Tech Allen Theater. Panelists included Audrey Sendejo (Program Coordinator of ASL Texas Tech University), Jaime Fatás-Cabeza (Director of the Undergraduate Degree Program in Healthcare and Legal Translation and Interpretation University of Arizona) and Winnie Heh, Career Advisor for the Translation (Interpretation Localization Management programs at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey).

Before the afternoon lecture, CMLL faculty and graduate students were invited to the Qualia Room for a brown bag lunch and interaction time with Jaime Fatás Cabeza, Winnie Heh, and Audrey Sendejo in an informal setting and learn more about their work.

Localization Analyst, Hilton, Alleare Consulting LLC

On November 6, Texas Tech alumna Laura Schuster gave a talk on Global Challenges and Careers in the Private Sector! After graduating with a degree in German and a certificate in Business, Laura went on to work for Hilton as Localization Analyst. She expounded on her experiences at Tech and beyond and shared about some of the career options available to students of languages and cultures.

Women's & Gender Studies hosted the 10th Annual Gender & Sexual Identities Colloquium, "Undesirables: A Queer History of Latinx Challenges to U.S. Immigration Policy" on October 18 in the SUB Matador Room. Additional support for this program came from the Office of LGBTQIA Education & Engagement, Classical & Modern Langauges & Literature and the History Departments.

Global Readiness through Language and Culture Lecture

As part of the Global Readiness through Language and Culture (GRLC) project, Dr. Kristen Michelson led an interactive presentation in the Qualia Room on October 16 on Multiliteracies: Linking Theory, Practice, and Purpose. This session was the first of a two-part series that engaged participants in interactive discussions of pedagogical principles and practices around multiliteracies pedagogies, which can help prepare students to communicate in a variety of genres and contexts. Part one focused on the origins of multiliteracies pedagogies in FL education and what this looks like in the classroom. Part two (date to be announced) will center on designing literacies-based instructional activities.

TTU Family Abroad Photography Exhibit

With extensive travel abroad opportunities, CMLL faculty have beautifully captured numerous cultures through photography from whom three submitted photos to the "Our TTU Family Abroad" Photography Exhibit presented by the Office of International Affairs The exhibit showcased sixty-six inspiring photographs from forty different countries from July 18 – August 23, 2019 in the International Cultural Center. Featured works from Rula Maabra Al-Hmoud, Phillip Guengerich and Sara Guengerich were among the selected photographs.

Faculty & Staff Welcome Party

Drs. Pereira & Christensen opened their home to CMLL faculty and staff on October 4 for a 2019-2020 Welcome Party. With an abundance of potluck dishes, everyone enjoyed a relaxed evening sharing summer experiences, project and research plans, and becoming acquainted with new faculty and instructors.

Pie & Coffee for Texas Tech Advisors

The Qualia Room filled with Texas Tech advisors from across all disciplines and two distance advisors joined us via Skype to learn about the language programs offered in the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures on Friday, October 25. CMLL faculty presented pertinent information on new online courses, new language and culture course offerings, new MA /MBA programs, study abroad and cultural courses.

Everyone in attendance enjoyed a delicious coffee break with a variety of delicious homemade pies. The event concluded with a drawing for a world-wide treat-filled basket representing the languages taught in CMLL. The lucky winner was Deanna Licon, Advisor for General Studies.

International Cultural Day – A five senses world tour!

On November 1, the beautiful cultural exhibits arranged by the Texas Tech CMLL language programs in the basement of the CMLL building served as a stimulus to the five senses of all who toured them. Middle Eastern clothing beautifully displayed and worn by native speakers along with delicious samples of Middle Eastern dates, Arabian fragrant and flavorful coffee, mint tea, dates, date cake, hummus and pita bread tantalized students' senses of taste, smell, and sight.

Brightly-colored and festively-decorated Russian artifacts, majors, and minors accessorized in native costumes magnetized the eyes of students to the Russian table where they learned about Russia and it's thriving people and culture.

The challenge of using chopsticks and using a brush for Chinese calligraphy engaged students' sense of touch while trying to master the techniques at the Chinese table. Not only the experience of hands on activities amused student, but also at the Brazilian table, all enjoyed listening to a demonstration of a special stringed Brazilian instrument and watching a mini exposition of Capoeira, a form of Brazilian martial arts. Students also experiences using their hands as a means of communication at the ASL table.

Travelling to the Classics table, students stopped to listen to historical facts shaping Europe and the Classical world shared by graduate students and faculty. From there, students wandered over to the French and German tables where they could taste delicacies while learning cultural tidbits about these historically rich countries.

Spanish table contributed a Dia de los Muertos altar honoring loved ones who have passed away recently. A special memorial to our Dr. Kimi Nakatsukasa was especially poignant.

CMLL Holiday Luncheon

On December 5, faculty, staff and graduate teaching assistants gathered in the lobby to share the annual CMLL Holiday luncheon. As the fall semester drew to a close, everyone enjoyed recounting the events of the semester over a delicious fajitas.

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Applied Linguistics

ITA Program

In May and June, two pre-workshop ITA Skype interviews were held for incoming international teaching assistants with strong English proficiency skills in possible lieu of attending the summer workshop. The ITA summer workshop took place from July 22-August 9 on campus with 82 participants.

During the workshop, incoming ITAs had the opportunity to gain knowledge in teaching in the American university classroom in addition to having their English proficiency skills assessed for teaching in the classroom.

In addition, participants forged new friendships across all disciplines as a direct result of rooming with those whose L1 was not the same. In addition, the Meet & Greet in Urbanovsky Park held on the first Friday of the workshop serves an icebreaker and a relaxing evening enjoying watermelon and friendly competition in volleyball, soccer and basketball.

A campus scavenger hunt and ice cream sundae party hosted by the Center for Campus Life brought out the competitive spirit in the students while introducing them to places on campus. Ending the evening with ice cream sundaes and excited chatter about the scavenger hunt made for a fun and relaxing social event.

English in the Evenings

This fall, members of the Lubbock community enrolled in English in the Evenings month-long classes. Students met twice a week and earned 1.0 continuing education unit and a certificate of completion. Course options this fall included Listening Comprehension and Spoken Communication in English, Reading and Composition in English, and TOEFL Preparation.

GSAL – Graduate Society of Applied Linguistics Student Association

2019-2020 Officers

President – Karina Oliveira De-Paula
Vice President – Mourad Abdennebi
Treasurer – Sarah Schiffecker
Secretary – Claudia Schumann

GSAL offered several support based workshops for CMLL graduate students and teaching assistants this fall. On September 27, Texas Tech Risk Intervention & Safety Education (RISE) presented a workshop on Stress Management followed by a talk by Dr. Griffee titled, "How to Give a Converence Presentation" on October 4.

Griffee presented a model presentation followed by student presentations critiqued by peers. The purpose of the workshop was to give students examples of best practices and a chance to receive constructive feedback on their own presentations.

Culture Fest provided an excellent expression of the rich cultural diversity GSAL students. On October 12, GSAL members adorned in colorful and beautiful native attire and shared their respective cultures with guests on the lawn of the International Cultural Center.

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Arabic

The Barnes & Nobles in the Student Union Building once again served as the meeting place for the Arabic Club meetings. Each Thursday beginning on September 12, learners of Arabic gathered around a table to work on their speaking skills.

On September 13, the Arabic Languages Student Organization shared Arabic culture over an Arabic feast with students interested in learning more about Arabic language and culture. The event took place at the Christ in Action Student Ministry and was free of charge to guests.

The Arabic Club had the opportunity to go outside their regular club meeting this semester to learn from other cultures. The Tech Russian & Slavic Club invited the Arabic Club to join them at their fall picnic on September 14 in Wagner Park.

On October 28th, Dr. Aliza Wong, Associate Dean of the Texas Tech Honors College arranged a meeting with the UN ambassador Sichan Siv (United Nations Economic and Social Council) for learners of Arabic who are interested in foreign affairs and in working with the government.

Participation in the annual CMLL International Culture Day is a perfect way to raise awareness to the Arabic language and program at Texas Tech. Students enjoyed sampling Arabic foods and drink while browsing the artifacts adorning the table. International Culture Day is not just for students but modeling native hats and costumes amused faculty, staff, and students who even stopped to pose for a photo.

A favorite among students learning Arabic each semester is the experience of eating authentic Middle Eastern cuisine at a local restaurant.

A large group gathered to enjoy hummus, falafel, and chicken and rice dishes on November 7, 2019.

On November 8, the Arabic Language Organization invited students, friends, family and anyone interested to their Friendsgiving meal at Christ in Action Ministry.

The generosity of the family of one of the students in Arabic 1501 invited the class to their home to enjoy a meal with Syrian food, live Syrian music and dancing the beautiful evening of November 20.

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ASL

The Silent Raiders first Silent Dinner took place on September 23 at Raising Canes! Three other Silent Dinners drew students out to practice signing skills over dinner. Speed Signing? Yes, on September 17 from 6-8 PM, Silent Raiders met in Chitwood/Weymouth Classroom for the Speed Signing event. It was open to anyone who wanted to practice their signing with a "speed dating" style event providing an opportunity to sign with different people for a few minutes at a time and to make new friends. Student Disability Services Deaf Bingo night took place in Wall/Gates Residence Hall lobby on October 2. Student played multiple rounds of Bingo using ASL and had to chance to win amazing prizes!

Trunk or Treat hosted by Silent Raiders wooed goblins and ghosts out to LifeRun on October 25th for the annual not so scary Halloween community event. The last event of the semester was Silent Slam which is a mix of performances and group activities and ASL games.

Chinese

Interactive learning took place in Chinese classes this fall. Students enrolled in Business Chinese took part in creating a play on a topic of business during class on September 13. Chinese calligraphy takes lots of practice and patience to master the technique.

Chinese Moon cakes are an integral part of the Chinese Festival. This year, Dr. Wang and the graduate part-time instructors of Chinese, Ying Jen Chien, Weijun Huang, and Xueni Fan prepared them to share with students enrolled in their classes.

Chinese Table started on September 25 as a bi-weekly meeting during which students would experience Chinese language and culture through games, songs and movies and language tutoring. A delicious aroma of flowers and herbs filled the air welcoming guests to the first Chinese Table. During Chinese Tea Art, GPTI Min Ying demonstrated Chinese tea art with a selection of teas, Green, Woo long and Pu'Er, flower and herb served with Chinese cookies and snacks.

Chinese Table explores cultural difference between China and the West with guest speaker, Weijun Huang, GPTI for Chinese on October 9. On October 23, the classroom transformed into a Chinese night market with street vendors selling delicious Chinese food. Students enjoyed making food purchases with fake Chinese RMB. Travel in China by Dr. Yanlin Wang was the discussion topic at the fourth Chinese Table on November 6. The presentation covered study abroad opportunities in China. With the onset of holiday shopping, , the topic for Chinese Table on November 20 was "Shopping Online in China" which explored e-commerce and online shopping trends in China.

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Classics

2019-2020 Officers of the Tech Classical Society

President – Chloe Lowetz
Vice-President- Marisa Stephens
SORC Representative – Kailin Zavala
Treasurer-Secretary – Kristin Brooke

Classical Society set up study hall on Monday from 2-4 throughout the semester for students studying Greek, Latin and Classics.

Fall Lectures

Dr. David H. J. Larmour, Horn Professor of Classics presented an AIA lecture, "A Classicist on Easter Island" as part of The Archaeological Institute of America, Lubbock Society, Fall 2019 Lecture Series on September 26, 2019 in CMLL 105. He read the landscape and sights of Rapa Nui through a classical lens, with particular reference to gazing at moai statues, the heroic "Birdman Contest", and admonitory narratives of environmental degradation.

Dr. Caroline Cheung, Assistant Professor with the Department of Classics at Princeton University presented an AIA lecture titled, "Storing and Packaging for the Roman Empire" on October 9. Rome's far-flung territorial empire had a sophisticated regime for the storage and distribution of food to feed the city of Rome. Before refrigeration and major transformations in transportation, the orchestration of this colossal apparatus relied heavily on artisans, farmers, porters, and other workers living in the shadow of the epicenter of a Mediterranean empire.

This talk examined the storage and packaging containers and their industries for the Roman wine trade, with special focus on the dolium, the largest type of container in antiquity. Used primarily for the fermentation and storage of wine, dolia were expensive and labor-intensive investments. Studying dolia brings to light the ingenuity, cross-craft fertilizations, collaborations, and social and economic constraints of humble craftspeople living and working in the Roman Empire.

This lecture is co-sponsored by the Departments of History, Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, and the College of Arts and Sciences. For more on the Lubbock Society of the Archaeological Institute of America, please click here.

Dr. Maureen Alden presented a talk titled, "Odysseus,the Cyclops, and the Seven Sages: Performing Wison in Tight Comers" on October 8 in the Qualia Room. Dr. Alen is author of such notable works as Para-Narratives in the Odyssey: Stories in the Frame (Oxford 2017) and Homer beside Himself: Para-Narratives in the Iliad (Oxford 2001). This lecture, sponsored by Texas Tech Classical Society, afforded students an opportunity to engage with a world-renowned scholar of Homer and the epic tradition.

Dr. Paul Allen Miller (Carolina Distinguished Professor of Classics and Comparative Literature, University of South Carolina) presented a talk entitled, "Plato as World Literature" on November 11 in the Qualia Room. In this talk, Miller argues that the world we live in today is in its essence Platonic, i.e., the world as it is picture by Platonism. It contended that a Platonic worldview generally undergirds our assumptions about what it means to do science, what it means to have an evidence-based attitude toward the world and what we understand to constitute the truth: a correspondence between my perception of objects in the world and the categories we use to define them. This talk was sponsored by the TTU Humanities Centre, Department of English, Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, and the Classics Excellence Fund.

Study Abroad Fair

Classics faculty presented the new faculty-led study abroad program for summer 2020 in Ancient Sicily during which participants will earn six credits for CLAS 3320 World of Greece and CLAS 4310: Food and Identity in Ancient Sicily at the Texas Tech Study Abroad Fair on September 19 in the Student Union Ballroom. A study of ancient Mediterranean civilization will begin with the Greek influences and will take them to some of the oldest and best-preserved archaeological sites. In the pursuit of understanding the connection between food and culture, a visit to farms, village markets, fishing ports will be among the excursions. The program is open to Classics majors and minors as well as students in the Honors College.

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French

The French Club kicked off the semester at its first meeting on September 10 for all learners of French as well as seasoned and native speakers. Francophone Culture was the theme of the club meeting on September 26 during which time awareness to the many places where French is spoken followed by the topic on monuments of Paris and Reims, France, the location for the faculty-led study abroad summer program on October 10, 2019.

During Language & Culture Day on November 1, Dr. Lucas Wood heightened area high school students' interest in Medieval France during a talk titled, "The Medieval Werewolf". Both high school and TTU students browsed the French table and engaged in conversations around French culture and tasting French treats during the culture fair in the basement lobby.

German

Kaffeeklatsch, the informal German conversation hour, opened its doors at the campus Starbucks in the SUB on August 30 and continued each Friday afternoon throughout the semester.

German program tabled at the International Culture Fest on October 12 at the International Cultural Center. On October 10, the German Club screened the German classic, "Nosferatu" which provided a little spook to the Halloween themed evening.

Dr. Belinda Kleinhans' talk entitled "Drawing German History" increased visiting students' historical knowledge of Germany during the Language & Culture Day on November 1, 2019.

Awareness of Germany's historical and current events was heightened by a display of German artifacts and engaging conversations with faculty and students at the German table during the culture fair on the same day.

German Students Present Schiller Adaptation

On November 22, 2019, students enrolled in GERM 3304: Introduction to German Literature performed an adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's famous play Die Räuber (The Robbers) on the newly renovated Qualia Room stage.

Approximately 50 students, faculty, staff, and community members were treated to an entertaining and thought-provoking experience as the students showcased their language skills and brought Schiller's 1781 classic to life, illustrating the relevance of the play's themes today, which range from family conflicts and political struggles to the limits of personal liberty, the harmful effects of toxic masculinity, the hypocrisies of religion, and the economic inequalities that fuel conflict.

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Italian

Ezio Gribaudo: Life and Art Retrospective Exhibition

Texas Tech University College of Arts & Sciences, the Department of Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures and the Italian Program presented the exhibition, Ezio Gribaudo: Life and Art, in the CMLL Qualia Room October 3-30. Victoria Surliuga, Associate Professor of Italian curated the exhibition and a reception accompanied the viewing on October 2, 2019.

Victoria Surliuga was a guest on the KLBK/KMAC television show, "Trends & Friends" with Glenys Young (TTU Marketing) on October7. She spoke about the exhibition, "Ezio Gribaudo: Life and Art" bringing awareness to the Lubbock community.

Japanese

Japanese Community Picnic

Dr. Kimi Nakatsukasa created a Japanese community in Lubbock and the potluck style picnic on October 15 was a start-off event as a community. Japanese people living in Lubbock and Japanese GPTIs and students in Japanese courses with their families participated in the event.

Japanese Tailgate

The Japanese Club called Genki Club held a tailgate on October 19 during which pumpkin carving took place. One of the members carved the Japanese word, "Genki" meaning energetic on one of them.

Japanese Tea Party

Yamato Kitahashi, GPTI for Japanese, held a special lesson on Japanese tea on November 22. Students enjoyed sampling three different kinds of tea from Kyoto.

Japanese Club Collaboration

On November 22, Genki Club and Northeastern University had a joint meeting using Zoom, a video conferencing app. Students from TTU prepared a language lesson and presentation for them. With this meeting being such a huge success, more meetings will take place in the spring semester.

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Language Lab & Research Center

We are happy to celebrate Caitlyn Morgan's graduation. Caitlyn has worked with us since spring 2016 as a Help Desk worker. Her excellent customer service at the Language Lab is much appreciated. She majored in psychology and minored in Spanish. She also studied Spanish aboard at our Center in Sevilla. We wish her well-deserved success as she moves on to graduate school to study psychology. Congratulations Caitlyn!

Russian

Great energy filled the room during the first Russian Club meeting of the fall semester on September 6.

The annual fall picnic for the Russian Club took place on September 15 in Wagner Park with special guests from the Arabic Languages Student Organization. Students from both clubs enjoyed sharing cultures and finding similarities over a Russian meal.

Study Abroad Week at Texas Tech provided the opportunity to invite Molly Cain from SRAS to give a talk about study abroad opportunities in Russia and in Russian-speaking countries. SRAS, a team of consultants and advisers dedicated to the educational opportunities offered by challenging locations, has been a leader in innovative study abroad programming for over 20 years.

Elizabeth Pickell used her ingenuity and creativity in making a miniature model house equipped with every detail to be used by first-year Russian students to review housing vocabulary.

As part of the IFS, Texas Tech University International Film Series, The Red Soul was screened on November 6 in the CMLL Qualia Room. The film is a documentary exploring Stalin's Legacy in today's Russia, which shows how the past lives on in present-day Russia, and thus makes its mark on the present and the future. After the screening, there was a Q&A with award winning director, Jessica Gorter. The Texas Tech University College of Media & Communication, Humanities Center, Departments of History, Political Science, Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, Texas Tech Association of Russian and Slavic Studies and the Russian Cultural Center: Our Texas sponsored the event.

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Spanish and Portuguese

Professor Susan Larson organized the international "Modernity and the Avant-Garde in Spain: Trans-Atlantic Debates" symposium that took place on July 17 and 18th, 2019 at the Residencia de Estudiantes in Madrid with her colleague Juan Herrero-Senés of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

Translation & Interpreting Lab

The first session of the Translation & Interpreting Lab met on September 12 providing attendees with diversity in curriculum, experience in the field, tools for effective interpreting and a certificate of completion. Translation is a growing field and this lab directed by Dr. Rossy Lima consisted of 3 sessions designed for Spanish-English bilinguals with no previous knowledge of translation or interpreting.

Promotion of Spanish Study Abroad

The Spanish program engaged in conversations with prospective study abroad students about the wide array of courses available at the TTU Center in Seville during the Texas Tech Study Abroad Fair on September 19 in the SUB Ballroom. Students have not only the opportunity to study Spanish but also to enroll in internships.

CILDE 2019 – 9th International Hispanic Crime Fiction Conference

Martin Solares, writer of crime fiction, critic and editor, was the plenary speaker at the CILDE 2019 Conference from September 20-21, 2019 in the Student Union Building, Escondido Theater. Born in Mexico, he earned his doctorate at the Pantheon-Sorbonne, Paris. He is a frequent contributor to several periodicals and winner of multiple literary awards.

The conference was sponsored by TTU Ethics Center and Co-Sponsored by Monographic Review, Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures

Texas Tech University doctorate alumni in Spanish presented at the conference including:

Mario Morera, Stephen F. Austin State University
Vanessa Rodriguez de la Vega, Missouri State University
Roland Diaz, Southeaster Oklahoma State University
Jeffrey Oxford, Midwestern State University
Maria Alejandra Cerdas, Missouri State University
Rubén Varona, Miami University-Oxford, Ohio

Lunch with the author and CMLL graduate students provided an excellent opportunity to get to know Solares in CMLL Qualia room on September 20.

Language, Image, Power – Luso-Hispanic Cultural Studies Theory and Practice Conference

Professor Larson and a group of colleagues and graduate students in the Spanish and Portuguese program have worked to bring together a group of approximately 100 teachers, scholars, activists and students interested in taking up the history, evolution and future of Luso-Hispanic Cultural Studies as a discipline, a pedagogical tool and a set of working practices from October 10-12, 2019.

The Spanish and Portuguese Program of the Department of Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures hosted this year's conference at the Overton Hotel with workshops, collaborative roundtables and presentations on a broad array of issues related to Luso-Hispanic Cultural Studies theory and criticism. In addition, this conference served as a forum for discussion on how to bridge the gap between theory and practice in the form of community engagement, political activism, and meaningful pedagogy.

Professor Mabel Moraña of Washington University, St. Louis giving the opening keynote lecture.

Texas Tech Sponsors included Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures, Dean's Office of the College of Arts & Sciences, and The Thomas Jay Harris Institute for Hispanic and International Communication of the College of Media and Communication and The Charles B. Qualia Endowment Fund. For a list of CMLL conference presenters go to section, Academic Excellence.

Dr. Mark Amengual Lecture on Heritage (Bilingual) Spanish and Workshop on Bilingual Language Profile

The Spanish program had the privilege of hosting Dr. Mark Amengual, Associate Professor at UC-Santa Cruz. Dr. Amengual is a leader in the field of linguistics in bilingualism, particularly in phonetics and phonology. He is also one of the scholars who created the Bilingual Language Profile. He presented a talk entitled, "Cross-linguistic influence in bilingual and trilingual speech: static and dynamic interference" on November 14 followed by a workshop entitled, "The Bilingual Language Profile (BLP): A tool for Assessing Bilingual Language Dominance" on November 15, 2019. The events were supported by the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures and the Department of Sociology, Anthropology & Social Work.

Conversations with the Next Generation

Dr. Rossy Lima was the guest speaker at "Conversations with the Next Generation" supported by the First Generation Transition & Mentoring Programs on October 22, 2019 in Chitwood/Weymouth Residence Hall Classroom. Dr. Lima, a DACA recipient whose creative work has been published in numerous journals, magazines, and anthologies in Spain, Italy, UK, Canada, United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia and Argentina. In addition, she is founder and president of the Latin American Foundation for the Arts, the International Latin American Poetry Festival and Jade Publishing. During these conversations, she shared her insights gained from her diverse experiences.

Waking Dream

On November 12, Dr. Lima facilitated a discussion after the film screening of "Waking Dream" hosted by the TTU Dream Resource Center, which is part of the Texas Tech Transition & Mentoring Programs. Students, faculty and staff also were invited to listen to the Supreme Court hearing of DACA Oral Arguments for support and ally-ship at a come and go event.

Spanish Club offered bi-weekly movie nights in the SUB Senate Room and alternate bi-weekly club meeting in CMLL throughout the semester.

Languages & Culture Day

As part of Languages & Cultures Day in CMLL, the Spanish Heritage Language program and CMLL organized a celebration of Día de los Muertos in the Qualia Room, which included an altar to the dead, pan dulce and lots of beautiful Spanish music.

Individual writing, collaborative writing and peer feedback: a necessary choice?

Dr. Camino Bueno Alastuey (University de Navarra, Navarre, Spain)

On November 21, Visiting Scholar Dr. Camino Bueno presented a talk titled, "Individual writing, collaborative writing and peer feedback: a necessary choice?" Traditionally, writing tasks have been done individually in the foreign language classroom both when learning language and when studying literature or culture. However, recent approaches to writing have proposed collaborative writing tasks and peer feedback as ways to align with current sociocultural theories of learning. In this talk, both collaborative writing and peer feedback was discussed, especially focusing on their advantages and shortcomings as shown by recent research in the field of writing. In addition, there was a presentation of a research project being carried out at Texas Tech university which is analyzing the benefits of these two approaches in subsequent writings, and when using technology for writing.

Noche de estreno

The Spanish Heritage Language Program and the Department of Classical & Modern Languages & Literatures hosted Noche de estreno on November 20 in the Qualia Room. This event featured digital stories from students enrolled in SPAN 3315 Oral Expression in Context for Bilingual Students with prizes awarded to students.

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