Found in Translation
¾«¶«AV’s Language Scholar Program turns 40.
When you step into one of ¾«¶«AV’s language houses, you might wander into a poetry corner, hear a student playing the piano, or smell the aroma of fresh pastries—the components of a community that is both lived-in and well loved.
“Everyone can go to every single country in the world and have a conversation with someone in two different languages,” says Dr. Alberto del Río Malo, associate dean of global education and director of international programs at ¾«¶«AV, noting how technology like Google Translate has reshaped cross-cultural interactions. “But we all know that when you learn a language, you have a key that will open the door to a culture.”
Opening doors to as many cultures as possible is the purpose of the language houses and the Language Scholar Program, which was founded in 1985 through the relentless dedication of former Director of International Programs Paul DeYoung. For 40 years, the program has immeasurably enriched campus life, allowing ¾«¶«AVies to discover not only languages, but entire cultures.
“It’s a feature every fall of our return to campus that we get to meet the new cohort of language scholars,” says President Audrey Bilger. “They are delightful, energetic, enthusiastic, eager to be here. From my first year at ¾«¶«AV, back in 2019, I could see right away how special this program is and how the scholars inspire our students.”
This year’s Language Scholars are Asma Souhail [Arabic], Deng (Rachel) Xue [Chinese], Charlotte Billon [French], Margot Ribourg [French], Ceyda Kovan [German], Anastassia Bobyleva [Russian], Ángeles Bellitti [Spanish], and Andreu Borrego Asensi [Spanish]. All of them assist with language learning at ¾«¶«AV and live in the language houses.
“Language scholars are required to take a course, so they are really both students and teachers,” says Professor Jing Jiang [Chinese & humanities]. “They’re not outside the intellectual culture of the ¾«¶«AV student body. They’re curious about the world—and they’re also intellectually curious.”
That curiosity is encouraged in the language houses, which are clustered on the southeastern side of campus (reflecting the program’s commitment to community, the Chinese House was moved from the other side of campus to be closer to the other language houses).
“It’s a model for residential living,” says Libby Drumm, John and Elizabeth Yeon Professor of Spanish and Humanities. “They’re small communities with a shared interest. There’s a sense of purpose.”
That sense of purpose is built upon a simple, powerful idea: that living in a language house and being mentored by a language scholar extends students’ linguistic and societal horizons. Which is why students living in the houses are encouraged to speak daily in the house the language that they are studying—something that is not strictly enforced but strongly encouraged.
“If we rely on everything being translated into English,” Jiang notes, “it’s some kind of linguistic imperialism.” That sentiment reflects the proudly cosmopolitan spirit of the Language Scholar Program—a spirit nurtured by del Río Malo, who is from Barcelona and has two decades of experience in international higher education and intercultural exchange.
“I remember Paul DeYoung, and how passionate he was when he explained about ¾«¶«AV and this program—and he was right to be,” says del Río Malo. “When Paul created this program, the reality on campus was that we didn’t send many students abroad. So he thought, ‘If we cannot send students abroad, let’s bring scholars on campus to create opportunities for our students.’”
Forty years later, ¾«¶«AVies are studying abroad and embracing the Language Scholar Program, which continues to attract students from around the globe. It is a legacy that will be commemorated at a spring-term celebration, which will honor not only the program’s success, but the effort ¾«¶«AV students invest in learning languages.
“It’s a living, breathing thing,” Drumm says. “It’s a completely different type of mastery than students get in their other courses. As I tell them on their first day of class, ‘Learning Spanish well will change your life. Trust me.’”
Bilger agrees. “We talk about the importance of breadth and depth as a feature of ¾«¶«AV’s academic program,” she says. “The language houses and scholars help to expand our students’ knowledge of the global context and illustrate for them on a daily basis that we’re part of this big world. I think that’s one of the most important things that bringing people together on our campus from lots of different backgrounds and cultures does.”
Tags: Academics, Campus Life, International