Two new language courses offer culture, unique opportunities at UW-Whitewater
Released: September 2, 2003
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater department of languages and literatures will offer beginning Russian and beginning Arabic as two new language courses this fall semester.
Nancy Heingartner, who received a doctorate from Brown University in Slavic languages and has a variety of teaching experiences, teaches the Russian instruction course. The course is partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education through a grant to enhance international studies related to Communist and Post-Communist Eurasia. The grant was initiated and written by Anne Wing Hamilton, coordinator of the International Studies Program and assistant professor of political science. It requires the university to match the federal government’s funding, which is important, Hamilton said, because it concretely demonstrates the university’s commitment to enhancing international studies.
Grant activities will focus on the post-Soviet states and other “countries in transition,” including China.
“The idea to bring in Russian language was key,” Hamilton said. “We already have some Chinese courses on campus, which are popular. Russian was a real gap in the curriculum. The grant also includes a series of programs and new courses that will compliment the Russian language courses and vice versa.”
The new courses to be developed include courses on the history of Central Asia, the foreign policies of post-Soviet states and Russian authors in translation. Also written into the grant is an opportunity for Wallace Sherlock, professor of curriculum and instruction, to develop internships in St. Petersburg for teachers in English and possibly others. Sherlock received his degree in Russian literature and is familiar with St. Petersburg.
“The grant comes at a perfect time for the university,” said Hamilton. “Not only does it fit into the chancellor’s goals to internationalize the curriculum, but world events have heightened student interest groups.”
Mohammad Salama, a native of Egypt and doctoral candidate at UW-Madison, teaches the Arabic course. Salama’s position is funded by the UW System Collaborative Language Program, through a grant written by Peter Hoff, foreign language coordinator, and seeks to bring less commonly taught languages to UW campuses. UW-Whitewater currently offers Japanese through this program and facilitates distance learning to UW-Platteville. The Arabic course will also be accessible to UW-Oshkosh students through UW-Whitewater via distance learning.
The 2003-2004 academic year will see first-year courses of both languages and the 2004-2005 academic year will hold first-year and second-year courses.
George Savage, chairperson of languages and literatures, said that both of the new course offerings serve larger social and political goals.
“I think there are two contending ways to deal with the current international political turmoil,” Savage said. “There is a temptation for us retreat and be more isolated. That, I believe, is a destructive path to follow. The other path is to foster greater communication with the rest of the world. Learning other languages, especially languages such as Arabic and Russian, is a small but meaningful way to begin to communicate with the larger world.”
- Katie Stoffel ,stoffelka14@uww.edu
