The Department of World Languages and Cultures serves the mission of the College of Letters & Sciences and the University as a whole by encouraging students to develop diverse perspectives, civic responsibility and engagement, and personal and professional integrity while preparing for careers and lifelong learning. Engaging with a world language benefits our students by improving their ability to make connections across the curriculum with other subjects. The Department offers a comprehensive curriculum in French, German, Spanish, and Spanish as a Heritage Language, as well as an array of courses in Arabic, Chinese, and Japanese. Undergraduate students may fulfill major, College, and University requirements, as well as acquire language skills for other opportunities.
Through our programs, students develop skills in listening comprehension, oral and written communication, and textual literacy, which facilitate awareness and appreciation of the contributions of world cultures to contemporary society. Our courses foster cultural sensitivity and respect through engagement with global languages, ideas, and literatures. Students further develop critical thinking skills through reflecting on the differences and similarities between the target cultures and their own.
The World Languages and Cultures Department's expertise in various languages reaches out into and serves the larger community and region. Faculty, academic staff and/or student interns provide valuable professional assistance with translation and interpreting. Service learning components in some courses help students see real-life applications of their world language skills. These activities benefit area institutions and organizations while creating ties between the university and surrounding communities.
Pilar Melero
Department Chair
Phone: 262-472-3173
Location: Laurentide Hall 3110
Nicole Romero
Department Assistant
Phone: 262-472-1975
Location: Laurentide Hall 3112
Through linguistic, cultural and literary experiences both in and outside of the classroom, the World Languages and Cultures Department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater fosters the development of diverse perspectives, civic responsibility and engagement, and personal and professional integrity while preparing our students for careers and lifelong learning. We work to develop skills in listening comprehension, oral and written communication, textual literacy and cultural competence to facilitate our students’ ability to interact with and appreciate the various cultures in contemporary society. Language mastery improves students’ ability to make connections with other subjects across the UW-W curriculum.
The World Languages and Cultures Department at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater seeks to help students become global-minded citizens who are attuned to and knowledgeable of linguistic and cultural variation so that they can interact with, adapt to and succeed in a diverse society.
We strive to respond to the interests and needs of students as they evolve into culturally competent individuals who explore multicultural learning opportunities, prepare for the job market, and develop a genuine interest in serving their communities. With these goals in mind, the World Languages and Cultures Department aspires to:
Louis R Betty
Associate Professor
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3102 |
(262) 472-7172
Melanie Czarnecki
Lecturer 1
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3134 |
(262) 472-1241
Alicia de Gregorio
Professor
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3126 |
(262) 472-5071
Luzma Ede-Hernandez
Assistant Professor
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3106 |
(262) 472-1064
Hala Ghoneim
Professor
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3116 |
(262) 472-5060
Timothy J Holian
Senior Lecturer
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3108 |
(262) 472-1065
Lisa Jane Huempfner
Associate Professor
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3132 |
(262) 472-5074
Pilar Melero
Professor
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3110 |
(262) 472-3173
Wakana Murakami
Allex Fellow
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3127 |
(262) 472-4200
Jodie Parys
Professor
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3130 |
(262) 472-5070
Nicole C Romero
Department Assistant, Igets Program Assoc.
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES, Graduate Studies
Laurentide Hall 3112 |
(262) 472-3173
Pamela Tesch
Lecturer 1
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3122 |
(262) 472-1053
Sheila Turek
Associate Professor, Add'l Pay Non-Instructional
Department(s): WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES
Laurentide Hall 3104 |
(262) 472-1066
There are numerous scholarship opportunities available to students, both through the university, the College of Letters and Sciences and the World Languages and Cultures Department. To make life a little easier, all of the university's scholarship applications and requirement listings are available online.
Language Scholarships and Awards
Arabic
The Qatar Scholarship Program
Arabic language students may master their skills under this intensive program at Qatar University in Doha for an academic year. It is a non-degree program, but students will receive a certificate upon completion of the academic year. Credit will also be awarded. The scholarship includes tuition; room and board in university dorms; round-trip airfare; local transportation; and books.
Visit http://ccas.georgetown.edu/academics/scholarships/qsprogram/ for more information.
AL Muammar Scholarship for Journalism
If you're pursuing degrees in both Arabic and journalism, you should consider this $5,000 scholarship sponsored by the Arab American Institute Foundation. Applicants should be committed to journalism and possess a sensitivity to Arab American issues. Community involvement and initiative in social advocacy and civic empowerment are required to apply. Applicants must demonstrate journalistic and academic ability, as well as financial need.
Visit www.aaiusa.org for more information.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
This scholarship is intended for U.S. undergraduates who plan to study abroad. The average award is $4,000. Recipients with backgrounds in supercritical languages like Arabic are then eligible for an additional $3,000 Critical Need Language Supplement from the Gilman Scholarship Program.
Visit www.iie.org/gilman for more information.
"Dream Deferred" Essay Contest on Civil Rights in the Middle East
Interested students should visit www.hamsaweb.com and view the writing prompts. One grand prize winner will receive a $2,000 scholarship. One second place winner will receive $1,500. Three runners-up will receive $500 each.
Critical Languages Scholarship Program
This culturally enriching program offers language instruction overseas to undergraduate students. The program lasts from seven to ten weeks and is fully funded by the government in an effort to increase the number of students who become proficient in critical languages such as Arabic.
Visit www.clscholarship.org for more information.
Japanese
Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State sponsors The Gilman Scholarship every year. Their aim is to cultivate friendly, sympathetic, and peaceful relations between the people of the U.S. and other countries. This relationship fosters students' ability to adopt significant roles in the global economy and the increasingly interdependent world. Therefore, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offered U.S. undergraduate students, who are otherwise unable, the opportunity to pursue academic studies or credit-bearing, career-oriented internships abroad.
Visit http://www.iie.org/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program for more information.
Boren Scholarship
The Boren Scholarship is for highly motivated individuals who wish to work in the federal national security arena. To accept funding, Boren Scholars must commit to working in the federal government for at least one year after graduation. The national Security Education Program funds Boren Scholarships to provide U.S. undergraduate students with a unique opportunity to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests. These areas include Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
Visit https://www.borenawards.org/boren_scholarships/basics.html for more information.
Bridging Japan Scholarship
The Bridging Project funded by the US-Japan Bridging Foundation due to generous contributions from a number of corporations, private foundations, and individual donors to offer scholarships to U.S. undergraduate students participating in study-abroad programs in Japan. There are 100 scholarships awarded each year to assist students with the travel and living expenses they accumulate while abroad. Bridging Scholarships are $2,500 for students who are pursuing semester-long programs and $4,000 for students pursuing academic year programs.
Visit http://www.aatj.org/studyabroad/japan-bridging-scholarships for more information.
If you have taken language classes previously and would like to continue taking French, German, or Spanish coursework at UWW, then you will need to take the appropriate World Language placement exam. These are available only as online, unproctored exams. Please take the test at least 2 weeks before you attend a SOAR, so your scores can be processed and will be available for course registration during the event.
Please contact Pilar Melero, the Chair and Coordinator of the World Languages Department if you are:
Language Testing International (LTI) provides language proficiency testing for both assessment and professional certifications. The two tests offered to UW-Whitewater students are the OPIc and the iWPT. UW-Whitewater students must take the following exams:
Registration & Scheduling:
During the Testing Center's reorganization, please use these instructions to schedule an online exam with a remote proctor.
Please see enclosed link for details on how to register for the OPIc Exam:
https://www.uww.edu/testing/tests-offered#TestsavailableatUW-Whitewater#opic-_-iwpt
A travel study is academic class that takes place on campus followed by an international faculty-led course work that typically runs for ten days up to four weeks. This global opportunity is ideal for students who are unable to do a traditional study abroad program or want to build on their global experiences.
Our dedicated faculty and staff are the gatekeepers to a global journey of discovery. Our esteemed educators, hailing from diverse corners of the world, are passionate about fostering linguistic proficiency and cultural understanding. With expertise spanning languages from Japanese to French, and cultures from Latin America to the Middle East, they offer a kaleidoscope of perspectives and experiences to our students. Beyond language acquisition, they inspire a profound appreciation for the richness of global traditions, literature, and history. Together, our faculty and staff create an immersive and inclusive environment, nurturing not only multilingual proficiency but also intercultural competence. Join us on a voyage to explore the vibrant diversity of our world, guided by the expertise and enthusiasm of our World Languages and Cultures Department.
Arabic is a highly regarded academic program at UW-Whitewater, and one of three languages shared with other UW-System universities (the other two are French and Japanese). The two-year program introduces students to the Arabic language and to Arab cultures, preparing them for careers in politics, history, business, and other fields. Students learning Arabic will:
The two-year UWW Chinese language program offers comprehensive training in Mandarin Chinese-putonghua (普通话, common speech, as it is called in mainland China) or guoyu (国语, national speech, as it is called in Taiwan). Mandarin Chinese is an official language in China, Singapore, and Taiwan. It is the official language recognized by the United Nations. The program adopts the simplified Chinese characters in writing, allowing students access to a well-rounded education. Courses taught include Elementary and Intermediate Chinese and students learning Chinese will:
UW-Whitewater students have the opportunity to major or minor in French through courses in professional French, literature, culture, phonetics, translation, and civilization as well as study abroad. French is the international language of such fields as: Fashion, Fine Cuisine, Theater, Dance, and Architecture. It is one of the official languages of many international organizations, including
French is spoken by 200 million people on five continents and is an official language in 29 countries. Click here to see how influential French is globally!
Students learning French will:
German remains one of the most valuable languages in Europe and around the world today. Not only is it the/an official language of five countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Lichtenstein, Luxemburg, and Switzerland), but it also is used in many neighboring countries as well (parts of the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, etc.). In fact German is the most widely spoken language in the European Union. German language and culture also remain vital in the United States, where more than 40 million Americans claim German ancestry. German-Americans make up the largest self-reported ancestry group within the United States, accounting for roughly 49 million people and approximately 17 percent of the population of the nation. Some states in the Upper Midwest contain well over 50 percent German heritage. Also many leading German corporations and smaller businesses have branch operations in the United States, creating significant economic growth and employment opportunities on an ongoing basis.
Students learning German will: |
Students of Japanese at UW-Whitewater can choose to major or minor in Japanese Studies. The three-year Japanese language program offers courses designed to build a solid foundation of all four language skills and promote the development of language proficiency and cultural competence. In addition to the course offerings at UW-Whitewater, through a collaboration with UW-Oshkosh, students are given the option to take courses taught at UW-Oshkosh on-line. Students learning Japanese will
working with advanced-level Japanese tutors at the Mary Poppe Chrisman Success Center.
Spanish has a rich and long history in the U.S. Arriving on the shores of Florida with Ponce de Leon in 1513, it is the oldest European language spoken in what is now the United States. Steeped in the hues of existing native Indigenous languages it has encountered on its American journey for more than 500 years, and in the sounds and rhythms of Afro-Caribbean cultures, Spanish in the U.S. is a living, vibrant language that transforms and evolves through daily contact with English. Our courses reflect the language's deep roots while exploring current language trends through courses in literature, phonetics, history, and other cultural markers. Students also have access to a growing array of professional Spanish courses. Students learning Spanish will:
Aside from the above opportunities, our strong Spanish for Heritage Speakers program will prepare student to:
Finally, students majoring and minoring in Spanish will have access to high impact practices. They will be able to: