May 11, 2023
Three exemplary Department of Languages faculty received CAAH awards for Academic Year 2022/2023:
Principal Lecturer of Spanish Ellory Schmucker was awarded CAAH Advisor of the Year.
Associate Professor of French Pauline de Tholozany was awarded a Creativity Professorship for the Humanities.
Associate Professor of Spanish and Community Health Arelis Moore received the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Congratulations to all on these outstanding and well-deserved achievements!
December 19, 2022
As the Fall semester draws to a close, we look back on some highlights from Fall 2022 in the Department of Languages. We turn the spotlight on the hard work and enthusiasm of Department of Languages’ students and faculty and the wider Clemson community as they share their valuable knowledge and experiences working toward a global, interconnected future.
September 21: Commission on Latino Affairs Symposium
The LIH Society hosted the 2022 Commission on Latino Affairs Symposium on September 21 in collaboration with several Clemson organizations. The symposium, entitled “Equity in Heath Care and Promotion Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic,” featured guest speaker and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Dr. Maria Elena Bottazzi of Baylor College of Medicine who presented the keynote lecture, “Transformational and Adaptive Leadership in Tropical Medicine: Academic Creativity, Strategic Alliances and Diplomacy.” An hour-long discussion panel followed the keynote lecture, with various community-based health organizations sharing their experiences promoting health and resiliency in Latinx communities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The symposium concluded with a networking and poster session featuring the research of Clemson students and faculty.
October 5: Forum for German and Spanish in Latin American Business Fall 2022
The German and Spanish sections joined together this year to hold a Forum for German and Spanish in Latin American Business. This conference highlighting German investment in Latin America gave special focus this year to investment in the Bajio region of Mexico.
The event was organized by Professors Daniel Garcia and Magda Matuskova in Spanish and Professor Lee Ferrell in German. With both on-line and in-person sessions, there were approximately 130 attendees and 12 companies.
October 15: Department hosts 49th Annual Poetry Declamation Contest
The Department of Languages’ 49th Annual Poetry Declamation Contest returned to campus this semester for the first time since 2019, having been cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and hosted virtually in 2021. The contest and awards ceremony were held in the brand-new Humanities Hall.
The Declamation contest brings together high school students from 22 different schools across South Carolina and Georgia to compete in poetry recitation in their languages of study. Contests are hosted in 9 languages (ASL, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian, and Spanish) and includes levels ranging from absolute beginner to native speaker. Students recite two poems from memory: a mandatory selection and their choice of a second selection. They are judged by a panel of judges comprised of Department of Languages faculty and 27 guest judges from the community. This year, 280 students participated in the event.
The return to the in-person contest allowed the students, their parents, and teachers the opportunity to learn about Clemson University first-hand and participate in campus tours.
The Department of Languages thanks the hard work of the Declamation Committee: Su-I Chen, Amy Sawyer, Melva Persico, Julia Schmidt, Debra Williamson, and Lee Ferrell. It also thanks the guest judges, Department of Languages faculty, lab assistants, and many student volunteers who make this event possible.
November 4: Clemson Celebration of Día de los Muertos
The Clemson community observed its fifth year of the Día de los Muertos celebration on November 4. The celebration, which is sponsored by the Clemson University Commission on Latino Affairs and Clemson Inclusion and Equity along with sponsors from the Department of Languages, the South Carolina Botanical Gardens, and Clemson Libraries, is organized by students, faculty, and community members with the aim of sharing an important cultural tradition with the Clemson community.
Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is a celebration of life originating in Mexico. Now celebrated in communities throughout Latin America and the United States on the night of November 1-2, the Day of the Dead is an important celebration during which the living and dead are reunited in joyful remembrance and festivity. Day of the Dead celebrations typically include various colorful symbols such as marigolds, skeletons, sugar skulls, traditional foods, and altars where family members can honor departed loved ones with photos and offerings of food and drink.
The Clemson event featured altars, traditional food trucks, a display of the skeleton “Catrina” in traditional dress, face painting, a mariachi band, and a screening of the film Coco.
December 15-16: 12th Virtual International LiLETRAd Congress hosted by Clemson University
Clemson University hosted this year’s 12th Virtual International LiLETRAd Congress, the theme of which was “Metaversality and immersive realities: a space for (re)construction” on December 15-16.
Aimed at professors, students, and alumni of English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, the symposium featured discussions, presentations, and lectures on topics including the relationship between literature and Metaverse, the convergence and compatibility of external realities, learning languages in virtual reality, human and economic social interaction, voice-constructed world and time-space, and more. The congress concluded with a discussion on how literature, language, and translation will always be essential. Clemson’s representatives and coordinators included Professor Graciela Tissera of the Department of Languages and Elysse Newman, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs.
The Department of Languages is extremely proud of the impressive accomplishments of our talented students and faculty, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities, achievements, and successes next year will bring!
Want to see more of what we’re up to? Read more on the Department of Languages facebook page.
June 8, 2022
Department of Languages senior Natalie Ann Claypool received the Norris Medal at the University’s Spring Awards Ceremony on May 9, 2022.
The Norris Medal, which is awarded to the best overall student as determined by the University Scholarships and Awards Committee, is considered the most prestigious award for graduating Clemson seniors. Recipients of the award have demonstrated outstanding and exceptional leadership, academic, and personal qualities as the top scholar in their graduating class.
Natalie is a Language and International Health major with a concentration in Spanish. Her studies have also included four Creative Inquiry projects across different disciplines, which have allowed her to pursue ambitious research projects in sexual health, child development, public health, and education inequality. Some of her work has been published in academic journals, including a piece co-authored with Associate Professor of Spanish and Community Health Arelis Moore de Peralta which explores the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) on Latinx children.
Natalie’s studies and research projects have led to an interest in combatting education inequality in the local community. Natalie combined her passion for education and community service by co-founding the Youth Scholars Program at Pendleton Elementary School with interim associate dean of undergraduate and graduate studies Mathew LeMahieu, The Youth Scholars Program seeks to motivate and inspire young students about their educational futures. Natalie’s outstanding commitment to service and betterment of the community, in particular for vulnerable children, will continue after graduation. She will be completing a year-long fellowship at Casa de Esperanza in Houston, where she will work with abused, neglected and HIV-positive children.
Natalie plans to graduate in August after completing her final undergraduate semester studying abroad at Universidad Blas Pascal in Córdoba, Argentina.
The Department of Languages congratulates this exceptional and inspirational scholar as her journey continues.
For more information about Natalie and her incredible achievements, please see the Clemson News release.
May 12, 2022
In April, Assistant Professor of ASL Jody Cripps and seven ASL students traveled to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, to initiate a Community Outreach program as part of their Creative Inquiry course. This CI project will aid in reviving Martha’s Vineyard as the signed language community it once was.
A Signed Language History in the Community
Martha’s Vineyard, an island of just over 17,000 residents off the coast of Cape Cod, has a rich history in signed language that goes back centuries. As home to one of the earliest deaf communities, a regional signed language, known as Martha’s Vineyard Signed Language (MVSL), flourished in the community until the mid-20th century and was used both by the large number of signing deaf individuals residing on the island and by hearing members of the community.
In recent years, the number of signers on the island has declined, which has not only heralded the waning of a rich tradition, but also impacted the deaf community and signing residents of the island. Martha’s Vineyard used to have a wide population of signing individuals, and this made local shops and businesses more accessible. However, many businesses and community members have been unfamiliar with signed languages in recent years. This makes it very difficult for deaf and signing individuals’ full access to the community.
Reviving a Tradition and a Plan to Spread Knowledge
In Martha’s Vineyard, cultural institutions and community members, such as the Martha’s Vineyard Signs Then & Now, a project under a public access MVTV station, are actively working to bring signed language back to the island. These efforts span educating the community and visitors on the island’s rich history and traditions through museum outreach and educational programs, as well as current programs to increase the use and reach of signed language in the community.
These efforts are an opportunity for the residents of the community to begin bridging the various communication gaps and enable them to extend a welcoming atmosphere to the many deaf and ASL signing people who visit or reside in Martha’s Vineyard. With the collaboration from the community partners (e.g., MV Signs Then & Now, MVTV station, town libraries, and the Chamber of Commerce), the community has the opportunity to create a model that promotes a society with a signed language-friendly environment.
Knowledge of signed language can bring together the community, and there are many ways to promote the growth and use of signed language in everyday settings for both hearing and signing community members. Residents can be encouraged to use signed language in daily life with their signing family members and friends and those with voice and developmental challenges; in loud restaurants and sports events; in quiet and private situations; and, importantly, with business people, caregivers, medical professionals, first responders and residents in order to bridge the communication gap with their Deaf and ASL signing visitors, patrons and patients to make the island a signed language-friendly environment for everyone.
What Future Research Holds
These promising efforts will be spearheaded by researchers from various institutions, including the projects of our own ASL program. These projects aim to supply the Martha’s Vineyard community with a variety of resources to educate and spread the word about signed language and how its use can positively impact the community.
The researchers will work with the entire community on the island to target what the residents need and want to see from our projects. The projects will be executed in an educational and informative fashion. There will be multiple signed language seminars or webinars that the researchers will host, and the participants can be anyone from the community, but especially ones from local businesses.
Furthermore, the seminars and webinars will not be the only resources. The goal is to create a variety of resources that everyone will have access to that they can use at their leisure. These resources will come in many different forms depending on the available platforms we can reach on the island. Outreach is significant, and our projects will also be advertised to spread the word about the efforts that are being made to make Martha’s Vineyard a signed language community again. Spreading the knowledge of signed languages is vital in order to preserve the history of this island and community.
Here is an exciting look at some of what our ASL students and Dr. Cripps experienced during their trip:
All photos courtesy of Jody Cripps.
Further information on some of the historical and cultural institutions visited by Dr. Cripps and his students:
Martha’s Vineyard Museum – some artifacts related to Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language can be found in the museum. A portrait of Joseph “Josie” West, a deaf farmer, is on the permanent display, as well as Alexander Graham Bell’s notebook on his investigations for deaf people on the island in the 1880s.
Chilmark Library – The town purchased the house of Katie West, the last deaf descendant with deaf genes and a native of Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language, and turned it into the library in 1956. This library maintains the Chilmark Deaf/Signed Language Community Digital Archive.
April 27, 2022
On April 2, 2022, the 37th Conference of the Southeastern Association of Japanese (SEATJ) was held virtually. Clemson University was the host institution, and the Department of Languages sponsored the event. Dr. Jae DiBello Takeuchi, Assistant Professor of Japanese, has served as the president for SEATJ for the past academic year and was the conference organizer for this event.
The conference included twenty-three individual presentations on a range of topics, including Japanese linguistics and Japanese language pedagogy. The keynote address was given by Dr. Amy Snyder Ohta, Associate Professor and Japanese Program Coordinator at the University of Washington. Dr. Ohta’s talk was titled “Harnessing Individual Networks of Practice to Promote Japanese Language Learning through Social Interaction and Media Resources.” After the official conference events concluded, two informal Zoom sessions were held in the evening to give attendees a place to interact and network. Conference attendees included Japanese language educators and researchers from California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Missouri, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Japan.
Dr. Takeuchi said she was relieved that the conference went smoothly and that there were no technical troubles. The conference has been held annually since 1986, and the last time Clemson University hosted an SEATJ conference was in 2012. While this year’s and last year’s conferences were held virtually, plans are underway for an in-person conference next spring, to be hosted by Duke University.
March 29, 2022
An interdisciplinary colloquium on the invasion of Ukraine will be held from March 30-April 5. The colloquium will consist of conversations, discussions, and film screenings led and presented by faculty from departments across the University. The series includes 7 events and will feature a mix of in-person sessions and Zoom talks.
Schedule of Events:
Wednesday, March 30
100 Hardin Hall, 4:00-6:30 PM
Donbass (2018, dir. Sergi Loznitsa)
Film Teach-In with Steven Marks (History) and Luca Barattoni (Languages)
Friday, April 1
100 Hardin Hall, 4:00-6:30 PM
The Rain Will Never Stop (2020, dir. Alina Gorlova)
Film Teach-In with Maziyar Faridi (English/World Cinema) and Aga Skrodzka (English/World Cinema)
Wednesday, April 6
100 Hardin Hall, 4:00-5:30 PM
Becoming Zelensky: Media, Politics, and Resistance
In conversation with Lucian Ghita (English) and Johannes Schmidt (Languages)
Thursday, April 7
100 Hardin Hall, 5:00-7:30 PM
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965, dir. Sergei Parajanov)
Film Teach-In with Olga Volkova (Languages/World Cinema) and Aga Skrodzka(English/World Cinema)
Tuesday, April 12
100 Hardin Hall, 5:00-7:00 PM
The Earth is Blue as an Orange (2020, dir. Iryna Tsilyk)
Film Teach-In with Jamie Rogers (English) and Gabriela Stoicea (Languages/World Cinema)
Wednesday, April 13
Zoom, 4:00-5:00
Geopolitical Mapping and Ukraine: Using Virtual Reality to Shape Reality
In conversation with William Terry (Geography/World Cinema)
Thursday, April 14
Zoom, 4:00-5:00
Stolen History, Stolen Heritage: Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and Russian Colonialism
In conversation with Kate Malaia (Architecture, Mississippi State) and Andreea Mihalache (Architecture)
Please see the flyer below for times, dates, and locations.
Sponsored by the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities, the School of Architecture, the Department of Languages, the Department of English, the Department of Geography, the Humanities Hub, and the World Cinema Program.
February 27, 2022
Although COVID is still making in-person visits to area high school German programs difficult, schools are accepting visits via Zoom. While it is difficult to meet with former students who now live miles away or who may still be avoiding crowded events due to COVID, technology is helping us to stay connected.
This year, the German program has visited 10 different high schools in the state and in Charlotte, NC, bringing along alumni and current students to participate in the conversations.
The result has been well-received by high school teachers and students who like hearing the personal accounts of our German students both at college and in the workforce. They are especially impressed when they see that their visitors are in Europe.
Among German program alumni, there are many who desire to keep in touch with their alma mater and who also want to continue to practice their German. For these reasons, the German program began the German alumni Stammtisch (conversation table) this past fall and held its first conversation on 10 November. Stammtisch has given students and alumni a chance to connect with friends in the business community and with recent and not so recent grads.
December 15, 2021
21 Department of Languages students earned the Global Seal of Biliteracy, an international credential which recognizes a candidate’s proficiency in two or more languages. Proficiency is recognized on working, functional, and professional levels. This semester, the Global Seal of Biliteracy was awarded to students representing Spanish (19), French (1), and Japanese (1).
The students earning the Global Seal of Biliteracy in Fall 2021 are:
Rachel Amaral, Elise Blackburn, Kevin Burgess, Vanessa Campos, Kathleen Champagne, Natalie Claypool, Olivia Cloud, Jack Edmondson, Juliana Franco, Gabrielle Garringer, William Gioffre, Yana Gudakova, Bria Martin, Haden McCarter, Audrey Ramey, Amy Rees, José Rodriguez, Evangeline Sanders, Ella Starr, Jordan Tedder, and Anna Vicente.
The Department of Languages is extremely proud of these exceptional students and congratulates them on their impressive achievement!
October 20, 2021
The Department of Languages and Language and International Health (LIH) is excited to present the 2021 Language and International Health Symposium on Thursday, October 21st.
The symposium will address the ACEs impact on the health and development of children in Latinx communities and strategies to prevent negative outcomes.Guest speakers will include LIH senior Natalie Claypool, ACE master trainer Dana Powell, and Rebecca Planchard, Senior Early Childhood Policy Advisor for the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
Where: Hendrix Center: Almeda Jacks Ballroom A
When: Thursday October 21st. 4-6 PM
Refreshments will be served.
For additional information, please see the flyer for the event below:
September 17, 2021
Four College of Arts and Humanities alumni were recently listed in Greenville Business Magazine’s “Best and Brightest Under 35” issue, which features outstanding young professionals from the Greenville and Upstate SC area.
Tori Wallace-Babcock (M.A. Real Estate Development), Catherine Crandall (B.A. Modern Languages – Japanese), Holly McKissick (Lang and International Trade – French), and MaryEllis Petrosian (B.A. Language and International Trade) were recognized as some of the most impressive young members of the business community.
Read their stories and the rest of Greenville Business Magazine’s list here!
