We have a rich history of collaborating with our friends and neighbors, here in Omaha and beyond.
The Department of Foreign Languages believes in being an active member of our community. We offer educational and cultural opportunities that are free to the community, in an attempt to foster positive relationships and a shared appreciation of language and culture.
Annual Colloquium on Language Teaching
The Annual Colloquium on Language Teaching seeks to create a community of language teachers & learners, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and encourage research in the field of Language Education.
The 17th Colloquium on Language Teaching will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at 10 A.M.
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Kate Paesani, who is Director of the Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) and Associate Professor in the Department of French and Italian at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on literacies-based curriculum and instruction and language teacher development, couched within the frameworks of multiliteracies pedagogy and sociocultural theory. Her most recent co-authored book, Literacies in Language Education: A Guide for Teachers and Teacher Educators, will be published by Georgetown University Press in Spring 2023.
The event is free and open to the public.
The conference will be held online to allow greater access to those who cannot attend in person: Register Here
Essay-Writing Contest: Why Languages Matter 2023
The MA in Language Teaching program hosts an essay-writing contest.
We invite juniors and seniors currently enrolled in a(n) heritage/second language/EL class to submit an essay answering this prompt:
‘Language courses often make use of music in the target language to introduce students to the vocabulary, culture, etc. For you, as a language learner, what is the role of music in your language learning trajectory? In your essay, explore how music in the target language has been instrumental in your own personal discoveries and explorations.’
Submissions are accepted until February 15, 2023 (11:59 P.M. CST) (World Language Week!).
Winners will be announced in March.
Register for the contest and to submit your essay (Word/PDF)
Grand prize $200 Amazon gift card, and two runner-up prizes of one $100 Amazon gift card each. Awardees will be asked to provide a copy of their winning essay in English and in the target language.
- Writing Contest Rubric
- SPAN 1110 – Playlist 1
- SPAN 1110 — Playlist 2
- SPAN 1110 – Playlist 3
- SPAN 1110 – Playlist 4
- SPAN 1110 – Playlist 5
Contact
Claudia García Ph.D.Associate Professor of Spanish
Phone: 402.554.4837
Email: csgarcia@unomaha.edu
Why Languages Matter 2022
Students participating in the 2022 contest answered the prompt: ‘Identify one of the major challenges for the world, your own community, or anywhere in between, in the decades ahead and describe how knowing multiple languages can help address it.’
The 2022 Grand Prize Winner is Magda García, a student at Bryan High School in a Spanish For Heritage Speakers 5-6 class.
The 2022 Runner-up Winner is Danielle Manning, a student at Lincoln Southwest High School in an AP French class.
Read the winning essays:| Magda Garcia | Danielle Manning |
| Magda's Essay (English Version) | Danielle's Essay (English Version) |
| Magda's Essay (Spanish Version) | Danielle's Essay (French Version) |
The purpose of this event is to provide students a space to express how language matters in society today. We ask students to consider the ways in which language not only reflects our everyday reality, but also creates bridges and connections toward a better future.