Learning a new language can be difficult and challenging. We’ve all heard the best way to

learn a language is by speaking it, right? Now, you have the opportunity to learn, interact and im-

prove your speaking skills with college students like you! The Globe is located at the corner of Clay-

ton and Lumpkin Streets in the heart of the "classic city" of Athens, Georgia. The Globe offers a

learner-friendly atmosphere every Tuesday from 5 to 6 pm to students who are interested in improv-

ing their speaking skills in Spanish or Portuguese. This is a great way to learn a new language, meet

new people, improve your speaking skills and you have UGA and GSC professors who are willing to

answer any questions you may have.

Mr. LaValle’s Spanish 2002 class from Oconee and his two 2001 classes from Oakwood

attended Tuesday, October 11. Everyone had a positive experience. We laughed, we talked, we

played games and left much more confident in our ability to communicate in freestyle Spanish con-

versation then when we entered. By the end of the evening students from Oakwood, Oconee and

UGA were exchanging phone numbers and planning their next experience at the Globe!

Learning a new language can be so much fun!!

By Natalia Sanchez

S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

FL Lecture Series

Set for 2011-2012

Students win high

honors in annual

AATSP Composition

Contest

Students earn high

honors for work in

foreign languages

Students teach/

learn at local

schools

Study abroad trip to

Spain in 2012

I N S I D E T H I S

I S S U E :

Letter to the editor 2

Composition Contest

Results 2

FL Awards 3

Student excels despite

hardships 3

Student testimonials 4-5

Study abroad in Spain in

2012 6

Hispanic Food Contest

Winners 7

G A I N E S V I L L E S T A T E C O L L E G E

F O R E I G N L A N G U A G E N E W S L E T T E R

Linguae et Litterae Fall 2011 Volume 2, Issue 1

Prof. Joe Lavalle and his students

enjoy time well spent at The Globe in

Athens.

Dear Colleagues, Students and

Friends of Gainesville State College,

As in the Spring, this Sum-

mer and Fall many changes took

place in the ever changing face of

Foreign languages here at Gaines-

ville State. First, Dr. Eric Skipper was

named Interim Dean of Humanities

and Fine Arts. Second, Dr. Amye

Sukapdjo was named Interim Chair

of Foreign Languages as FL became

its own department again.

Probably the most noticea-

ble change, students, faculty and

staff moved into the brand new, state-

of-the arts Academic IV Building on

the Oakwood Campus.

I, for one, am very excited

about these changes and believe they

will only strengthen the foreign lan-

guages program here at GSC.

One final change is the for-

mat of this newsletter. We are now

dedicated to being the voice of the

students. As you will note, all of the

articles are dedicated to student ex-

periences and achievements. Most of

them are even written by students

themselves. This format is very fitting

as GSC is a student-focused, learning-

centered academic institution.

I hope you enjoy reading this

issue as much as I have enjoyed put-

ting it together.

Have a great rest of the se-

mester and academic year!

Sincerely,

Ryan N. Boylan

Students of Sara Burns, Associate Professor of Spanish (Oconee Campus), won the annual AATSP (American Association

of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese) Georgia Spanish Composition Contest. They were:

Christopher Fogal—SPANISH 1001; Joy Smith, Heather Hoskins, and Jeremy Mize—SPAN 1002; and Rachel Bridges, Court-

ney Stinchcomb, and Hannah Tindol—SPAN 2001.

College and University students participate in the composition contests each year. They are given two topics from which to

choose a theme for an essay that must be written in one hour.

The themes for writing and the rubrics by which the writing is judged are created for each level of ability.

Each Fall and Spring, the Foreign Language Lecture Series hosts two lectures for students, faculty and staff.

In November, Dr. Julie Luebbers discussed how foreign language learners become more culturally aware and why cultural

competence is vital to the efficacy of foreign language learning and teaching.

In February, Dr. Fernando O. Reati of Georgia State University will talk candidly about his life, imprisonment and the physi-

cal abuse he endured during Argentina’s Dirty War in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.

L e t t e r f r o m t h e E d i t o r

STUDENTS OF SPANISH WON THE ANNUAL AATSP COMPOSITION CONTEST,

(OCONEE CAMPUS), 2011

By Prof. Sara Burns

P a g e 2

F o r e i g n L a n g u a g e L e c t u r e S e r i e s S e t

F o r 2 0 1 1 - 2 0 1 2

By Ryan Boylan

L i n g u a e e t L i t t e r a e

Even as she was a beginner in French,

she started teaching her baby French.

They presently converse together in

English, Spanish or French. Caitlin

excelled in class throughout her GSC

career finishing with more than 90

hours of course credit and a 3.8 GPA.

She received regular invitations to join

Phi Theta Kappa but had to allocate

her money for course fees rather than

subsequent honors. Still she was twice

awarded the Excellence in French and

the Outstanding French Student

awards.

Despite family emergencies

and priorities Caitlin finished her Asso-

ciate’s degree in both languages and

education in the Spring of 2011. At

this culminating moment Caitlin’s

second child, her daughter Rosalie

was born. “Armed” with two children,

Caitlin is shooting for bigger and better

academic achievements as she has

entered the GSC Baccalaureate pro-

gram in Early Childhood Education.

Kayci Saxon won the Excellence in Spanish

Award, 3rd prize

(Student of Instructor Tiffany Haymore)

William DeWitt won the José Martí Excellence in

Spanish Award, 1st prize. (Student of Associate

Professor Sara Burns)

Stephanie Cave, Chelsea Gress, Josh Johns and

Rachel Treadwell won the Excellence in Spanish

Award, 2nd prize

(Stephanie Cave, student of Instructor Tiffany

Haymore and Chelsea Gress, Josh Johns and

Rachel Treadwell, students of Associate Profes-

sor Sara Burns)

man;

Hyun Jeong Jeon—Excellence

in Japanese;

Elisha D. Odum—Excellence in

French;

Caitlin Rodriguez—Outstanding

Student in French;

Joseph Edward Stallings—Jose

Marti Excellence in Spanish

Award;

Matthew T. Thompson—

Excellence in Spanish; and

David Thomas—Outstanding

Student in Spanish.

Congratulations to all on your

accomplishments!

In the Spring, 8 students were

recognized for their exemplary

performance in their respec-

tive Foreign Languages with

awards from the faculty. The

honorees are as follows:

Brandon Bowerman—

Outstanding student in Japa-

nese;

Mary-Kathleen Collin—

Outstanding student in Ger-

F o r e i g n L a n g u a g e S t u d e n t E x c e l s

D e s p i t e h a r d s h i p s

By Dr. Steven Crawford

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF SPANISH AWARDS

(OCONEE CAMPUS), 2011

By Prof. Sara Burns

F o r e i g n L a n g u a g e s t u d e n t s

h o n o r e d i n s p r i n g !

By Prof. Garry Merritt

P a g e 3 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 1

Caitlin Rodriguez entered

GSC in the fall of 2007 reading, writ-

ing, speaking, comparing, translating,

studying and challenging multiple

languages. Her initial goal was the

Associate’s degree in French and

Spanish to which she added certifica-

tion in elementary education in the

spring of 2008. She accelerated her

studies in the summer months. Her

first child, son Nathan, was born in

August 2008. Mother and son were to

be, and are language study partners.

Caitlin was forced to skip coursework

that fall to take care of Nathan and

the family.

The new Mom adapted to

family and study pressures by taking

night classes in the Spring of 2009.

My name is Missy Smith and I am a student in Mrs. Jordan’s Spanish II class. I work at Oconee County Elementary

School as a Paraprofessional with third grade. Since I have been in Mrs. Jordan’s class, I have gained more knowledge in

learning how to speak Spanish and feel more confident in doing so. At my elementary school, I have a group of students

that I help keep organized and ensure that their homework is completed. While helping my students, I am able to welcome

them by saying, “Hola. ¿Cómo estás?” Then asking, “¿Hiciste tu tarea?” I feel that my students are more comfortable with

me because I can speak a little Spanish and understand the difficulties they may have with translating their language into

English. I believe that having the opportunity to learn another language is great. Not only is speaking another language fun

and exciting, but it is also beneficial in many other ways. Speaking Spanish has benefited me and the students with which I

work educationally .

B e i n g a p a r a p r o f e s s i o n a l H a s H e l p e d

m e w i t h m y L a n g u a g e S t u d i e s

By Missy Smith

P a g e 4 L i n g u a e e t L i t t e r a e

Local Restautrant Outing Helps Facilitate Foreign Language Learning

By Meg Andrews

Last month my fellow classmates and I visited one of the local Mexican restaurants, La Parrilla in Watkinsville.

Every semester professor Carmen Jordan takes her students from the Spanish 1002 class to experience Mexican cuisine.

This particular activity allows the students to come closer to an element of the Mexican culture. Along with encouraging the

students to use their knowledge they have acquired about the language in the chapter concentrating on restaurants and

food, we were able to have a conversation in Spanish with the waiters and a few even ordered their food in Spanish. It was

a great way to practice our vocabulary verbally, and to learn more about one another in a relaxed atmosphere.

Students work diligently at Oconee County

Elementary School.

World Language Academy

By Mark David Wozniak, II

P a g e 5 V o l u m e 2 , I s s u e 1

I believe that we each have a duty to share our passion with others. My passion is foreign languages: learning

them, speaking them, analyzing them and teaching them. I always struggled to share that passion with others because I

never had the opportunity to do so. Fortunately that all changed when I saw a flyer at GSC in search of students interested

in volunteering at the World Language Academy. WLA is a public charter elementary school here in Hall County that offers a

dual-immersion approach to education and does so with passion and excellence, a perfect place for me to do what I love.

I emailed Dr. Apahidean right away because I was so eager to help in any way possible. Just a few days later I

found myself in front of the school. I was not sure what to expect walking into a classroom full of 2nd graders with no prior

experience volunteering in an elementary school setting. I stepped into the room and was greeted with wide eyes and goofy

smiles; that alone was enough to confirm that I had made the right decision. I was blown away by the eagerness to learn

and impressive abilities of the students, I was enjoying every moment of my time at WLA.

As a volunteer I was asked to assist the students with their Spanish writing skills and to encourage the students to

converse in Spanish. I volunteered during the reading and writing block of the day and would help the students with their

creative writing journals. Hearing students share stories about their favorite vacation, family pet, or cherished toy brought

back memories of my childhood and the excitement that accompanied those years. I was present to listen, encourage, and

guide the students as they wrote, answering questions about vocabulary and correcting spelling or syntax errors. The way

the students used Spanish with ease and fluidity was unexpected, It made my job all the more enjoyable.

Although I was volunteering to help others and share my passion, I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that I

was learning much more from the students than I could ever teach them. I was able to teach them new words, how to better

express themselves, and how to spell correctly; but they taught me how to worry less, how to listen attentively, and the val-

ue of time and individual attention. I could not have asked for a greater reward.

I gained great experience during my time volunteering at the World Language Academy. The chance I had to share

my passion and the values I learned from the students make it impossible to resist sharing about this opportunity to

contribute to our next generation’s education. Sometimes teaching is the best way to learn.

A teacher in action at

WLA.

Next May, students will have the opportunity to travel to and study in Spain. The trip is one of many offered by

EFTours to Spain and was selected by Prof. Joe Lavalle because it allows students to see so much of Spain. This 11-day

trip, Experience Spain, will start in Madrid, Spain, where students will spend two days exploring place like the Prado Muse

um and the Palacio Real. Students will then make there way to Toledo where they will spend a day exploring the home town

of artist El Greco, Dominikos Theotokopulos. Form there, they will head to Sevilla for two days. They will spend the next two

days in Granada and Cordoba, visiting La Alhambra, and La mezquita de Cordoba, among other places before heading to \

Barcelona. The experience will culminate there.

While exploring the culture, history and language of Spain, students will have the opportunity to earn up to 6 cred

it hours by taking a creative writing class with English professor Dr. Leslie Worthington, a culture class with Art professor

John Amoss or a Spanish Conversation course with Spanish professor Joe Lavalle.

This promises to be an experience no one will forget!

M a y m e s t e r S t u d y A b r o a d t o S p a i n

P l a n n e d f o r 2 0 1 2 !

By Ryan Boylan

P a g e 6 L i n g u a e e t L i t t e r a e

Foreign Language Film Festivals For Fall/Spring

By Dr. Amye R. Sukapdjo

This Fall, the Foreign Language Film Festival highlighted French language films. The films Persepolis and OSS

117 were shown in September and October, respectively. On Thursday, November 17, students were treated to Paris, je

taime. All films were shown in French with English subtitles.

In the Spring, students will be able to watch three Spanish films. Como Agua Para Chocolate will be shown on

Thursday, February 23, El Norte will be shown on Thursday, March 22, and Maria Llena De Gracia will be shown on Thurs-

day, April 19, in Acad IV, room 3110B at 7:00PM. All films will be shown in Spanish with English subtitles.

Entry to each film is $1 and all proceeds go to benefit the South Hall Community Food Pantry. This fall, the

Department of Foreign Languages was able to donate $120 to them thanks to you.

We hope to see you at the movies in the Spring.

The following officers and members of Spanish Club, Oconee Campus won

the Hispanic Food Contest during Hispanic Heritage Festival celebration.

Salads

Nopal Salad won 1st prize, prepared by officer Suleica García

Dips

Mexican Dip won 1st prize, prepared by member Meagan Tant

Guacamole Dip won 2nd prize, prepared by member Chloé Chandler

Casseroles

Mexican Casserole won 1st prize, prepared by member Mary Easton

Chorizo con huevos won 2nd prize, prepared by officer Pa Dao Khang

Desserts

Mexican Wedding Cookies won 1st prize, prepared by officer Madison Hood

Flan won 2nd prize, prepared by member Steve Reyes

Editor-in-Chief: Ryan N. Boylan

rboylan@gsc.edu

Advisor: Dr. Amye R. Sukapdjo

Faculty Contributors: Prof. Sara Burns, Dr.

Steven Crawford, Prof. Garry Merritt, Dr. Amye

Sukapdjo

Student contributors: Meg Andrews, Natalia

Sanchez, Missy Smith, Mark David Wozniak II

The goal of this publication is to keep the faculty, staff and espe-

cially the students of Gainesville State College aware of the

breadth of experiences that are going on in the Foreign Lan-

guage Program. This program is still young and growing and as it

does, look to Linguae et Litterae for all pertinent news.

G A I N E S V I L L E S T A T E

C O L L E G E

F O R E I G N L A N G U A G E

N E W S L E T T E R

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE HISPANIC FOOD CONTEST

(OCONEE CAMPUS), 2011

By Prof. Sara Burns

LINGUAE ET LITTERAE

Oconee campus Spanish students enjoy the

fruits of their labors after the Hispanic Food

contest.