The Language Institute is pleased to present a new project -- Profiles -- which highlight the language learning experiences of UW-Madison students and alumni.
Profiles will help inspire current students with diverse academic interests and professional goals to study foreign languages.
Current students and alumni featured in Profiles reflect on their language learning experiences and describe how languages have contributed to their personal growth, education, and career goals.
Profiles is supported by a grant from the Wisconsin Association for Language Teachers (WAFLT).
Visit Profiles at www.languageinstitute.wisc.edu/profiles
What are current students saying about languages?
"Studying a foreign language has introduced me to an entire new world of people, both at home and abroad. It has enriched my life because I feel that I can communicate and connect with a diverse group of people that I would have been barred from had I not learned this language. This is true in personal, academic, and professional areas of my life"
- Cydny, a student of French and German, Class of 2011.
What are young graduates saying?
"Studying languages has impacted my life greatly. Beyond simply strengthening my interest in international affairs, French and Swahili have greatly increased my chances to get accepted into a graduate program for African studies, or to get a job working in or with African countries. Having both languages makes me able to travel abroad and work with people from East Africa and francophone Africa.
In addition, studying languages has made me a more understanding and communicative individual. With every language I've studied, I've had to reinvent and strengthen the way that I communicate, and remove myself from my current cultural attachments to be able to fully understand others."
- Daniel, student of Swahili and French, Class of 2009.