For immediate release
Contact: Kelly O'Brien, U of MN College of Liberal Arts, 612-624-4109

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (May 15, 2009)--The University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, home to around 40 foreign language programs, will play host to nearly 2,000 students from 25 Minnesota high schools during its 6th annual World Languages Day on Tuesday, May 19. During this fast-paced day, each student will have the opportunity to attend three 40-minute classes about or in 22 different languages.

Some facts about the day:

The first class to fill: Introduction to Italian (all three sessions). The second? Origami: The Japanese Art of Paper Folding

There are so many Chinese language students coming that for the first time "Chinese Jeopardy!" will be offered

550 students will take an Italian class for the first time

- Languages being taught or discussed at WLD: Arabic, ASL, Chinese, Danish, Dutch, ESL, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Ojibwe, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili and Turkish.

These students are already studying Chinese, French, German, Spanish, American Sign Language and English as a Second Language in their high schools.

High schools attending include: Andover, Apple Valley, Arlington, Brooklyn Center, Cambridge-Isanti, Champlin Park, Chaska, Como Park, Coon Rapids, Eastview, Highland Park, Hmong College Prep Academy, Medford, Melrose, Mounds View, Park Center, Patrick Henry, Pillager, Richfield, Rosemount, St. Anthony Village, St. Francis, Stillwater, Tartan and White Bear Lake South.

Classes will be held from 9:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. and will fill classrooms throughout Folwell, Jones, Nicholson and Peik halls on the University's east bank campus.

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