Brian Barnett, Director of Language Instruction in French, and Sean Killackey, PhD candidate, presented PACE Project research at the AATF National Convention in Martinique in July.

Paris - Providence: "One never returms from any journey, for he who returns is no longer the same. This change of scenery, which we shall seek in other territories, other lights, and other perfumes, is a subtle and necessary internal exile." (Anne Dufourmantelle, Eloge du risque, 2011)

Abou-Bakar Mamah, PhD '18, successfully defended his dissertation on July 30.

Recent graduate Lily Mahan talks about starting French immersion preschool at the age of three, what it was like to transition out of a full immersion program at the end of elementary school, and how knowing French affects her worldview. “I am who I am today because of my immersion experience,” she says. Lastly, graduating with a French major, Mahan talks about her future and how she hopes to live and work in France one day.

Sophia Wright discusses how her majors in French and music work together in harmony. Wright applies her language skills and understanding of French culture and history to her studies of music and art. She draws connections between different art forms and time periods to create a clearer picture of Western history with the help of her French immersion background. By overcoming challenges in her immersion experience, Wright was able to excel in her other classes because of her French background.

The University of Minnesota has been an active participant in the Big Ten Academic Alliance CourseShare program since it launched in 2006. Our institution was an early adopter, sending an Old Norse course to Michigan that first academic year. However, in recent years we have become primarily a receiver of language courses taught by other Big Ten institutions.

French major Joseph Rojas, Jr., '18, received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award to supplement English instruction in Brazil in 2018-2019.

Associate Professor Christophe Wall-Romana brings to light improbable connections between race, astronomy, photography, and cinema. He shares his inspirations and motivations for his forthcoming book, which is centered around these connections.

With the help of technology, Italian instructors are able to bring Italy to UMN students through the interactive Tandem Exchange Program. Carlotta Dradi and Kathleen Rider, coordinators for first- and second-year Italian, discuss piloting the program and how it helps students develop language skills and intercultural competence.