Dispatches
Teaching the Teachers
A new program seeks to expand access to in-demand languages.
Like the 1957 launch of Sputnik, the Soviet space satellite that sparked renewed emphasis on math and science, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have become a wake-up call for American educators. Responding to a need for greater understanding of world cultures, schools are ramping up curricula in languages such as Arabic.
“It’s really an awakening of the deficit in our culture,” says Antonia Schleicher, a UW professor of African languages and literature and executive director of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCLCTL). “You need language ... to be able to understand the thinking of people. Language is the window to any culture.”
But in many cases, the problem now isn’t demand — it’s keeping up with it. Even at UW-Madison, home to an extensive variety of language programs, departments have at times struggled to find instructors able to teach Arabic and other languages that aren’t widely taught in the United States. This past fall, the university had to cancel an Arabic course for lack of a qualified teacher.
“There may be the need, there may be the desire to do a language, but if we can’t get a good teacher, [we’re] not going to deliver a good course,” says Sally Sieloff Magnan, director of UW-Madison’s Language Institute.
Like the 1957 launch of Sputnik, the Soviet space satellite that sparked renewed emphasis on math and science, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, have become a wake-up call for American educators. Responding to a need for greater understanding of world cultures, schools are ramping up curricula in languages such as Arabic.
“It’s really an awakening of the deficit in our culture,” says Antonia Schleicher, a UW professor of African languages and literature and executive director of the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCLCTL). “You need language ... to be able to understand the thinking of people. Language is the window to any culture.”
But in many cases, the problem now isn’t demand — it’s keeping up with it. Even at UW-Madison, home to an extensive variety of language programs, departments have at times struggled to find instructors able to teach Arabic and other languages that aren’t widely taught in the United States. This past fall, the university had to cancel an Arabic course for lack of a qualified teacher.
“There may be the need, there may be the desire to do a language, but if we can’t get a good teacher, [we’re] not going to deliver a good course,” says Sally Sieloff Magnan, director of UW-Madison’s Language Institute.
To deal with this dilemma, Magnan and Schleicher are joining forces in an effort to train more people to teach these less commonly taught languages. The Language Institute and the NCLCTL plan to launch an online training program designed to help native speakers of languages such as Arabic learn how to be effective teachers.
Expected to be offered by 2009, the training program will include four courses, covering the fundamentals of language instruction, the American educational system, and teaching across different cultures. UWMadison faculty will lead the courses, and participants will experience class simulations, complete videotape analyses, and post and share their ideas with other students on discussion boards. Any fluent speaker of a less commonly taught language will be eligible to enroll.
Magnan says native speakers represent a key resource in helping meet the booming demand for instruction in languages such as Arabic, and the goal of the program is to help them succeed in passing along those skills to American students.
“A lot of these [instructors] just came from these countries,” she says. “They don’t know how the American educational system works. It’s very important to help these new teachers understand the situation in which they’re working and what these American students are like.”
But the real payoff may be in increasing the number of opportunities Americans have to learn languages that are becoming increasingly important to the country’s economic and political future, she says.
“I think sometimes people just don’t realize the possible impacts of certain languages before they get more familiar with them,” says Magnan. “The more remote it is, in a sense, the more important it is, because many Americans don’t speak it, and therefore, we have more misunderstanding.”
— Elli Thompson x’08
Expected to be offered by 2009, the training program will include four courses, covering the fundamentals of language instruction, the American educational system, and teaching across different cultures. UWMadison faculty will lead the courses, and participants will experience class simulations, complete videotape analyses, and post and share their ideas with other students on discussion boards. Any fluent speaker of a less commonly taught language will be eligible to enroll.
Magnan says native speakers represent a key resource in helping meet the booming demand for instruction in languages such as Arabic, and the goal of the program is to help them succeed in passing along those skills to American students.
“A lot of these [instructors] just came from these countries,” she says. “They don’t know how the American educational system works. It’s very important to help these new teachers understand the situation in which they’re working and what these American students are like.”
But the real payoff may be in increasing the number of opportunities Americans have to learn languages that are becoming increasingly important to the country’s economic and political future, she says.
“I think sometimes people just don’t realize the possible impacts of certain languages before they get more familiar with them,” says Magnan. “The more remote it is, in a sense, the more important it is, because many Americans don’t speak it, and therefore, we have more misunderstanding.”
— Elli Thompson x’08
Cheney, Feingold Agree on Value of UW Poli Sci
Despite different views on many issues, some leading politicians from both ends of the political spectrum have agreed on at least one thing: a UW-Madison political science degree is instrumental in their lives and public service careers.
Several well-known political science graduates, including Vice President Dick Cheney PhDx’68, a Republican, and Democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold ’75, contributed brief essays for the department’s alumni newsletter, focusing on what their UW-Madison education means to them.
“I can draw a straight line from my decision to study at the University of Wisconsin to the career in public service that I’ve found so deeply rewarding,” wrote Cheney, who completed all but a dissertation while studying for his doctorate at UW-Madison in the 1960s.
Feingold, who has served Wisconsin in the Senate since 1993, wrote that excellent faculty have given the department its strong reputation.
“The debates and conversations I had in class more than thirty years ago still come back to me, and they still help guide my decisions as the Senate deliberates both domestic issues and foreign policy,” he wrote.
Other notable UW alumni, including Roberta Draper ’55, producer of congressional news at NBC, and Ron Bonjean ’93, press secretary to former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, offered similar perspectives in the newsletter, which is posted at www.polisci.wisc.edu/.
“The education we offer is valued by both liberals and conservatives, both Republicans and Democrats,” says Graham Wilson, professor of political science and department chair. “These essays demonstrate how students over the years have used their political science educations as a springboard to public service, and how their knowledge has transformed public policy and public dialogue in very meaningful ways.”
— Dennis Chaptman ’80
Several well-known political science graduates, including Vice President Dick Cheney PhDx’68, a Republican, and Democratic U.S. Senator Russ Feingold ’75, contributed brief essays for the department’s alumni newsletter, focusing on what their UW-Madison education means to them.
“I can draw a straight line from my decision to study at the University of Wisconsin to the career in public service that I’ve found so deeply rewarding,” wrote Cheney, who completed all but a dissertation while studying for his doctorate at UW-Madison in the 1960s.
Feingold, who has served Wisconsin in the Senate since 1993, wrote that excellent faculty have given the department its strong reputation.
“The debates and conversations I had in class more than thirty years ago still come back to me, and they still help guide my decisions as the Senate deliberates both domestic issues and foreign policy,” he wrote.
Other notable UW alumni, including Roberta Draper ’55, producer of congressional news at NBC, and Ron Bonjean ’93, press secretary to former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, offered similar perspectives in the newsletter, which is posted at www.polisci.wisc.edu/.
“The education we offer is valued by both liberals and conservatives, both Republicans and Democrats,” says Graham Wilson, professor of political science and department chair. “These essays demonstrate how students over the years have used their political science educations as a springboard to public service, and how their knowledge has transformed public policy and public dialogue in very meaningful ways.”
— Dennis Chaptman ’80
Housing for Kindred Spirits
A new private residence follows a trend toward faith-based living.
It’s not always easy for students to make college a home away from home. To assist with that transition — and to enhance a student’s campus experience — many universities have created alternatives to the typical residence-hall lifestyle, allowing students to live in communities united by curricular themes or interests. At UW-Madison, students can choose to live in University Housing learning communities that center on topics such as women in science or a foreign language.
Now, private residences are joining the trend. Seizing on the growth in alternative housing, the Pres House, a Christian organization on campus, will open a seven-story hall in fall 2007. Just off Library Mall, the residence will become the first on campus devoted to a religious theme.
Planning for the hall began five years ago, when the organization sensed a trend toward themed living and an increase in spiritual interest among students, says Mark Elsdon, co-pastor and executive director of Pres House. Although the hall will be run by the Christian organization, its doors will be open to students of all faiths.
“It’s sort of a movement to make universities smaller by getting students to live together around themes,” Elsdon says. “The idea here is to create a spiritual learning community that encourages and helps to explore faith questions.”
The hall will house 280 students in fifty-one suite-style units. Each unit will include a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a balcony. Pres House will have restrictions on alcohol similar to those in effect in university residence halls.
— Elli Thompson x’08
It’s not always easy for students to make college a home away from home. To assist with that transition — and to enhance a student’s campus experience — many universities have created alternatives to the typical residence-hall lifestyle, allowing students to live in communities united by curricular themes or interests. At UW-Madison, students can choose to live in University Housing learning communities that center on topics such as women in science or a foreign language.
Now, private residences are joining the trend. Seizing on the growth in alternative housing, the Pres House, a Christian organization on campus, will open a seven-story hall in fall 2007. Just off Library Mall, the residence will become the first on campus devoted to a religious theme.
Planning for the hall began five years ago, when the organization sensed a trend toward themed living and an increase in spiritual interest among students, says Mark Elsdon, co-pastor and executive director of Pres House. Although the hall will be run by the Christian organization, its doors will be open to students of all faiths.
“It’s sort of a movement to make universities smaller by getting students to live together around themes,” Elsdon says. “The idea here is to create a spiritual learning community that encourages and helps to explore faith questions.”
The hall will house 280 students in fifty-one suite-style units. Each unit will include a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a balcony. Pres House will have restrictions on alcohol similar to those in effect in university residence halls.
— Elli Thompson x’08
Bearing Down on a Beetle
UW-Madison officials are taking a proactive approach to an aggressive, wood-boring insect by gradually removing and replacing many campus ash trees. Although the emerald ash borer, which is native to China and eastern Asia, has yet to be found in Wisconsin, it has been detected in several Midwestern states.
“We hope to gradually remove many of the ash trees on the developed parts of campus and replace them with more diverse varieties of trees before the beetle is found here,” says Gary Brown, director of planning and landscape architecture.
Based on their location and poor health status, about 160 of the approximately 550 ash trees on the developed campus have been removed so far. The remaining trees will be designated as “detection trees” and monitored closely until fall, when they will be removed; selected for preservation and chemically treated to protect them from the pest; removed for construction activity; or handled in partnership with the city of Madison.
Information will be posted around campus and at the entrances to Frautschi Point and Picnic Point, and campus tree pruners and volunteers have begun scouting for the ash borer.
“In order to be successful, we have to be watchful and proactive,” says Brown. “Although the removal of ash trees will change the campus landscape, we hope the diverse new plantings will provide an equally attractive setting for many years to come.”
— Dennis Chaptman ’80
“We hope to gradually remove many of the ash trees on the developed parts of campus and replace them with more diverse varieties of trees before the beetle is found here,” says Gary Brown, director of planning and landscape architecture.
Based on their location and poor health status, about 160 of the approximately 550 ash trees on the developed campus have been removed so far. The remaining trees will be designated as “detection trees” and monitored closely until fall, when they will be removed; selected for preservation and chemically treated to protect them from the pest; removed for construction activity; or handled in partnership with the city of Madison.
Information will be posted around campus and at the entrances to Frautschi Point and Picnic Point, and campus tree pruners and volunteers have begun scouting for the ash borer.
“In order to be successful, we have to be watchful and proactive,” says Brown. “Although the removal of ash trees will change the campus landscape, we hope the diverse new plantings will provide an equally attractive setting for many years to come.”
— Dennis Chaptman ’80
Q and A: Mark Johnson
A senior scientist at UW-Madison’s Center for Dairy Research, Mark Johnson spends much of his time researching ways to create better-quality Wisconsin cheese. For many years, he has served as a judge at both the U.S. and the world championship cheese contests.
Q: Have you always liked cheese?
A: When I was a little kid, we had a cheese factory in town, and the owners were good friends of ours. They would have cheese fondues or serve a lot of cheese when we’d go over to their house, and I hated the smell. I didn’t want to eat that stuff! I never really tasted it until I came here. I started becoming more adventuresome.
Q: What goes into the cheese-judging process?
A: The first thing we do is look at appearance — and then we cut it open. You smell it and see if you can pick up any flavors that are atypical. But most of [the judging] comes from when you put it in your mouth. What we look for is what the body and texture of the cheese is — how firm it is, whether it kind of melts in your mouth — and then the tasting.
Q: What is the worst experience you’ve had judging cheese?
A: [A judging partner and I] both took a wedge of this one cheese, and we looked at it, and something was not right. We put it in our mouths and almost immediately we both just spat it out.
Q: What about the best experience?
A: I was judging flavored cream cheeses, and there was one [that] just melted in your mouth. I didn’t realize I was doing this, but I kept coming back and re-sampling it. Somebody came over, and he was watching me do this, and he said, “Why don’t you just take a tub of it home?”
Q: Do you ever get sick from trying so many cheeses in one day?
A: You never eat it. You’re putting it in your mouth and then spitting it out. The first time I ever judged, I actually ate it. By the end of the day, I was so stuffed. Now I realize you have to spit it out or you can’t get through the day.
Q: Have you always liked cheese?
A: When I was a little kid, we had a cheese factory in town, and the owners were good friends of ours. They would have cheese fondues or serve a lot of cheese when we’d go over to their house, and I hated the smell. I didn’t want to eat that stuff! I never really tasted it until I came here. I started becoming more adventuresome.
Q: What goes into the cheese-judging process?
A: The first thing we do is look at appearance — and then we cut it open. You smell it and see if you can pick up any flavors that are atypical. But most of [the judging] comes from when you put it in your mouth. What we look for is what the body and texture of the cheese is — how firm it is, whether it kind of melts in your mouth — and then the tasting.
Q: What is the worst experience you’ve had judging cheese?
A: [A judging partner and I] both took a wedge of this one cheese, and we looked at it, and something was not right. We put it in our mouths and almost immediately we both just spat it out.
Q: What about the best experience?
A: I was judging flavored cream cheeses, and there was one [that] just melted in your mouth. I didn’t realize I was doing this, but I kept coming back and re-sampling it. Somebody came over, and he was watching me do this, and he said, “Why don’t you just take a tub of it home?”
Q: Do you ever get sick from trying so many cheeses in one day?
A: You never eat it. You’re putting it in your mouth and then spitting it out. The first time I ever judged, I actually ate it. By the end of the day, I was so stuffed. Now I realize you have to spit it out or you can’t get through the day.
Q: Where do you think the best cheese is from?
A: I gotta say our cheese makers [in Wisconsin] — I’ve never tasted any better. I’ve judged their cheeses, and I know I like them. I prefer Wisconsin cheeses. There’s nothing that I like that I can’t get here.
A: I gotta say our cheese makers [in Wisconsin] — I’ve never tasted any better. I’ve judged their cheeses, and I know I like them. I prefer Wisconsin cheeses. There’s nothing that I like that I can’t get here.
