World Language Day

“Languages Open Doors” on March 30, 2019

The Department of Modern Languages is proud to celebrate its seventh annual World Language Day on the Fredericksburg CampusMarch 30, 2019. This year’s motto is “Languages Open Doors”

Registration deadline is March 10 and the cost is $10 per participant if registered by March 10 or $15 is registered beginning March 11 through March 28. Registrations after March 28 cannot be considered.

Its aims are:

  • to strengthen the connections with and reach out to high school students and their FL teachers
  • to demonstrate how UMW as an institution that thinks globally
  • to make world languages visible to the community
  • to advocate world language learning in general

The day will be filled with fun activities and competitions centered around world languages. Those activities include:

  • spelling bees
  • poetry recitations
  • extemporaneous speech
  • poster exhibition
  • video/skit screening

To be fair to students of all levels of language proficiency, there are two levels of competition: intermediate and advanced. The languages of competition will be Spanish, French, and German. Our Italian, Chinese, and Arabic programs as well as native speakers of other languages will offer mini-lessons.  World Language Day, March 30, 2019 (Preliminary Schedule)

8:30 am – 9:00 am Dodd Auditorium Students will arrive with their teachers on the UMW campus and proceed to Dodd Auditorium in George Washington Hall where they will receive orientation packages.
9:00 am – 9:15 am Dodd Auditorium Greetings from Marty abbot, former Executive Director of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and member of the UMW Board of Visitors.                                       Greetings from the department. A spokesperson from the department will describe the day’s events.
9:30 am – 10:30 am Combs Hall Competitions (Spelling Bee, Extemporaneous Speech, Poetry, Posters, Video/Skits) When not competing, students may see the poster exhibition or the video screenings. In addition, they may visit information tables.
10:30 am-12:30 pm Combs Hall Workshops! Learn new languages, listen to fascinating accounts from people who lived abroad, learn a craft.
12:30 pm -1:30 pm Lee Hall Closing Ceremony After some presentations by UMW students, certificates will be given to all participating schools and awards will be presented to the winners of the day’s competitions.