UARK World Languages, Literatures & Cultures

Following the Virtual Tabadul program, our alum is ready to take action in their community to help make the world a better place. Today, Avery Frances Van Scoy is doing just that through The Stevens Initiative Alumni Academy. Over the next six months, they’ll be given the tools to serve their community through innovation and leadership. Learn more about their journey Academy, supported by Exchange Programs - U.S. Department of State . https://www.stevensinitiative.org/alumni-fellowship/

The 2026 cohort of our Alumni Academy is here. As alumni, they know firsthand the power of global engagement and are seizing a new opportunity to take action within their communities. These 33 young leaders are activating critical professional and leadership skills and advancing local and regional prosperity through innovative community projects, thanks to support from Exchange Programs - U.S. Department of State. Stay tuned to see how these Fellows are turning ideas into impact and connection into meaningful change, including next week when we come together in Rabat, Morocco. Learn more: https://www.stevensinitiative.org/alumni-fellowship/

Satchel Flammang has big plans post-grad! 🎉

Flammang, a biology student at University of Arkansas who has studied German, Spanish, AND Italian is headed to Europe for graduate studies in biomembrane science after earning the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship – he was one of 21 students selected out of 3,100 globally!

The two-year program will take him to three universities across Europe, where he will be able to use his unique background in biological sciences and world languages.

“Having knowledge of the national languages of two of the host countries for the program will aid greatly in integration and connection during the program,” he said. “Speaking is not only the most practical language learning skill but is also one of the best ways to reinforce and understand vocabulary and grammar."

Congratulations, Satchel!

Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences

Congratulations to our newest graduates!

On the sunny morning of May 8, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences graduate students crossed the stage for commencement, and WLLC saw several familiar faces.

Lauren Kuykendall (MA French, teaching assistant of French), Angela Cruz-Zachary (CLCS Ph.D., WLDH Studio researcher), DeShea Rigg (MA TESOL, teaching assistant of Japanese), Adela Vavrinova (MS Psychology, teaching assistant of German), Jenna Allemand (MA French, teaching assistant of French), and Sydney Massey (MA French, teaching assistant of French, WLDH Studio Researcher) are officially University of Arkansas alumni!

Congratulations to all our graduates, and we wish you many successes in your bright futures.

Student spotlight!

Sean Wiegers (Honors; B.S. International Business, B.A. Arabic, Middle East Studies ) created a podcast episode on Anthropomorphism in Arabic Culture for his capstone class Arabic Readings (ARAB 40503). Prof. Paula Haydar gave students the option of a multimodal final project in place of a traditional paper.

The focus of the course was Arabic folktales and oral tradition, and Sean ran with it. He chose to create the podcast "Anthropomorphism in Arabic Folklore."

You can listen to Sean's podcast episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DPeaujBKTDxguPyymD2ev?si=G0U7k-UnSTa3T84WyteB-w&nd=1&dlsi=4e6fcc6fae4746d9

New episode alert!

Larissa and Ángela interview Dr. Chase Rainwater (UArk Industrial Engineering dept. head, Provost Fellow for AI). Dr. Rainwater is leading University efforts to train students, staff, and educators on how to ethically implement AI in higher ed.

Click the link below to listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4Hvm0VFYlBbfhKh73uAQPk?si=8798519aeec54c9a

In case you missed it, last week Classical Myth and Game Design students presented their tabletop and video game projects. The students have truly outdone themselves in their creation of games, which included a tarot-inspired tabletop game, a Midas videogame, RPG cards etched in wood, and a reimagination of Candy Land though a mythical lens.

Thank you to all who attended, and congratulations to all the students who have done inspiring work!

New episode alert!

This interview features Danqi Cai, Assistant Professor of Foundations at the University of Arkansas School of Art. An inspiring interdisciplinary artist, Danqi talks about her experience immigrating from China as a young adult, and how this impacted her artistic production.

Her work passionately how language influences cultural heritage, adaptation, and change. Through printmaking, animation, and print media, Danqi reimagines ancient Chinese characters and challenges traditional forms of knowledge transmission.

You can find more about her artwork at danqicai.com.
Click here to listen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HWfFSfKa2MSkE0aXBeazU?si=2e7153389ed145f2

Join us on April 30 at the Studio, at 2 p.m. for a student showcase!
Classical Myth and Game Design students will present their tabletop or video game projects.
This showcase is open to the public.

Earlier this month, the "Korean for Travelers" class integrated Korean culture in a hands-on, creative way.

Taught by Sung Hye Yang, a Spanish instructor, the course incorporates interactive activities to give students immersive cultural experiences. "Korean for Travelers" is a second eight-week Special Topics course taught by Dr. Yang, who specializes in Korean language and culture.

Students participated in a crafting session, creating small versions of irworobongdo, traditional folding screens. Dr. Yang explained that irworobongdo carry deep symbolism, representing prosperity and the presence of the king.

The screens feature several key elements: the sun and moon, representing the king and queen; five peaks, symbolizing the five sacred mountains or the land; pine trees, representing loyalty and endurance; and waves, representing the people or the foundation of the nation.

Students began by writing their favorite word in Korean before coloring, decorating and assembling their miniature screens. Yang provided yuja-cha, a Korean tea made from citrons, for students to enjoy during the activity. They also practiced polite phrases and gestures in Korean during class.

This Friday, April 24th, the Japanese Movie Subtitling Course will host a free movie screening at 6:30pm in the Arkansas Union Theater! This is a great opportunity for Japanese students to receive extra credit in their courses.

This presentation is an opportunity to demonstrate students' Japanese-language proficiency as well as their cultural understanding. We hope to see you there!