Temple University has given students the chance to go around the world in one afternoon. As part of campus World Languages Week, the World Languages Fair brought professors and students together to share their cultures and learn about others.
Professor Zhenni Jia from the Center for Chinese Language Instruction spoke with Temple Update about why opportunities like this are so important, “If you know another culture, it means you open another window to this world,” said Jia.
Senior Melaney Heng shared similar feelings when speaking about what drew her to the fair, “I’m studying Italian, but I think it’s just very important for people to step outside of their comfort zone and just explore other ethnicities and cultures,” said Heng.
Freshman Julianna Strope was impressed with not just the fair itself, but the professors and students making it all happen, “There’s food and there’s activities and everybody speaks about their department and their specialization with a lot of passion, and I think that’s very admirable,” said Strope.
From sweet treats to savory staples, students sampled flavors from around the globe. Spanish and Portuguese professor Montserrat Piera had multiple Brazilian options at her table, as well as a familiar Mexican favorite, “We have tortillas, and then we have some guacamole, some frijoles, and we can put some shredded cheese on it, and you can make your own taco,” said Piera.
However the event was not just about sharing global cultures for the afternoon, as the departments encouraged students of any major to join them at their regularly scheduled meetings and events. Professor Jia was among them, excitedly inviting students to participate in her weekly activities, “Every Wednesday we have teatime. I make a tea ceremony and make new friends to share Chinese culture.” She also hosts Monday afternoon game sessions, where students of any skill level can learn how to play traditional Chinese tabletop games from 12-2:00 pm – no knowledge of Mandarin required.
For students looking to travel, the fair was a great opportunity to learn all about Temple’s study abroad programs. After studying in Rome for a semester, junior Kareena Kumar was at the fair sharing her experiences and making sure students were aware of the global opportunities the college provides, “You can literally go anywhere in the world through study abroad. We have our Temple campuses, of course, but we also have external exchange programs where, literally any country you’d want to go to, we can help get you there.”
The World Languages Fair was more than just a learning opportunity, it was a celebration of diversity here at Temple and abroad. Whether students can travel the world or just around campus, there is no shortage of opportunities to immerse themselves in languages and cultures from around the globe.
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