On Monday, Oct. 14 the Foreign Languages and Literatures program (FLL) will host a major and minor expo. Topics will range all the way from studying abroad and scholarship opportunities to information about specific programs. Bridget Park, Student Services specialist at UMD, described it as “a meet and mingle, where you can hear about study abroad opportunities.”
The expo will be from 12–2 p.m. and will be heldin Griggs Center, located across from the Multicultural Center.
The meeting will address the seven different majors and minors offered by the FLL department at UMD. In addition to French, German, and Spanish, new this year are Latin American area studies, Russian, Chinese and cultural entrepreneurship.
“We think it’s good to form connections between FLL faculty, FLL students and undeclared students,” Park said. “Language is a gateway to life-changing experiences, and more than 80 percent of our department’s students study abroad.”
Among the several topics to be discussed will be the Salamanca and Berlin summer study abroad programs, as well as the six scholarships available for study abroad participants. The FLL department will also be introducing the new staff to the department.
“It is a good idea (to major or minor in a foreign language) because it teaches many marketable skills, opens new job markets for you and teaches new ways of seeing things and seeing the world,” said associate professor of German studies Kristen Hylenski. “It allows you to relate and communicate in new ways.”
At the event, students who have studied abroad will speak about their experiences. The event will also feature a free lunch for those who attend. Anyone who is interested in learning a foreign language and/or studying abroad is encouraged to attend.
For more information about the FLL department, students can check out their website at http://www.d.umn.edu/fll/.
BY MELISSA VANDERSTAD
vand0899@d.umn.edu