While overseas programs often attract the most attention when discussing world languages at Proctor, the vast majority of language study occurs on campus for our students. Regardless of learning style, students are required to complete two full years of a world language before graduation. Because of this firm requirement, Proctor's overseas language immersion programs were first designed in the 1970s to provide an alternative to the traditional classroom for students that struggled with language acquisition. To this day, nearly every student that takes part in an immersion program thrives, however, the foundation for that success is built on campus.



The World Language department is comprised of a dynamic, diverse, and engaging group of teachers who inspire Proctor's students to pursue world languages. Erik Cole-Johnson returned to the classroom this fall after spending last year abroad in Italy while on sabbatical, and Scott King, Ross Young, and Alejandra Young have remained integral parts of students' initial language experiences at Proctor.



In the fall of 2011, Jon Beard joined the department, launching a Mandarin program on campus for the first time. Beard's enthusiasm both in and out of the classroom has created considerable excitement around the study of Chinese at Proctor. He comments, "We are now offering Mandarin 1, 2, and 4, as a number of students from last year have continued to study the language this year. This year we hope to offer trips to Boston and New York City to visit Chinatown and provide an opportunity to speak Mandarin and experience first hand diaspora culture."



Beard is also working with Community Program Director, Adam Jones, to potentially plan more in-depth service-learning experiences in the future, both domestically and abroad. Beard notes, "Eventually, it would be great to have a full term-long study program abroad in China and to offer a service-learning trip to Taiwan. As we all know from our experience with other abroad programs at Proctor, an opportunity for students to study Mandarin in China for an entire term would be a truly exceptional experience as we seek to expose students to the world in which they live."



Bibba Kahn is also a recent addition to the World Language Department, joining Proctor's faculty this fall after teaching in San Francisco for a number of years. Her introduction to Proctor has been incredibly positive, "My students have embraced the challenge of learning a language. Their energy and creativity allows them to make the most of what they know and it is not unusual for them to leave class singing the lyrics to a silly rap song. A few students stand out for their diligence and self-advocacy. Even though learning a language is new and sometimes challenging for them, they have put in the 'elbow grease' to figure out what strategies work best for them and made compelling admissions videos in French for our final project this fall."



Kahn's observations as a new faculty member are especially insightful as they speak to both the work ethic and unique student culture at Proctor. "What I appreciate most about teaching French at Proctor is that everyone is required to take a language. This brings a unique mix of perspectives, learning styles, and personalities into the classroom. Students learn from each other, and every student believes he or she has something to offer the class."



It is this last part of Kahn's thoughts that are most powerful: that each student believes he or she can have an impact on a classroom and that they have something to offer. To empower students with the confidence and skills necessary to feel that they are contributing to a class, regardless of history with that subject, is something we take great pride in doing here at Proctor and our world language teachers do a fantastic job of generating an environment conducive to this type of growth.