World Languages Day 2014: Application of Interest Submission Period

The CLA Language Center is pleased to announce that the Application of Interest for the 11th annual World Languages Day (WLD) will be available on the WLD website from January 15th through January 31st. World Languages Day is a great opportunity for Minnesota high school students to explore the languages and cultures of the world and to experience life at the University of Minnesota.

We would also like to welcome Ellen Buckner as the newest member of the World Languages Day team. Originally from the Twin Cities, Ellen has spent the past two years teaching English in a rural village in South Africa. Prior to living in South Africa, Ellen taught ESL in Houston, Texas; she currently works in a metro-area junior high school. She is excited to be involved in continuing the tradition of World Languages Day.

This year the event is intended for sophomore-level language classes but all students in those classes are encouraged to participate. There is no cost to register, and teachers, counselors, and parents are also invited to attend. Interested high school teachers should fill out the application; official invitations will be extended to schools in February after applications are reviewed. If more teachers submit applications than we can accommodate, the planning committee will select groups to invite based on our goal of bringing as much geographic, linguistic, and cultural diversity to the event as possible. Any groups that we are not initially able to accommodate will be placed on a waiting list.

The Application of Interest form requires a username and password. If you did not receive this information via email, please contact wld@umn.edu or fill out this short form to join our contact list. If you have any questions regarding the application, please feel free to contact us via email at wld@umn.edu or refer to the FAQ on the WLD website.

The event is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, 2014 and will take place on the East Bank of the University of Minnesota campus. Schools that are invited will have their students register for three language and culture classes in April. Similar to last year, there will be an extended version of the schedule for schools interested in having their students attend a class on topics like college readiness or study abroad. This extended version of the schedule allows all students to sample up to three languages while still giving them them the opportunity to attend an informational session. Below is an overview of this year's itinerary. We hope to have you join us for the 11th Annual World Languages Day!

Standard Session

9:20 AM - 9:50 AM   Check-in and light breakfast

10:00 AM - 10:25 AM   Welcoming Remarks

10:35 AM - 11:15 AM   First Class

11:25 AM - 12:05 PM   Second Class

12:15 PM - 12:55 PM   Third Class

Extended Session (includes an extra informational class)

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM   Check-in and light breakfast

9:10 AM - 9:40 AM   Welcoming Remarks

9:45 AM -10:25 AM   Optional Informational Class

10:35 AM -11:15 AM   First Class

11:25 AM -12:05 PM   Second Class

12:15 PM -12:55 PM   Third Class