Teresa Fiore (Italian Program, MLL) invited to Association of Departments of Foreign Languages Summer Seminar

Teresa Fiore, Inserra Chair in Italian and Italian American Studies (MLL Dept.), was invited to present at the poster session of the 2018 Summer Seminar South organized by the ADE/ADFL of the MLA for department chairs and leaders. Held in Atlanta (June 13-17), the seminar was an occasion to reflect on the status of the fields of the humanities and foreign languages and share information about innovative programs in the area of public engagement and professional opportunities.

Fiore presented on the new paths undertaken by the Italian Program to revitalize the field: Translation (and in particular audiovisual translation) and Business/Made in Italy. Fiore’s materials provided an overview of the internships, cultural events, special projects and new courses (regular curriculum, new combined major, and summer class for HS students) that are supporting this innovative take within an inclusive interdisciplinary approach and as part of several collaborations with colleagues both on and off campus.

Click here for a copy of the flyer she shared to illustrate these new paths. More information about the novelties  Fiore of the Italian Program at Montclair State University, some of the outstanding challenges and the proposed steps for institutional, professional and governmental support can be found in an article by Teresa Fiore to be published in the Summer of 2018 in TILCA (“Italian Language and Culture ‘at Work:’ New Projects in Business, Audio-Visual Translation and High-School Outreach at Montclair State University”).

The poster session (Fri June 15 at 8:30AM) was also a unique opportunity to learn about the stimulating projects launched at both private and public institutions in the U.S. to make the humanities and foreign languages more connected to various disciplines and to the world. Particularly interesting projects include the combination of Foreign Languages with Communication/Media Studies and Environmental Studies. The main emphasis across projects, most of which are supported by internal funding or external grants, was placed on creating global citizens with cultural awareness, critical skills, and ability to transfer knowledge from/to diverse contexts. The role of foreign languages remained central throughout.