Courtesy of News uwyo.edu/news
Registrations are now being accepted for the popular World Language and Culture Program (WLCP) at the University of Wyoming this semester. A total of 20 nonformal world language and culture sessions are available free via Zoom.
The WLCP is a volunteer and service-learning program that offers free world language and culture sessions to members of the UW community and to those interested throughout the state.
The WLCP is committed to 21st century linguistic and cultural literacy to cultivate lifelong learning, appreciation and enthusiasm for world languages and cultures. The program views language and culture as being inseparable and strives to integrate the teaching and learning of both simultaneously. The mission is to provide access to adults who want to learn world languages and gain awareness of world cultures in a nonformal setting.
Informal sessions in Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, Georgian, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Kazakh, Russian, Sinhala, Spanish, Turkish, Uzbek and Yoruba — along with aspects of culture — begin Monday, Sept. 9, and end Tuesday, Dec. 10.
Classes will be offered virtually throughout the day and early evening, generally once a week. To view the schedule or to register for a class, go to www.uwyo.edu/wlcp/index.
Dilnoza Khasilova, a UW graduate who earned her doctoral degree in literacy studies and is now a permanent visiting scholar at UW, developed the WLCP in 2013. The program was launched in 2014 with the help of both UW’s local and international communities, including UW’s graduate students, faculty, staff and undergraduate exchange students who volunteered to teach their target languages and cultures.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent health guidelines, the WLCP successfully transitioned to a virtual format in 2020. This adaptive measure has not only ensured the continuity of its educational offerings, but it also has yielded unexpected benefits.
“The shift to virtual sessions via Zoom, initially necessitated by the pandemic, has evolved into a strategic advantage for the WLCP,” Khasilova says. “By embracing digital platforms, we’ve significantly expanded our reach and inclusivity.”
The WLCP provides opportunities to build a lifelong learning community of learners; develop cross-cultural understandings; provide service learning and teaching; develop volunteerism; leverage engagement and internationalization efforts; and bring language and cultural exposure, Khasilova says.
The volunteer WLCP facilitators include both local and international students, faculty and staff, exchange students, Fulbright scholars, visiting scholars, community members, UW international alumni and UW members who travel overseas or speak world languages.
Collaborators include the Associated Students of UW; the UW Center for Student Involvement and Leadership; the College of Education; the Global Engagement Office (International Students and Scholars, Education Abroad, Center for Global Studies); the Department of Modern and Classical Languages; the School of Politics, Public Affairs and International Studies; and the Arabic and Middle East North Africa Studies Program.
For more information, email wlc@uwyo.edu or go to www.uwyo.edu/wlcp/index.
