Research Spotlight: Procreative Poetics and the Origins of the Opera Libretto
Dr. Katharina Piechocki, Assistant Professor of French who specializes in 17th-century French and Italian Literature, shares about her latest book project and research fellowship in Florence, Italy. Procreative Poetics My goal during my research fellowship at Villa I Tatti in Florence is to complete my second book, Hercules: Procreative Poetics and the Origins of the […]
Why Dante Alighieri Still Matters Today, 700 Years After His Death
In commemoration of 700 years since the death of Dante Alighieri, Dr. Daniela Boccassini, Professor of Italian, shares why his works are still significant today. A list of Dante-related events and resources are also listed for those who wish to explore Dante’s influence more deeply. In the words of Pope Francis (2014), Dante is “a […]
Mirta Roncagalli: Graduate Student Ambassador
Mirta Roncagalli, PhD Student of Hispanic Studies, describes her role to help prospective and newly admitted graduate students as a Graduate Student Ambassador, and why she chose to pursue a PhD at UBC in the first place. Graduate Student Ambassador I was looking for a program that could support my professional development and help me […]
Alumni Spotlight: Ashton Sanders, Learning Specialist
Alumna Ashton Sanders shares how pursuing a BEd in French Second Language Education after completing a BA in French Studies helped her land her dream career in the field of French Education. Name: Ashton Sanders Career: Learning Specialist, SelfDesign Learning Foundation Education: Bachelor of Arts (BA) in French Studies, 2016 Bachelor of Education (BEd) in French Second Language […]
Students Experience the Francophone Working World through Community-Based Experiential Learning (FREN 346)
Students share about their experiences in a community-based experiential learning course that enables students to work with partner organizations within the francophone community. French 346: French at Work is a language course taught by Dr. Sylvia Bascou-Vallarino that gives students the linguistic skills to interact in a French-speaking workplace—from learning the appropriate etiquette to interact […]
Podcasting as a Pedagogical Tool in the Time of Remote Learning
Dr. Tamara Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies, explores the benefits and challenges of podcasting pedagogy and the art of wandering within the context of remote learning. Reducing Screen Fatigue When UBC announced that 2020-21 courses would be taught remotely, I immediately knew that I wouldn’t conduct a “Zoomified” version of my […]
Lifelong Learning: How learning a new language is beneficial at any stage of life
A retired lawyer, a working professional, and an undergraduate student—all students of Italian at UBC—demonstrate how learning new languages and cultures can benefit anyone from different walks of life.
Student Spotlight: Jessie Horner, Retired Lawyer (Italian Studies)
“I found out about UBC’s extremely generous program of free classes for seniors and I was lucky enough to be able to enroll in ITAL 101. By then, I had fallen in love with Italy—who wouldn’t?—and pretty quickly seemed to fall in love with the language too—again, who wouldn’t?!”
Student Spotlight: Tania Astorino, Academic Program Manager at Green College (Italian Studies)
“Learning a new language can open doors to professional opportunities, help to grow your network of colleagues and friends, and is fulfilling and rewarding in so many intangible ways. I am lucky to have an employer that supports staff to pursue learning and development.”
Student Spotlight: Gabrielle Ehling, Undergraduate Student (Italian Studies)
“Learning a new language can open doors to professional opportunities, help to grow your network of colleagues and friends, and is fulfilling and rewarding in so many intangible ways. I am lucky to have an employer that supports staff to pursue learning and development.”