March 26, 2015

Media Advisory -- ‘Foreign Language Day’

The Department of Languages, Cultures and International Trade at Southern Illinois University Carbondale expects to host more than 1,100 high school students from nearly two dozen area high schools (and one middle school) for the 43rd annual SIU Foreign Language Day on Friday, March 27. 

Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover the event, which runs from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Center ballrooms. Students participate in foreign language Scholar Bowl tournaments and cultural events, and have the opportunity to practice the languages they learn in class. The awards ceremony is at 12:30 p.m. For a full schedule of events, contact Pamela Walker, Foreign Language Day Committee chair, at pjwalker@siu.edu or 536-5571. 

Event organizers will reprise a popular feature from last year -- the foreign language study forum, beginning at 1:15 p.m. Students will join SIU Carbondale undergraduate foreign language students in a discussion on what it’s like to study a foreign language at the college-level. Teachers will have a similar opportunity at the teacher luncheon held during the event. 

This year, for the first time, middle school students will also attend. Monica Jameson at Lone Oak Middle School in Paducah, Ky., asked to bring her students so they could experience the cultural events and the collegiate atmosphere at SIU. 

These are the pre-registered, participating schools:

• Belleville West High School

• Benton Consolidated High School

• Carbondale Community High School

• Carterville High School

• Christopher High School

• Collinsville High School

• Du Quoin High School

• Edwards County High School, Albion

• Effingham High School

• Frankfort Community High School

• Herrin High School

• Hillsboro High School

• Lone Oak Middle School, Paducah, Ky.

• Marion High School

• Massac County High School

• McCracken County High School, Paducah, Ky.

• Mt. Vernon Township High School

• Nashville High School

• Red Bud High School

• Sparta High School

• Saint Anthony High School, Effingham

• Waterloo High School

• Wesclin High School, Trenton