November 10, 2021

Media Advisory – World Languages Day

In celebration of World Languages Day on Tuesday, Nov. 16, Southern Illinois University Carbondale will be hosting about 500 students from 10 area high schools for a day of special experiences focusing on world languages, cultures, and how language works.

The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the SIU Student Center. Reporters, photographers and news crews are welcome to cover a morning of interactive, hands-on demonstrations involving students from Anna-Jonesboro, Carbondale, Carterville, Cobden, Johnston City, Marion, Murphysboro, Pinckneyville and Vienna High Schools and the Illinois School for the Deaf. The event is open only to the students and teachers who are registered, due to COVID restrictions.

The School of Languages and Linguistics is sponsoring the celebration of world languages and cultures with John Miller, dean of students at the Illinois School for the Deaf delivering the keynote address, “Information is POWER, Communication is KEY!” Chancellor Austin Lane and Meera Komarraju, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, will also speak.

Media will find numerous opportunities for engaging photographs and video during the breakout sessions as students “Salsa as You’re Able,” try to solve a linguistics escape room, compete in origami folding and chopsticks competitions, try their hand American Sign Language and the “Fact or Wack” University Museum artifact identification game, experience language virtual reality and much more. There will also be an SIU information fair, photos with the Saluki mascots and other experiences, including students getting their names written in Arabic, Chinese, Hindi and Japanese.

The complete schedule is attached. For more information email wld@siu.edu.

SIU is committed to protecting the community, so participants in World Languages Day must follow current campus and state pandemic safety protocols and wear masks.