Director shares her passion for languages

In elementary school, most Wisconsin residents probably looked ahead to language study as an “either-or” proposition: a few years of high school French or Spanish, maybe German. Lucky ones, depending on the school, might get Chinese, Japanese or Russian.

So much for those choices. On a recent visit to Van Hise Hall — sometimes referred to informally as a “Tower of Babel” for the many languages taught within its walls — a class of third-graders poked their heads into undergraduate classes on Arabic, Norwegian and Yoruba. These sounds may seem unfamiliar to young ears today, but the kids know that these languages are spoken by millions of their peers on the other side of the globe.

This exposure to a different way of life drives Dianna Murphy. As associate director of UW–Madison’s Language Institute, she shares her passion for languages with students of all ages.

“Learning a language is not just learning how to say ‘hello’ in another language, but about how to greet people in a culturally appropriate manner,” says Murphy. “It’s about learning to understand, convey and negotiate complex meanings. Learning a language provides ways to see the world through a different perspective, and to engage and communicate with people who are, perhaps, different from you in some ways.”

With classes offered in more than 80 ancient and modern languages during the academic year and summer institutes, along with more than 100 study abroad programs, UW–Madison is a world leader in language education and research.

Since its founding in 2004, the Language Institute has played a big part in upholding this reputation, fostering collaboration and research in many areas with a global slant.

“It’s a priority of the university to provide opportunities for developing global competencies and perspectives to students from many disciplines,” says Murphy. “It’s one of the things that make UW–Madison alumni really stand out.”

In particular, the Language Institute promotes tools and techniques for improving second-language acquisition. Whether exploring new technologies or promoting effective teaching methods, the institute helps teachers and learners of all backgrounds find new ways to engage with the world around them.

Murphy has been there from the beginning. During the institute’s five-year history, Murphy and her colleagues have led initiatives in several areas, including the development of foreign language curricula and instructional materials.

They have been especially active in the latter, with outside funding from sources including the National Endowment for the Humanities and the U.S. Department of Education. She notes the national need for proficient speakers of many languages with relatively small national enrollments. For example, the Central Asian Kazakh and Uzbek languages and the African language Swahili lack instructional materials that are comprehensive and pedagogically up to date, especially for students at higher levels of proficiency. Recent Language Institute projects have focused on the development of such materials.

To that end, the advent of digital and online technology has greatly improved the opportunities for learning languages. Teachers separated by thousands of miles can collaborate in real time. A new online course in business Chinese allows working professionals, who may not be able to attend a daytime class, to study at a more convenient time. Other advances allow students to proceed at their own pace, hear examples or gain interactive feedback during practice.

And then there are the handheld devices: cell phones, music players and more. For Murphy, they pose both a pedagogical and cultural challenge. In addition to digital media literacy, she also stresses the importance of learning how we use language in communication mediated by technology. National standards help teachers and learners use the language to achieve different kinds of goals and interact appropriately in different modes of communication.

Murphy notes that advanced level proficiency doesn’t just involve knowing a vast array of words or being able to converse comfortably. As she describes national proficiency guidelines and standards for foreign language learning, she spotlights one current study, led by the institute’s director, Sally Magnan.

“To date, nobody’s thought to ask students if these national standards actually line up with their own goals,” says Murphy. “We’re conducting a survey at 10 different institutions across the country to find out if these goals and standards make sense to them and, if not, why not.”

A second project hits a little closer to home. In collaboration with International Academic Programs, the institute is conducting a study to examine the global engagement of UW–Madison alumni. Based on a recent University of Minnesota study, the project intends to learn more about the long-term social and personal impact of studying abroad, and its impact on the opportunities available to alumni later in life that become available as a result of overseas study as undergraduates.

In all of its work, the institute builds support for the idea that the benefits of language and culture learning extend far beyond the language itself. In fact, Murphy believes that students who study foreign languages do better in other disciplines because of their foreign language study. Foreign language classes typically take place four to five days a week, requiring active participation and regular out-of-class work. For first-year students, the interactive rigor of language study helps them to develop regular study habits.

Moreover, as political boundaries shift and world events draw attention to distant parts of the globe, language knowledge becomes more valuable.

“We’ve found that students who follow their personal interests and their passions — rather than trying to follow the latest trend — are more likely to stick with the language study and achieve higher levels of proficiency,” says Murphy. “They use the language in ways that are meaningful to them, personally or professionally. For many students, the language becomes a lifelong passion.”

This certainly holds true for Murphy herself. A scholar of Slavic linguistics, she grew up in Alaska alongside many Americans of Russian descent. Surrounded by remnants of their culture, she became interested in the relationship between the United States and what was then the Soviet Union. Before coming to UW–Madison, she directed study abroad programs to Russia for several years. Today, she doesn’t just share her expertise; she passes on her enthusiasm for something she loves.

“It’s energizing, and very rewarding, to share a passion with younger people,” says Murphy. “I get to work with people from all over the world, and I’m always learning about different ways of looking at things. I can’t imagine a better job.”