The Spring International Language Center recently hosted 70 Fulbright Foreign Student Program grantees, as part of a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant program orientation. During the week-long training, the participants learned about the American university system and best practices for teaching.

The Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant program is designed to develop Americans' knowledge of foreign cultures and languages, by supporting teaching assistantships in more than 30 languages at hundreds of U.S. institutions of higher education. The program offers educators from more than 50 countries the opportunity to develop their professional skills and gain first-hand knowledge of the United States, its culture and its people.

"The program participants will offer instruction and support in foreign language classes at higher education institutions throughout the United States," said Cindy Rauth, English language and cultural studies coordinator at Spring International. "This provides American students with an excellent opportunity to experience another culture and language."

The Spring International Language Center at the University of Arkansas was one of only six language centers in the country selected to train the Fulbright grantees. This is the third year Spring International has hosted the orientation program.

Five of the Fulbright grantees began their teaching assistantship in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures, after completing an orientation program:

• Yumiko Kadokawa, teaching Japanese
• Tatiana Kapustina, teaching Russian
• Ai Ling, teaching Chinese
• Angela Elena Otero del Castillo, teaching Spanish
• Vitor Rafael Siqueira de Araujo, teaching Portuguese

This is the second consecutive year the world languages department was awarded the opportunity to host Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants. 

"The three Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants we hosted at the U of A last year were extremely well-qualified professionally and are outstanding individuals," said Steve Bell, chair of the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures. "They were a pleasure to know and work with and made outstanding contributions to our teaching mission. Given the success of our participation in the program last year, enthusiasm in the department grew, so we choose to seek additional awardees for the 2018-19 academic year."

The five grantees teaching in the world languages department will teach at the University of Arkansas campus for two semesters, before returning to their home countries.