WAFLT Hall of Fame

All the amazing teachers listed here have been recognized as the Wisconsin World Language Teacher of the Year. This recognition is intended to elevate the status of our profession by creating opportunities for recognizing the most accomplished members of our profession in the state.

2018 Janet Rowe, Spanish Educator

Hortonville High School

Personal Statement:  

The Value of Learning Languages and Developing Cultural Competence for All Learners

Seventeen years ago, I proposed to my district school board a Foreign Language in the Elementary Schools (FLES) program for all our students because I believe that all students can and should learn another language and understand other cultures. According to Eurostat Statistics it has been mandatory for several decades for most European children to learn at least one foreign language and the Barcelona European Council recommended in 2002 that a minimum of two foreign languages should be taught to all pupils from a very early age. All students should have this opportunity, unfortunately, world language in the United States is generally an elective course primarily available only to older students. This must change.

The benefits of language learning go far beyond the well-known cognitive, academic and economic benefits. Learning another language requires students to take risks, accept mistakes, reexamine their own cultural viewpoint and begin to see the world from diverse perspectives. Through culturally rich language study my students are exposed to art, music, history, geography, and literature that they might otherwise never experience and certainly could not appreciate in the same way as they can under the guidance of a skillful language teacher who draws the students’ attention to the underlying cultural practices and beliefs held within these elements.

The study of language and culture builds my students’ awareness and sensitivity to the diversity of cultural perspectives and linguistic contexts and thereby fosters greater understanding and empathy when they interact with people of a different background than their own. As I ask my students to analyze their own cultural perspectives and compare them to that of another culture, I am preparing them to see the world from the eyes of another and to be accepting of “different”. This empathy and acceptance is sorely needed in our country today.

The collaborative nature of the world language classroom prepares my students to work successfully with people of differing viewpoints and backgrounds. The focus I place on the three modes of communication goes well beyond developing their linguistic proficiency. My students learn how to listen, take turns and ask for clarification when they do not understand. Communicating in a second language requires patience, analysis and persistence when the going gets tough. My students dedicate themselves to a goal that takes years to achieve and learn to carry-on when challenges arise, or miscommunication occurs. This perseverance and ability to set and achieve long term goals will be vital in seeking solutions to the complex issues facing our global society. Learning environments that engage students in the target language for real communication prepare them well for their future.

All students in my district begin to learn another language and develop cultural competence in elementary school. At a time of such tremendous global interaction, this should not be an exception, this should be the norm. The benefits to them as individuals as well as to our society are immeasurable.

2017		Andrea Behn, French Educator Janesville School District Janesville, WI
2016		Siggi Piwek, German Educator Milwaukee German Immersion School Milwaukee, WI
2015		Deana Zorko, Spanish Educator West High School Madison, WI
2013		Paula Meyer, Spanish Educator Appleton North High School Appleton, WI
2011		Lisa Marie Showers, French Educator/Methods Central HS in St. Paul MN/UW-River Falls River Falls, WI
2010		Meg Graham, Spanish Educator Mukwonago High School Mukwonago, WI
2009		Karen Fowdy, German Educator Monroe High School Monroe, WI
2008		Jaci Collins, Japanese & French Educator Lincoln High School Manitowoc, WI
2007		Lynn Sessler, Japanese Educator Clovis Grove Elementary School Menasha, WI
2005 & 2006		Nina Holmquist, Spanish Educator Nicolet High School Glendale, WI