Monmouth College president Mauri Ditzler (right) and dean Rajkumar Ambrose show visiting scholar June Phillips Monmouth’s “Year of Languages” proclamation. MC was the first private liberal arts college to proclaim 2005 as The Year of Languages.

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MONMOUTH, Ill. – As part of its ongoing celebration of 2005 as The Year of Languages, Monmouth College recently hosted Joan Phillips, former president of the American Council of the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) and dean of the College of Arts and Humanities at Weber State University.

Monmouth College was the first private college in the United States to proclaim 2005 as The Year of Languages, following an initiative by the ACTFL.

Phillips, who is also a professor of French at Weber State, spoke to a convocation audience on the topic “Learning World Languages: A Reality or a Fantasy Show.” Her lecture examined the myths associated with language study, as well as the unseen benefits that multilingualism offers to members of today’s global society.

John Taylor, a senior computer science major and Latin student said that “Dr. Phillips gave a wonderful speech on the importance of learning secondary languages. Her use of fantasy versus reality was very effective and provided a very down-to-earth view of the importance of language.”

Lisa Adams, a junior double major in history and classics, remarked that Phillips’ talk “vividly illustrated the importance of learning languages and put to rest many of the common myths of learning different languages.”

Ana Franks, a senior Spanish major and Latin student, noted that “Dr. Phillips was an excellent choice for a speaker on The Year of Languages. She explained the importance of acquiring a foreign language through examples her personal experiences.”

Phillips began teaching French in 1960 at a high school in Pennsylvania. Her experience includes 12 years at that level and 15 years at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa. She has been at Weber State since 1993. She served as executive director of the Tennessee Foreign Language Institute from 1987 until 1993.

Other speakers during the college’s year-long celebration have included internationally recognized poet and translator Rosanna Warren, Max Morel of Doctors Without Borders, and Chilean poet/activist Marjorie Agosin of Wellesley College. Monmouth College’s new curriculum, devised over the past five years and being implemented this fall, emphasizes language study, off-campus programs and exchange programs with foreign universities. Monmouth is also noted for its robust curriculum in the ancient languages and has been active in working to alleviate a nationwide shortage of Latin teachers.