| French and Italian, Spring 1997 | |
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Newsletter of the Department of French and Italian |
Supported in part by dues-paying members of the I.U. Alumni Association |
Letter from the chair
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Lloyd lauds last year's innovations, relocations
Over the last year, I have grown excited about the possibilities that exist for using new technologies in the teaching of languages, literature, and culture. As the department's representative at two conferences arranged by the CIC, one on language teaching and technology, and another on international programs, I participated in discussions and saw presentations that point to various different possibilities for presenting French and Italian to our students. Already the resources of the Web are opening our students' eyes to the riches of those civilizations: there are, for example, Web sites devoted to Parisian night life, Parisian cemeteries, Italian art, and the catacombs in Rome. Our colleague, John Isbell, has made available on the Web the collection of slides that accompany his civilization courses. The Hachette multimedia encyclopedia on cd-rom demonstrates further possibilities of the new technology, with clips of the moon landing, dioramas of Paris, Australia, and so on, and sound illustrations of an elephant trumpeting or a wolf howling. Some of us are exploring the possibilities of making our own cd-roms to enhance the exploration of poetry or theater. Using video in our classes also enhances the possibility of bringing our students into contact with contemporary language and customs as well as bringing the past vividly to life. The Italian program has long been known for its courses on Italian cinema; various members of the French program have plans for including cinema in their teaching as well.
Other changes taking place concern our programs abroad. Our French summer course now takes place in Paris and is proving very popular, and we are moving from Strasbourg to Aix-en-Provence at the end of this academic year. Dean Richard Stryker, in Overseas Programs, has worked tirelessly on our behalf to bring about this happy resolution and we are grateful to him. Closer to home, Ballantine has been undergoing various renovations and alterations. With the move of economics out of Ballantine and of Comparative Literature to the ninth floor, the department gained two offices, one of which has been turned into a departmental lounge for the use of graduate students, staff, and faculty. As the only department in Ballantine that did not have such a facility, we are delighted to be able to offer a room where people can gather for quiet conversation, to read various newspapers and magazines from France and Italy, or just to relax in pleasant surroundings.
One initiative I've been particularly pleased with in my first year as chair has been that of setting up joint faculty-graduate student ventures, which are aimed not only at stimulating research in this very active department, but also at providing graduate students with valuable experience at an important stage in their careers.
As you will see elsewhere in the Newsletter, this has been a very successful year for the department in terms of publications and as regards the award of internal and external fellowships and grants. We're grateful for the continuing support and interest of our alumni and are always interested in hearing from you. FRIT now has a home page you can visit on the web: http://www.indiana.edu/~frithome/. This home page is still being altered and embellished, like any home. Please visit us, and let us know what you think.
-- Rosemary Lloyd
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Last updated: November 18, 1997
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1997, the Trustees of
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