Simon Fraser University
Language and Culture: Building bridges through the arts

Language and Culture: Building bridges through the arts

April 11, 2007

Conference: Language and Culture: Building bridges through the arts

An image, by Cuban artist Jesus Gastell, his country, Cuba, his province, Pinar del Rio. Gaskel will be exhibiting his artwork, giving a workshop, and participating in panel discussions at the conference.

 

The Faculty of Education's Cuban connection continues with the involvement of our faculty members at an international conference that encourages the exchange of ideas regarding the role of arts in language teaching and learning.

 

The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities of Pinar del Rio University "Hermanos Saíz Montes de Oca" and its Foreign Language Department invites language teachers and linguists to participate in the upcoming conference "Language and Culture: Building Bridges Through the Arts" from October 2 - 4, 2007. This conference is part of the celebration of the 35th anniversary of higher education in Pinar del Rio province, Cuba.

The conference is designed to encourage an exchange of ideas regarding the role of the arts in language teaching and learning. The program will include a diversity of activities such as workshops, lectures, presentations of research papers, panel discussions and cultural excursions, with a focus on the following topics:

  • The arts and their role in our language curricula.
  • Enhancing socio-cultural content in language teaching and learning.
  • Language teaching as an art.
  • The power of words and images.
  • Socio-cultural differences in communication.
  • Visual arts, literature, music, theatre and dance: invitations to language study.

For more information about the conference or opportunities to present papers at the event, contact:

Hilary Spicer, Co-Chair

Faculty Associate, Professional Programs

Faculty of Education

Simon Fraser University

E-mail: hilary_spicer@sfu.ca

Fax: 604.713.5076

or

Juan Silvio Cabrera Albert, Co-Chair

Universidad de Pinar del Rio

E-mail: jsilvio@fcsh.upr.edu.cu

Fax: (52) (82) 779353

You can also visit these websites for more information: www.upr.edu.cu/xxxv/ and www.upr.edu.cu/xxxv/ev2index.htm

Two members of the Faculty of Education, Sharon Wahl and Celeste Snowber, will be presenting at this conference.

Hilary Spicer, a faculty associate in Professional Programs has long helped to bridge the Faculty of Education with education colleagues in Cuba. Hilary initiated the four-week Secondary Core French practicum that over the past two years, has provided an opportunity for our student teachers to experience language teaching French in a high school in Santa Clara, Cuba while learning Spanish.


Last Updated May 17, 2007 FOE