Article from The Jamestown Sun, Jamestown, ND
Language Educators From The Region Network In Jamestown
Monday, April 10, 2006
By David Maack
The most popular foreign language taught in North Dakota is Spanish, said Dr. Maila Zitelli, associate professor of German at Minot State University and chair of the Pro Lingua award committee.
Zitelli, and MSU Spanish professor Liana Henderson, were in Jamestown Saturday for the spring meeting of the Foreign Language Association of North Dakota.
Approximately 40 people gathered at the Jamestown High School to learn about the newest techniques in teaching foreign languages and to provide an opportunity for foreign language teachers to discuss mutual challenges, she said.
“This organization is really helpful to new teachers. They can network with those who have been teaching for a few years,” Zitelli said. “It’s a great opportunity for university professors to network with high school teachers. We share on the phone and via e-mail all the time.”
The relationships developed also help foreign language teachers in the universities stay in touch with the needs of high school teachers and ways teaching can be improved on the university level, she said.
“We talk about the latest advances in foreign language pedagogy (science of teaching), including using technology in the classroom,” Zitelli said.
David Volk, Fargo, chairman of the North Dakota Junior Classical League and 2005 North Dakota teacher of the year, discussed using the Smart Board interactive whiteboards in classrooms as a way to improve teaching and learning in the classroom, she said. Technological advances are part of the seminars, as well as other professional development opportunities.
On Saturday, the Foreign Language Association of North Dakota bestowed the 2006 Pro Lingua Award to Newman Signs of Jamestown and Newman Outdoor Advertising of Minot. The awards were “for providing the high schools and colleges in their respective cities with large banners carrying the official logo of the nationally celebrated 2005 Year of Languages. These promotional banners served the FLAND teachers well in a yearlong campaign to ignite and sustain more interest in the study of languages,” Zitelli said.
Also honored this year are David Hoffman, of Alberston Consulting, and Deanna Aanderud, of Aanderud Designs, both of Minot, for a long-standing commitment to serving MSU and the FLAND teachers and their students who have come to Minot State to participate in Foreign Language Fairs offered by the German, French and Spanish faculty.
In 2001, in commemoration of his father, a former student of French and German at MSU, Hoffman launched the MSU FL Web site, www.minotstateu.edu/language/languagefair.html with Deanna Aanderud. Aanderud has continued to donate her time as a community service to update the site displaying high school student work submitted for the Foreign Language Fair competitions and other features promoting the study of foreign languages at MSU.
FLAND also awarded the Graciela Wilborn Teacher of the Year plaque to Bea Berg, a German teacher at Grand Forks Central. Janet Thielman, Jamestown College German teacher, was the 2004 winner of the award. Winners of the award are recognized for outstanding contributions in the foreign language classroom and/or to the foreign language teaching profession, Zitelli said.
Sun reporter David Maack can be reached at (701) 952-8454 or by e-mail at