Majors and certificates
Communication Sciences & Disorders, Linguistics
Graduation year
2015After graduation
I am currently a first-year graduate student in a Speech-Language Pathology M.S. program at Northeastern University. My main interests are in voice disorders and accent training.
Motivation
I was born in Paris and lived there for three years as a baby. My parents didn't raise me bilingual, but I was motivated to start learning French again in high school and college. To learn any other language would have felt wrong! I took Italian largely due to my Italian ancestry. My dad is very into genealogy, and as a kid I helped him decipher Italian off of old microfilms. I am fortunate to able to obtain Italian citizenship through my great grandfather, and so I wanted to have a taste of the language at UW-Madison in case I decided to move there someday.
How language enriched
I'm fairly biased because of my education in linguistics, but once I had a basis in one foreign language, I became interested in learning a little of them all! Language learning makes me feel less cut off from the world. I'm definitely one of those people that try and talk in the official language of whatever country I'm visiting. Languages and linguistics have informed my career decisions immensely, and I am constantly using what I've learned in speech-language pathology.
Favorite memory
My UW language classes were among my most enjoyable classes at the university. I loved having class four days a week, and although the 50 minutes was always fast-paced, you never felt overwhelmed. The instructors genuinely wanted to share their language with you, and simply wanted to see you excited to learn. Having to interact with your classmates constantly was a major plus for me — I made a bunch of rad friends!!
Valued experiences How language was maintained
I try and keep my knowledge a little fresh with Duolingo, a language learning application. Also, I currently live with two French roommates who provide me nonstop exposure!
Advice for others
Every language has a structure to it, so try and look for patterns and rules in the languages you're learning! An aspect of the language that appears random likely is not, and it can be fun to figure these things out, or ask your instructor for insight.
Favorite word or phrase
In bocca al lupo! (Italian) — Directly translated means "Into the wolf's mouth!" and means "break a leg!" or "good luck!"
Quote
Language learning makes me feel less cut off from the world.