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This is Part 2 of our interview with Caitilin Walsh in the series: The Language Services Industry. She is a professional translator, industry advocate, and past president of the American Translators Association (ATA). She served on ATA's Education and Pedagogy Committee. Ms. Walsh also served on the executive committee of the Joint National Committee for Languages. An ATA-certified French-English translator, she produces translations for the computer industry and food lovers alike. She is a graduate of Willamette University (Oregon) and the Université de Strasbourg, France. She teaches ethics and business practices at the Translation and Interpreting Institute at Bellevue College. This episode is from an earlier interview.Send us a text

LLChat is honored to have Caitilin Walsh as our first guest to the new series: The Language Services Industry (Part 1). She is a professional translator, industry advocate, and past president of the American Translators Association (ATA). She served on ATA's Education and Pedagogy Committee. Ms. Walsh also served on the executive committee of the Joint National Committee for Languages. An ATA-certified French-English translator, she produces translations for the computer industry and food lovers alike. She is a graduate of Willamette University (Oregon) and the Université de Strasbourg, France. She teaches ethics and business practices at the Translation and Interpreting Institute at Bellevue College. This episode is from an earlier interview.Send us a text

The World Cultural Studies degree program at ODU shapes leaders and thinkers fluent in intercultural understanding and global collaboration. In this episode from our series, This Global Life, Dr. Lee Slater welcomes ODU student, Julius Clark. Julius is a student preparing for graduation with a Bachelor of Arts degree in World Cultural Studies and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology. In this episode, Dr. Slater and Julius discuss the global lives of students today and their creative paths to address world issues. This interview was recorded at an earlier date in Spring 2024. Send us a text

LLChat is pleased to welcome Dr. Lee Slater as host of our new series, This Global Life. In our first episode to the series, Dr. Slater welcomes panelists Dr. Waqar Azeem (Binghamton University), Ms. Nimisha Sinha (Binghamton University), and Dr. Lopamudra Basu (University of Wisconsin-Stout). The goal of this conversation is to explore how cultural forms of bearing witness intervene in the politics and technologies of human rights around the globe. For more information on this discussion, please refer to the following links: Send us a Text Message.

We are joined today by our guest, Émilie Rivard, a beloved Québécoise writer of over 100 children's and young adult books such as Really and Truly, Ma vie autour d'une tasse John Deere, Le bonheur au bout de la laisse, C'est ma maman!, Petite plante deviendra monstre, et sur le pot les Zétoiles! Terreur dans la classe de sixième, Le raton terrible, Spag, Marcher sur une ligne de trottoir, ça jamais !, Le Bas-Saint-Laurent, Atchoum, les mensonges !  and countless other delightful and charming works. She has also written for magazines and television. Her novel 1ère avenue won the Prix Jeunesse des libraires in 2018Rivard studied creative writing at Université Laval in Quebec City and focused her writing on imagination and creativity. She writes regularly for Les Explorateurs. Our deep appreciation to Dr. Peter Schulman for hosting this episode.Send us a Text Message.

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Peter Schulman back to LLChat as a guest on our series, Virtual Reality for World Languages & Cultures Using ImmerseMe. Professor Schulman participated in a grant-funded research project at ODU to explore virtual reality with his advanced-level students. He seamlessly integrated the ImmerseMe lessons into his Business French course for students to practice in real-world scenarios. Listen to the details of his experience and what he believes is a game changer for learning and teaching world languages. Our thanks to Joelle Ghosn for her expertise in hosting this interview.    

We welcome Kimberly Mckinnis to our series on Virtual Reality for World Languages and Cultures Using ImmerseMe where she will share her experiences on emerging technologies to learn French. Professor McKinnis is an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Art at Old Dominion University and Lake Taylor High School, as well as a member of the glass studio team at the Chrysler Museum of Art. She holds an M.F.A. in Art (Exhibition Design) from California State University in Fullerton, California. In her studio practice, she utilizes a variety of media including silver, glass, video, and performance. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and has been featured in publications such as the annual New Glass Review by the Corning Museum of Glass.Professor McKinnis is the winner of the Silver Global Citizen Award for the 2023 ImmerseMe Cup and was at the top 9% of over 1,750 competitors worldwide!  Our gratitude goes to Ayat Yousef for expertly hosting this episode.

We continue our LLChat podcast series on TalkAbroad and an interview with Professor Warren Warsaw. He is an Adjunct Instructor of French in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Old Dominion University and is the World Languages Department Chairman at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, Virginia.Our appreciation to Ayat Yousef for hosting this episode with Mr. Warsaw.

Welcome to LLChat! It is a pleasure to return to our popular series on TalkAbroad and e-Portfolios with our guest, Travis Wiggins. Travis studied Game Design at Old Dominion University with a minor in Japanese. He has had a love of the Japanese culture since childhood.This interview was recorded during the fall 2023 semester. Our thanks to Ayat Yousef for her hosting talents.  

Welcome to LLChat's new series, Hispanic Poets and Writers! Our special guest for this first episode is Enid López Reed. She is the author of Kachi (2023), Cuentos de mi tierra: Puerto Rico (2022), El sueño de un marino (2022), and Borikén - 1493 (2022). Maria Gomez from Old Dominion University's Department of World Languages is our host. This interview is in Spanish.  

We are joined today by our special guest, Dr. Michel Audette, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program Director at Old Dominion University. Born and raised in Canada, Dr. Audette earned his Bachelor's degree in Engineering at McGill University, Master's degree in Electrical Engineering at the École Polytechnique and, later, his Ph. D in Biomedical Engineering at McGill University in Montréal. In his research, he prioritizes medical simulation, surgery planning, and the potential of robotic surgery. Alongside recent publications on brain simulation and STEM education through 3D printing workshops, he has authored conference papers and articles on medical imaging and simulation. His work has brought him to three continents with French, Japanese, and German speaking cities.   Many thanks to our talented hosting team, Alexis Osipovs and Ayat Yousef!

We are delighted to interview Dr. Jay Walker, Assistant Professor of Economics in the Department of Economics at Old Dominion University, where his fields of interest are Applied Microeconomics, Labor Economics, and the Economics of Education. Dr. Walker received his B.S. in Economics and Finance from Arkansas Tech University and a MBA from the University of Mississippi. He worked professionally as an analyst in the insurance and retail industries. Following his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Memphis, he taught at Niagara University in western New York state prior to joining Old Dominion University. In his interview, Dr. Walker shares his travel experiences "with a purpose," the prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award, e-Portfolios, and living in Chile, Mexico, Japan, and China! We are grateful to Alexis Osipovs for such an engrossing interview. 

We are delighted to kick off our new season of LLChat with our series, French Musicians, Composers, and Discoveries. Our guest, Renée Anne Louprette, is an internationally renowned organist associated with distinguished music programs in New York City, the Arts at Trinity Wall Street, the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola. She is Assistant Professor of Music at Bard College. She has directed the organ program at Rutgers University, served as a faculty member at the Manhattan School of Music, and is director of the National Competition in Organ Improvisation for the American Guild Organists. Louprette has performed with the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Voices of Ascension, Clarion Music Society, American Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Dance Project, Disney Hall in Los Angeles, and the Oratorio Society of New York. She was awarded a Premier Prix - mention très bien from the Conservatoire National de Région de Toulouse, France and a Diplôme Supérieur in organ performance from the Centre d'Etudes Supérieures de Musique et Danse de Toulouse. We are grateful to our magnificent team of hosts, Dr. Peter Schulman and Alexis Osipovs.

Our interview with Joelle Ghosn, a student of French and Spanish at Old Dominion University, offers an in-depth view on how ImmerseMe and virtual reality made an impact while learning French. Jo is a senior in the Department of World Languages and Cultures and also studies ASL, Hebrew, Bulgarian, Italian, and Korean in their free time. After college, Jo plans on working in international or immigration law and living abroad. They are passionate about learning languages to help connect people past language and cultural barriers. Our phenomenal host for the interview is Ayat Yousef!

ODU attracts the best and brightest scholars from around the world. Their contributions as leading educators and researchers make our community increasingly globalized. ODU has a time-honored tradition of providing a diverse and welcoming community where we learn from different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. International faculty are helping to make ODU a world class institution of higher education. We want to get to know them better. It is an honor to welcome Dr. Zhongtang Ren to our new series, ODU Faculty Speak World Languages! Dr. Ren is a Master Lecturer of Chinese in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. His research interests are student and teacher epistemological beliefs in different cultures, different domains, and different learning environments.  In 2017, he received the prestigious Robert L. Stern Excellence in Teaching Award at Old Dominion University.Our sincere thanks to our host, Wayne Chan. He is an exceptionally talented and  multilingual student of Asian Studies and International Studies, '22.  Wayne prepared the transcript from this interview.

It is with great enthusiasm that we kick off the New Year and our new series with the Dean of ODU's College of Arts and Letters, Dr. Laura Delbrugge! LLChat Podcast is honored to have her as our first guest to this series, ODU Faculty Speak World Languages. Dr. Delbrugge earned her bachelor's degree in Spanish from Central College in Iowa and her master's degree and doctorate in Spanish from The Pennsylvania State University.  Her primary research focuses on Spanish medieval literature and includes three scholarly editions of works first published by Andrés de Li between 1492 and 1494 and "A Scholarly Edition of the Gamaliel." Dean Delbrugge has demonstrated her commitment to expanding student opportunity, success and affordability. She makes advocacy for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and support for all students her priorities.We welcome Dean Delbrugge to to Old Dominion University and to the LLChat Podcast! 

We are pleased to kick off our new series on Language Learning Apps, Tools, and Platforms with our special guest, Mr. Joe Dale! He is an independent languages consultant from the United Kingdom and an internationally recognized expert on technology and language learning. He taught French for 13 years before transitioning to consulting and launched the TiLT (Technology in Language Teaching) webinar series for free on distance teaching and learning. Mr. Dale regularly speaks at conferences and he has a YouTube Channel and webinars on any number of resources such as music, podcasting, DuoLingo, Storyboard, virtual language exchanges, and more. We welcome Mr. Joe Dale to LLChat! It is an honor to have you join us today! 

Campus Ambassador, Meagan Campbell, is a senior at ODU with a major in International Studies and a minor in Japanese. She has been studying Japanese for three years and hopes to travel abroad.  In her interview with LLChat host, Alexis Osipovs, Meagan describes her apprehension, motivation, and confidence from using such learning tools as the TalkAbroad platform and e-Portfolios to demonstrate her learning experiences.   

Jessica  Dooley is a senior majoring in WL&C with a concentration in French for Teacher Preparation. She shares her thoughts with LLChat host, Alexis Osipovs, on using such powerful learning tools as TalkAbroad and e-Portfolios.  The TalkAbroad platform provides students from the Department of World Languages and Cultures with the unique opportunity to converse with native speakers from around the world. Each conversation practice takes place directly on the TalkAbroad website where students' real-time conversations are recorded. These telecollaborative conversations are becoming a standard practice for our students and faculty. 

Our host, Alexis Osipovs, chats with Professor Annette Scavillo from the Department of World Languages and Cultures on her use of telecollaborative conversations using the TalkAbroad platform. She combines this powerful tool in her French and German courses with e-Portfolios and students' reflective learning processes.The TalkAbroad platform provides students with the unique opportunity to converse with native speakers from around the world.     

We are joined today by our guest, Laurence Equilbey, a leading French conductor. She is the Founder and Music Director of the Insula Orchestra. On stage, she works with the Orchestre National de Lyon, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg, Camerata Salzburg, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and the Grand Théâtre de Provence. Equilbey is Artistic Director and Director of Education at the Department for Young Singers at the Paris Conservatoire. Our thanks to the LLChat hosts of this series, Alexis Osipovs and Dr. Peter Schulman. What a great team!Farrenc - Symphony No. 3 - II Adagio cantabileFarrenc - Symphony No. 1 - III Minuetto-ModeratoBeethoven Piono Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat Major, Op. 73 , "Empereur" Gluck Orfeo Ed Euridice - Che puro Ciel! Che Chiaro Sol!Mozart Requiem in D Minor Lacrimosa 

Welcome to the kick off to our new season and series on French Musicians, Composers, and Discoveries. We are joined today by our guest, Célimène Daudet, a contemporary classical pianist. Daudet has performed in such world renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, the Opéra de Lyon, and the Beijing National Center for performing Arts to name a few. She has won many prestigious competitions. Our appreciation to the LLChat hosts, Dr. Peter Schulman and Alexis Osipovs.

Justin Mejia is living a fascinating life in Japan as an English teacher. In our series, Where are They Now? ODU WL&C Alumni, he explains his position as an educator for the past six years in Nagoya, Japan. Justin graduated from ODU as a History major, International Studies minor,  and studied Japanese. He earned an M.A. in English. We learn from his experiences the value of meeting new people, uncomfortable situations, the language process in social contexts, and study abroad.  Our sincere thanks to Stephanie Webb and Alexis Osipovs for hosting this series!

We are celebrating World Languages Week in the Commonwealth of Virginia (November 7-13)! Join us by listening to our interview with Brigette Labastida as part of the LLChat podcast series Where are They Now? ODU World Languages and Cultures Alumni. Brigette studied Communications and Japanese at Old Dominion University. Learn more about her cultural awareness, study abroad experience, prestigious awards, and marketable skills that propelled her on a career path in Japan! 

In this episode of LLChat, podcast hosts Stephanie Webb and Alexis Osipovs interview Mr. Kevin Martinez, a middle school French teacher in Virginia Beach who studied French, Japanese, and Accounting at Old Dominion University. Kevin went on to study Linguistics for his Master's degree at ODU. His aspirations are to travel and teach abroad in France and Japan!

In this episode of LLChat, podcast host Kelsey interviews Mrs. Susan O'Brian Knight, a middle school French teacher in Virginia Beach City Public Schools who studied French at Old Dominion University. Tune in to hear her speak about the importance of traveling, undertaking a study-abroad experience, pursuing graduate studies, and adopting a life-long learner approach to world languages and cultures. 

In this episode of LLChat, podcast host Kelsey interviews Mrs. Sherry Ferguson who studied French at ODU. She is not only a French teacher, but also the Dual-Enrollment Coordinator at her school in Courtland, VA.  Tune in to hear her take on traveling, working with languages, and her no-textbook approach to learning languages. 

Old Dominion University Alumni have exciting careers using their world language skills. They share with us the impact that knowing world languages and cultures has had on their chosen professions, graduate school studies, and on their personal lives. We can learn a great deal from their expertise and vast experiences.  In this episode, ODU alumnus, Zachary Fitzpatrick shares his thoughts on graduate school at the University of Illinois at Chicago, his German Ph.D. studies and dissertation on Asian-German film representation, his study abroad experience, teaching abroad and in the U.S. , and more great advice for our current ODU world language students!  

We kick off our new season of LLChat with a series dedicated to the use of Virtual Reality for languages and cultures. We discuss the use of the ImmerseMe tool with Kayla Murphy. Kayla has a great perspective on the topic based on her major in Games Studies and Design with French studies at Old Dominion University. Our host for this episode is Alexis Osipovs.Faculty in the Department of World Languages explore the use of Virtual Reality to learn French. With the support from the ODU Center for High Impact Practices and the HIP-XR Grant, the ImmerseMe tool was integrated into a novice-level French course during the spring 2021 semester. This unique project aligns the curricular concepts and themes discussed in class with the authentic scenarios using the ImmerseMe tool for asynchronous learning. 

We kick off our new season of LLChat with a series dedicated to the use of Virtual Reality for languages and cultures. We discuss the use of the ImmerseMe tool with Anne Cluff. She majors in Computer Science and studies French at Old Dominion University. Our host for this episode is Alexis Osipovs. Faculty in the Department of World Languages explore the use of Virtual Reality to learn French. With the support from the ODU Center for High Impact Practices and the HIP-XR Grant, the ImmerseMe tool was integrated into a novice-level French course during the spring 2021 semester. This unique project aligns the curricular concepts and themes discussed in class with the authentic scenarios using the ImmerseMe tool for asynchronous learning. 

We welcome Dr. Megan Mize to LLChat's kick off to season three with a fascinating discussion on Virtual Reality for learning world languages and cultures. Dr. Mize is the Director for e-Portfolios and Digital Initiatives in the Office for Academic Success Initiatives and Support at Old Dominion University. Our host, Alexis Osipovs, opens the conversation on virtual reality, augmented reality and XR so that we can learn from Dr. Mize what faculty are doing with technology to improve student learning outcomes, be more engaged, and have fun!  

We are thrilled to kick off  season three of LLChat with Mr. Scott Cardwell, Co-Founder and CEO of ImmerseMe based in Auckland, New Zealand. ImmerseMe is a language learning tool that uses Virtual Reality to immerse learners in authentic scenarios so that they come away from their language experience with a better understanding of the target language, country, and culture. Our congratulations to Scott and his team for winning the LaunchPad 2021 People's Choice Award!Our hosts for this amazing episode are Kelsey Norton and Alexis Osipovs.

LLChat host, Alexis Osipovs, and ODU student Victoria discuss their experiences with TalkAbroad and student e-Portfolios. Victoria studies Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Cultures as a rising sophomore. Her major is International Studies!  

LLChat host, Kelsey, and student Alexis chat about their experiences with TalkAbroad and student e-Portfolios. Alexis is currently a Computer Science major at the University of Virginia and is looking to minor in French. She transferred from ODU earlier this year. 

Welcome to our special series on Poets & Writers that was featured as part of National Poetry Month. We are joined by our special guest, Marisol Drouin. She is the author of a novel, Quai 31 (2011); an account Je ne sais pas penser ma mort (2017) and a recent poetry collection Lola et les Filles à Vendre (2020) all published by La Peuplade.

Welcome to our special series on Québécois Poets & Writers as part of the Festival de la Francophonie. Our special guest is Ouanessa Younsi. She is a clinical psychologist and the author of three volumes of poetry: Prendre langue (2011); Emprunter aux oiseaux (2014) and Métissée (2018) all published at Memoire d'Encrier in Montreal as well as Soigner Aimer (2016) on the power of love as a healing agent. She is also the co-author of the landmark poetic anthology Isabelle Duval, Femmes rapaillées (2016) devoted to contemporary Québecois women poets. Thank you to our hosts, Dr. Peter Schulman and Kelsey Norton!

Join your hosts Kelsey Norton, Stephanie Webb, and Alexis Osipovs in a fantastic interview with Ms. Rebecca Roberts. She is the curator of Programming for Planet Word Museum, a journalist, a producer, a political consultant, a jazz singer, and a nationally recognized author. Ms. Roberts tells LLChat about Planet Word, a museum situated in Washington D.C., concerned with all things, well, word. Yet, it is not by any means that simple! Tune in to hear all of the fantastic aspects to this museum, including a karaoke room and interactive-painting exhibit. 

In this episode, hosts Dr. Peter Schulman and Kelsey Norton interview Benoit Pilon, a director and screenwriter born in Montreal, Quebec. He has directed award-winning fictions and documentaries, including The Necessities of Life (2008), Iqaluit (2016), Le club Vinland (2020) and Roger Toupin, épicier variété (2003).

In this episode of LLChat, we interview Perrine Leblanc. She is a Québécoise writer from Montréal. Her first novel, L'homme blanc (Kolia in France), has won the Governor General's Literary Award for French Fiction, Québec's "Canada Reads" competition, and the Grand Prix du Livre de Montréal. In this enlightening interview she discusses her creative influences, tells us about the concept of le clown, and she reads from her second novel Malabourg. A head's up to our listeners: this episode is mostly in French.

LLChat is thrilled to begin our second season with a fascinating interview with Dr. Luisa A. Igloria, Professor of English and Creative Writing at Old Dominion University. Dr. Igloria was named Poet Laureate of Virginia and is the Louis I. Jaffe Endowed Professor. In this episode, Dr. Igloria speaks of her creative influences, her experiences growing up in the Philippines, multilingualism, and even gives us a little lesson on etymology.

After a brief break, LLChat is back with a new series on Québécois Poets & Writers. In this inaugural episode, LLChat host Kelsey is excitedly co-hosting with Dr. Peter Schulman of the World Languages and Cultures department at Old Dominion University. Our welcomed guest, Daphné B, speaks on her new book Maquilée and her creative influences and outlets. Daphné B enlightens us on how makeup is versatile; it is a way of creative writing, it is self expression, it is political. She also treats us to a selected reading, in French, from her aforementioned book Maquilée. Tune in and hear more from Daphné B!

LLChat host, Kelsey, and ODU student Sierra chat about their experiences with TalkAbroad and student e-Portfolios. Sierra also shares information about her own Podcast, Simply_CSea: SFCP.

LLChat host, Kelsey, chats with Dr. Lee Slater on her faculty experience with the telecollaborative platform TalkAbroad. Dr. Slater is a professor of French and World Cultural Studies at Old Dominion University. Her current research has landed her studies in Rwanda.

LLChat host, Kelsey, interviews Dr. Megan Mize - Associate Director of ePortfolio and Digital Initiatives for the Center for High Impact Practices, or CHIP, at ODU. Dr. Mize shares with us the importance of creating an ePortfolio, the personal value in having an archival showcase of student work, and just where to go for help in creating one.

LLChat host, Kelsey, interviews Mr. Todd Nichols - CEO of TalkAbroad. TalkAbroad is a telecollaborative conversation-based platform for students to speak world languages with native speakers all around the world. Mr. Nichols shares his vision on what the TalkAbroad platform is, how it helps students of world languages gain confidence in their conversational skills, and his inspiration for creating TalkAbroad.

LLChat host, Kelsey, has a fascinating conversation with Professor Carolina Molina-Martin on the remote learning experience and Medical Spanish. Professor Molina-Martin teaches Spanish and Spanish for Health Professions in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Old Dominion University.

LLChat host, Kelsey, discusses the remote learning experience from the spring 2020 semester with ODU student, Heidi. Having lived in Japan and currently studying the Japanese language and culture, Heidi offers a unique perspective.

Our LLChat host, Kelsey, discusses the remote learning experience with Stephanie. She is an ODU student studying Japanese.

LLChat host, Kelsey, discusses remote learning and teaching with Dr. Martha Daas, Chair of World Languages and Cultures and Associate Professor of Spanish at Old Dominion University.

LLChat host, Kelsey, discusses the remote learning experience with Dr. Peter Schulman, Professor of French and International Studies at Old Dominion University.

LLChat host, Kelsey, discusses the transition to remote learning for world languages with ODU student, Gabrielle.