Language and culture are “intertwined, interconnected, and they can never be separated,” asserts Jude (Duah) Mensah, a PhD student in UIUC’s French Second Language Acquisition and Teaching Education program. In this episode, Jude’s passion for language learning and teaching is neatly juxtaposed with his thoughts on language as a vehicle for cross-cultural connection. Listen closely as he situates complex linguistic concepts into real-world examples that any language and culture enthusiast would appreciate.

S4E2 Language as a Tool for Connection

Jisoo Youn, Tina HyeJin Yeo, and Nikia Brown, instructors of a transition course for international students, invited Cindy Wilson, author of Too Much Soul, for an exclusive interview on Our Global Campus podcast. In this episode, Cindy details her experience growing up in the Southern part of the United States with an African American family as a transnational Korean adoptee. Through the window of her own struggles with social identity and belonging, she encourages international students to explore various aspects of their own identity, engage in meaningful relationships with diverse others, and amplify their voice for minoritized groups of people. Unveiling why she calls her book a form of ‘social activism,’ Cindy tells it all here.

Ep. 4: Korean, yet Culturally Black - An Adoptee's Story of Social Identity & Social Action

Welcome to Our Global Campus: Engage the World through Illinois. This is a podcast series produced by the International Programs Team within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This Podcast features the international and intercultural experiences of students and professionals, who dare to explore life on the other side of their cultural assumptions. Each episode unpacks the complexities that often attend the journey of - finding one's place in the world.

S4E2 Language as a Tool for Connection

Our Global Campus

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