UWEC Department of Languages

05/14/2026

Faith Oldenburg is graduating with a nursing major and Spanish in health professions. Her Spanish faculty advisor Dr. Elena Casey mentored her over the years. This piece highlights how proficiency in cultures and languages beyond one’s own is essential for success in medical fields.

After four years of hard work and unwavering determination, Faith Oldenburg will graduate from UW-Eau Claire with bachelor’s degrees in nursing and Spanish.

05/11/2026

Congratulations to UWEC student, Kenzie Allison, for earning the Global Seal of Biliteracy!

Congratulations to our amazing Russian and Chinese students who earned the Global Seal of Biliteracy!

Recipients from the Russian program: Kenzie Allison, Grechyn Baldner, Angel Morales, and Valentina Valid.

Recipients from the Chinese program: Maya Claerbaut, Martha Franke, Olivia Lutz, Jennifer Wilkinson, and Sabrina Yang.

We are so proud of your dedication to global cultures and languages!

https://www.uwlax.edu/academics/department/global-cultures-and-languages/languages/russian/

https://www.uwlax.edu/academics/department/global-cultures-and-languages/languages/chinese/

05/01/2026

Sophomore Renee Sandoval has committed her nascent research career to environmental studies, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has taken note, awarding her with the Ernest F. Hollings scholarship.

Renee is a double-major in French and Chemistry. Congratulations Renee!

Renee Sandoval earns first-ever Hollings Award for oceanic and environmental research for a students at UW-Eau Claire

04/13/2026

Congratulations to Ash Hevrin and Maggie Evert for their winning submissions to our meme contest!

04/01/2026

Voting is open for our spring meme contest! Vote for your favorite by midnight on April 10th!

The winners receive a $25 gift card to the Campus Bookstore!

https://uweauclaire.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eWd2bUVgkWJe2uG

03/27/2026

Students in FREN 400 (Graphic Novels) taught French in four different classes at Putnam Heights Elementary, marking the 10th year of partnership with this school. They taught colors, animals, and fruit. As a bonus, the class reconnected with Dana Olson, a French major and Elementary Education major who is currently student teaching at Putnam! Thank you to our fantastic students for bringing French to the Eau Claire community.

03/11/2026

Our newest highlighted student is Lauren Becker! Thanks for sharing your experiences!

What language or languages are you studying at UWEC?

German!

Bio:
I am a pre-nursing student hoping to get a certificate or minor in German. I enjoy running, lifting and going to a Bible study with my friends :) I am glad I started learning German because last year I helped with an English as a Second Language camp in Germany! Try new things, you never know where you may end up and what skills you'll get to use!

What advice or tips do you have for other language students?

Put in the effort for the homework since you only get so much time to study a language in your life. Also, speak it a lot!

What made you decide to study a language?

I wanted to be able to connect with a different culture than my own and thought it was fun :)

What can students do with a language degree?

Make friends, go into work internationally with a valuable asset, maybe even translate somewhere.

What travel experiences have you had thanks to studying languages?

Going to Germany to help with an ESL camp!

03/05/2026

The Languages Department is hosting a MEME CONTEST for UWEC students!

Win a $25 dining gift card!

Submit up to two original memes by email at [email protected] by March 31st.

Memes can be in any language, including English.
They must reflect your language learning experience.

Voting and results will be in April.

Check out last year's winner for inspiration!

02/26/2026

Students in the Chinese language program had a blast visiting the Putnam Heights Elementary School on Feb. 19th! They taught K–5 students some simple Chinese words and shared fun bits of Chinese culture. It was such a joy to see little minds light up while our college students put their language skills into action. We thank the teachers and staff at Putnam Heights Elementary for welcoming us into their classrooms and interacting with their students. Language learning never looked so fun!

02/25/2026

Our Department of Languages hosted a fun-filled Craft Night at the Blugold Makerspace in the McIntyre Library last night! Students got creative making bracelets, bookmarks, buttons, paper flowers, and coloring projects—all with a language-themed twist—while enjoying pizza and refreshments. A wonderful evening of hands-on learning, creativity, and community!