What is World Languages Day?
World Languages Day is a free, all-day conference for high school students, teachers, and parents. Participants can choose from a wide variety of sessions on language, culture, globalization, and general information about Michigan State University.
WLD is during my school's Spring Break. Can I still participate?
Yes! We know that the date conflicts with some school districts' Spring Break, and will continue to take teacher feedback into account when planning future WLD dates. However, you can still participate this year. Teachers are welcome to come on their own, or send students independently. We ask that you still pre-register, so we have an idea of how many participants to expect.
What ages of students may participate?
World Languages Day is an event for high school students only, and we encourage participation especially from sophomores and juniors. We are unable to accomodate groups or individual students from junior high or elementary schools, as the content of the sessions is geared toward older students. Home-schooled students are welcome, but must likewise fall into the high school age range.
How much does it cost?
WLD is free for all participants! All pre-registered participants will receive a free lunch, and all attendees will have chances to win raffle prizes. The only cost you will incur is transportation to MSU's campus, and we are working on securing funding to help defray transportation costs.
Do I have to register in advance?
Yes. No walk-ins are allowed. Pre-registered participants will have first-come, first-served choice of which sessions to attend, and will receive a free lunch. Your school must be pre-registered in order for individual students, teachers, and parents from that school to be able to choose their sessions in the spring.
If I register my school, will I be inundated with organizing and planning emails?
No. The reason we need a teacher/administrative contact person is so we have one "point person" through whom to filter informational emails. Registering as an administrator also causes your school to appear in the drop-down list of participating schools, so your students can identify themselves when it comes time to choose their sessions. In terms of emails from the WLD committee, you'll receive an update when the student pre-registration opens, so you can let them know they can choose their sessions. You'll also receive information about transportation reimbursements when we receive news about how much funding is available. Finally, you'll get updates in the week or so before the event with details on parking, checking in, etc. Of course, you're welcome to contact us at any time with questions!
Is there any funding available to help defray transportation costs?
We are working with our campus sponsors to secure funding that can be used to help defray transportation costs. Depending on how many districts need financial help for transportation, we hope to be able to reimburse districts in proportion to how far they have to drive. Pre-registering will help us determine how much funding to request from our sponsors.
Are there language competitions for my students?
No. WLD is a mini-conference to expose students to different ways of looking at languages, language learning, career opportunities involving languages, and some of the international opportunities available at MSU. There will be opening and closing plenaries and concurrent sessions, but no competitions. If, however, your students have a musical or dance performance they would like to share, contact us and perhaps they could perform at one of the plenary sessions!
I can't make it, but I have a student who's interested. Can students come on their own?
Yes. Students may come accompanied by parents, or individually. If a group of more than five students would like to come from your school, we ask that at least one parent or other adult accompany them. It is still helpful if you can pre-register your school, even if only a few students will be able to come. This way, your school appears in the list of pre-registered schools when the students are selecting their sessions. If there are no teachers or other school personnel able to act as the WLD contact person, you can have individual students contact us directly to work out their registration.
Is this just an event to promote MSU?
No. While there will be sessions on MSU admissions, financial aid, study abroad, campus tours, etc., attendees are able to choose their own session schedule, and therefore do not have to attend any MSU-specific sessions if they choose not to. Of course, we hope that at least some students will come to campus with the intention of checking it out for future studies!
Can teachers and parents attend the student sessions, or am I limited to the teacher sessions?
Teachers, parents, and other adult chaperones are welcome to attend student sessions. We have the teacher sessions available for those who want to tack on a little professional development, but you're also welcome to attend the "student" sessions to get teaching ideas! The reverse, however, is not true; students are limited to the student sessions, where the content is geared specifically for them.