Ashley Whitaker, a dedicated educator with over 25 years of experience serving English language learners in Illinois, embarked on a transformative journey this summer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Immersing herself in Arabic language studies at the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute (MEDLI), supported by a FLAS Fellowship. Through this experience Ashley rediscovered her passion for education, cultural appreciation, and the strength to continue making a difference in her students’ lives.
Language learning opens the world in a way that few things can, and at the University of Wisconsin Madison, language learning creates opportunities for self-discovery, cultural appreciation and life changing growth. Like many professionals, I often find it challenging to fit time in to pursue the educational interests that require an investment beyond casually listening to an audiobook or attending a weekend seminar. However, this summer I decided that I would make an investment to change the course of my personal and professional life: I would attend school full time and immerse myself in an intensive Arabic language learning experience; and receiving a generous FLAS Fellowship from the Institute for Regional and International Studies National Resource Center (IRIS NRC) made my summer study experience possible.
I am an urban educator with over 25 years experience serving children and families in diverse communities of English language learners in Illinois. Typically, at the end of a busy school year, I’m often depleted – emotionally and physically. Compassion fatigue, serving in a high-needs school, and balancing the pressures of teaching offered me plenty of excuses to spend the summer on my couch or on the beach. Yet, I chose another path. The Middle Eastern Language and Mediterranean Language Institute Elementary Arabic class was a welcoming and supportive place where I found that learning was key to replenishing my strength, renewing my commitment to education and rediscovering the joy of experiencing the language, literature, food and culture of people and nations very different from those I am accustomed to in America.
From the first day until the last, I experienced the agony and exhilaration of learning something new. Arabic words sounded so strange coming from my mouth and I was often overwhelmed and embarrassed when the right words failed to come to mind during Arabic language practice and conversations with other students. Then I thought of how my young ESL students must feel: new to America and feeling overwhelmed at the challenge of learning English. Through my experience, I renewed my commitment to create a classroom where my students always feel safe and supported.
Learning a new language is not only about discovering new words, it’s about celebrating the people and the culture that the language represents. It gives voice to their experience and helps us to find beauty in what we may not completely understand. In a community of learners, we journey together and discover that each of our unique histories and experiences are valuable and worth sharing. I have spent my entire professional career as a teacher and in eight short weeks, I have been encouraged to keep learning, to keep growing and to seek communities like those at UW Madison to experience the beauty in the diversity around me.