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Language and Literature

Part 1: Literature and Writing

Part 2: The Medium of Language

Part 3: Language Sciences and Science Languages

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Prof. Isabelle de Courtivron Head of Foreign Languages and Literatures

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Prof. Anita Desai Award-winning novelist and writing instructor

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Jade Wang '01 President of the MIT Science Fiction Society

Kelly Clancy '03 Prize winning short story author

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The Medium of Language

StarFestival, an interactive CD-ROM that contains 300 photographs and 40 minutes of documentary footage about Japanese culture, explores topics like Japanese music and cuisine, the kimono, fishing, Buddhism, and festivals. Linguistics Professor Shigeru Miyagawa created the project to explore bicultural identity as well as to enrich language learning. "StarFestival is absolutely relevant to the new cultural and linguistic realities of our schools," said Professor Isabelle de Courtivron, head of Foreign Languages and Literatures (FLL) and director of the Center for Bilingual/Bicultural Studies. At MIT, 38 percent of graduate students are foreign born.

FLL, which teaches five foreign languages, English as a Second Language, and subjects in translation, has been developing interactive language and cultural projects for years. Cultura, a bilingual, Web-based French learning tool engages students and faculty at MIT and at the Institut National des Télécommunications. No recuerdo is a simulated Spanish immersion experience in South America. Berliner sehen is an interactive, hypermedia documentary for German Studies that relies on video and historical documents.

The Center for International Studies (CIS) takes MIT students and faculty into the world to use language and knowledge as a means of exchange. The MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI), a CIS program, promotes the internationalization of education and research. Since 1981, more than 1200 science, engineering, and management students have developed collaborations with scientists and technologists at outstanding foreign institutions in China, Japan, France, Germany, India, and Italy.

The intersection between the politics of language and culture is the focus of the Center for Bilingual/Bicultural Studies (CB/BS). The center examines translingual, transnational, and transcultural phenomena in topics ranging from linguistics to history, literature to media studies. A central activity is hosting visits and events by authors who write in a language other than their mother tongue.

go on to Part 3: Language Sciences and Science Languages

Resources for Endangered Languages The site supports endangered language communities, particularly Native American languages.

Online Resources for Foreign Languages & Literatures Databases & Electronic Journals available to the MIT community.

Chinese Dramatic Storytelling May 8 A performance with translation and commentary, 3 pm, Killian Hall.

MIT Societo por Esperanto Offers Free Lessons The club offers free Esperanto lessons and learning tools.

On Track with the Japanese MIT Japan Program offers a toolkit for understanding Japanese culture, business practice, communication styles, and negotiation strategies.