Hattiesburg, Miss., September 23, 2013 - William Carey University hosted the regional workshop for the Mississippi Foreign Language Association (MFLA) in the Student Conference Center from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. on September 20.
The workshop featured seven presenters and Mr. Limeul Eubanks, foreign language consultant at the Mississippi State Department of Education. He is also the library media specialist and the visual and performing arts specialist for the Department of Education. Eubanks earned his B.A. in ceramics, painting, dramatic arts, and communications from the University of Ozarks in Arkansas before going on to earn an M.F.A. from Mississippi College and a M.Ed. in special education from University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Following the welcome by Yohanna Jiménez, adjunct professor of Spanish at WCU, regional workshop coordinator, and MFLA past president, she and Nolvia Ventura, Spanish teacher at Presbyterian Christian High School, gave their presentation titled "Creative Ways to Learn a Foreign Language." This presentation won "Best of Mississippi" at the MFLA Conference in 2012. Dr. Aurora Fiengo-Varn, associate professor of Spanish at Mississippi Valley State University and current MFLA president, then presented "Demonstrating Performance with Digital Projects."
Following a luncheon on campus, workshop participants shared activities they do in their classroom and then Beth Pierce, a French teacher at Columbia High School, presented "Starting a High School Foreign Exchange Program." Sirlene Capers, Spanish teacher at South Jones High School spoke about "Hosting the Annual Spanish Spelling Bee," and Dr. Elizabeth Harrison, French and Latin teacher at Houston High School, followed with "Foreign Language Activities for Reinforcement, Remediation and Review." Cheryl Maqueda concluded the workshop with a presentation, "Do you want to keep your job?"
"This is the largest and most well attended MFLA regional workshop we have had to date," said Maqueda.
Jiménez gave closing remarks and announced the details about the 2013 MFLA Fall Conference which will be held at Gulf Hills Hotel and Conference Center in Ocean Springs November 8-9. All foreign language educators and students are encouraged to join and attend to the conference. Dues and registration for first-time member, students, and first-year teachers are $10. For more information, visit www.msfla.org.