Truman alumna Kennedy Post awarded Outstanding Future World Language Teacher

Truman alumna Kennedy Post (BA French ’20, FL-MAE ’21) has recently received the Foreign Language Association of Missouri’s (FLAM) Award for Outstanding Future World Language Teacher. Kennedy reports that: “Learning a world language makes the world more tangible in a sense. Students who are more exposed to different cultures and languages become more tolerant and respectful of the people around them. Not knowing or not being exposed to different cultures creates barriers that are seemingly miniscule. These barriers can cause fear and distrust of people and cultures that are different. The study of world language permits students to be reflective and more thoughtful learners through an appreciation of diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, class and other issues of identity. We as foreign language educators have the unique opportunity to use our classrooms as a way to have thoughtful and respectful discussions about social justice issues in countries around the world. In order for these discussions to happen, world language teachers need to think outside of the typical Eurocentric idea of the language. The utilization of authentic resources from multiple countries that represents different parts of a person’s identity helps our students understand cultures unlike their own. In my opinion, the only way our students will recognize the importance of studying a world language is through the ways we represent the cultures, materials and concepts in our classrooms.”

Way to go Kennedy! Thank you for representing the best of our future foreign language instructors! Go Bulldogs!!