High school students invited to 36th annual Modern Language Fair

            High school students from across Nebraska will get a chance to demonstrate their acquisition of foreign language and culture in various competitive events and participate in other fun activities at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on April 12 during the 36th annual Modern Language Fair.

            The competitive events include acting out a scene from dramatic literature or an original skit in the target language, performing a folk dance or relevant music and delivering a brief memorized explanation in English and the target language, reciting poetry, or designing a colorful and informative poster on the theme of historical buildings. Students will be allowed to compete in French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese and against students of similar skill levels. Faculty and graduate students from the UNL Department of Modern Languages and Literatures will judge all events.

            The department also will offer mini lessons in a variety of languages, as well as instruction in international folk dancing. Spanish teachers and their students also will be invited to participate in a reading of "el Quijote."

            Registration is scheduled for 8 a.m. and opening ceremonies will kick off the day’s events at 9 a.m. The day wraps up with a 2 p.m. awards ceremony.

            There is no registration deadline, although the fee for those who pre-register by March 12 is $8.50. The registration fee on the day of the event is $12. Any student is welcome to attend so long as accompanied by a teacher from his or her school.

            For more details, visit http://go.unl.edu/langfair or contact Shannon Parry, Modern Language Fair coordinator, at 402-472-7032 or by email.

Writer: Jean Ortiz Jones, University Communications, 402-472-8320