School of Humanities and Social Sciences

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Languages

About
Languages
Language Certificate
Student Testimonials
Departmental Scholarships
Faculty

Mission Statement for Department of Languages, Modern and Classical

The Department of Languages has missions that are at the heart of a Catholic, Marianist, Liberal Arts education. The Department strives to uphold the spirit of the Marianists who founded the University, crossing linguistic and cultural lines to do so, as it prepares students to lead in a world defined by greater opportunity as well as necessity to deal with linguistic and cultural differences. First, the Department serves the Core Curriculum, enabling students from all the University community to acquire, develop and deepen their linguistic ability and their understanding of how language affects how human beings see the world and their place in it. Second, we graduate students with majors in the areas of Spanish and Portuguese languages (B.A. in Spanish, B.A in Spanish with Teacher Certification, B.A. in Multinational Organization Studies in Spanish and Portuguese) who become leaders in their professions in Texas and throughout the world. Finally, we help students who are not language or MOS majors to integrate advanced language study into their chosen majors, through our minor and certificate programs in Portuguese and Spanish, and through the Southern Cone Studies Certificate Program, a study abroad program in Brazil and Chile/Argentina open to all majors and run jointly by faculty in the Bill Grehey School of Business and in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Whatever our students interests or goals, we strive to integrate knowledge of language and culture into their intellectual resources and perspectives.

Contact Us

Eva P. Bueno, Ph.D., Chair
(210) 436-3738
Reinbolt Hall 304
Mail Box 53
ebueno@stmarytx.edu

Rosalinda Helbig
Admin. Assistant
(210) 431-2299, ext. 1039
Reinbolt Hall 304-A
Mail Box 53
rhelbig@stmarytx.edu

Chinese

Mandarin Chinese is a language spoken by almost a quarter of the world's population, and it is the most-spoken language in the world. It is spoken in the People's Republic of China, the Republic of China in Taiwan, and in important "Overseas Chinese" communities throughout Southeast Asia and the Americas, from Mexico to Argentina.

The United States also has an important Chinese American population consisting of several generations of immigrants. It was Chinese labor that built most of the railroads in the American west. Chinese Americans are today among the most highly educated populations in the United States, and they occupy important positions in all professional fields. As commercial, political and cultural relations between the US and China strengthen, the Chinese language becomes even more important.

All majors are invited to participate in the language offering. For further information, please contact the Department of Languages at ebueno@stmarytx.edu.

St. Mary's offers classes in Mandarin Chinese, but not a major or minor.

For more information, please see the degree plans and course catalog.

French

The French Language Program is one of the oldest at the University, having its roots in the International Education Character of the Marianist Order, which has schools and universities not only throughout the United States, but in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

Currently, we offer first and second year classes.

St. Mary's offers classes in French, but not a major or minor.

For more information, please see the degree plans and course catalog.

German

Germany is the financial leader of Europe and therefore a major player in world economic matters. St. Mary's business students are offered several business programs in German-speaking nations: one in Innsbruck, Austria and another in the small German town of Schmalkalden, where they can expand their knowledge of U.S and international business, German language and German culture and history. While knowledge of German language is not a prerequisite, it is certainly helpful to have taken some German at the main campus and know that one can go out into the town and get to know the locals and practice what was learned in the classroom.

St. Mary's students are offered summer law courses and undergraduate and graduate business courses in Innsbruck, Austria, a German-speaking nation. Again, knowledge of German language can only enhance a student's experience in a foreign country, in addition to giving the locals a better image of Americans.

Music majors will necessarily study the great German masters and voice students know that proper interpretation of music depends upon knowing what the words mean and being able to pronounce and intonate properly. Over the years, students have approached the German language faculty to consult with us about proper pronunciation of German music they are presenting in both private and public performances.

Besides those above-mentioned programs in Schmalkalden and Innsbruck, St. Mary's students have participated in a number of programs at other German institutions, including universities in Berlin, Heidelberg, Frankfurt and Munich. All have returned with a greater appreciation of the necessity of understanding our global interconnectedness and are enthusiastically recruiting fellow students to take advantage of the world of opportunities available to the St. Mary's community.

St. Mary's students are currently offered German at three levels: Year I, Year II, Year III.

St. Mary's offers classes in German, but not a major or minor.

For more information, please see the degree plans and course catalog.

Japanese

Why would anybody try to learn a language that is so different from English that it has only two verb tenses (present and past), no articles, no marks of plural, and puts the verb in the end of the sentence? Besides, this is a language that has such a different way of writing! This language is Japanese, and many people nowadays are discovering that the many advantages of studying this language go well beyond what they expected.

The first advantage of learning Japanese is, of course, that through it you will be able to enter a gateway to all Asia. Even though many other languages are spoken in Asia, due to the strength of Japanese economy and cultural exports, if you speak some Japanese, you can move well in all Asian countries. The second is that you would be able to read and understand one of the most celebrated literatures of the world, in the original. If your thing is more manga, or karate, or Japanese films, you will be able to appreciate every nuance when you know the language. Third, when you study Japanese you step away from your native English and become able to understand how a culture can express politeness in so many different ways, how the adjective can have a past tense. This stepping out of English will enable you to understand your language much better, as well as to appreciate the immense diversity of our common human experience, even with a culture whose writing does not resemble ours in any way, and which has so many forms of expressing what we simply call.

Of course, there are many other reasons, and one of them is that Japan is currently the second economy in the world. Being able to participate in this economy, either here in one of the many Japanese companies established abroad, or even in Japan as a graduate student, or an entrepreneur, or as a teacher, can make an enormous difference in your life.

Japan is a country of great beauty, whose people are welcoming of guests, and whose cuisine is one of the most famous of the world. Visiting Japan, seeing the sights, speaking with the people, tasting the food, participating in one of the many festivals, will expand your vistas and will truly help you become a better citizen of the world.

The Japanese writing, seemingly difficult, is actually quite simple. Its writing systems, especially Hiragana and Katakana, can be learned in a few weeks, and the system called Kanji (from the Chinese system of ideographs) builds upon strokes that you learn to recognize. A dedicated student of Japanese can master basic words, and learn how to add to those and build a more comprehensive vocabulary. Spoken Japanese has only 5 vowel sounds and spelling is phonetically consistent, making the language easy to pronounce. Whether you want to learn Japanese for cultural or professional reasons, or because you want to tour Japan, or all of these reasons and many others, this is the class for you.

We will be offering Japanese again at St. Mary's starting Spring 2011. We will have the first and second year of the language. Depending on your interest, we can expand the offerings to include the third year level, which will then enable you to obtain a Language Certificate in Japanese (see details in the Department of Languages home page).

Latin

Each of us has had the chance to see, or to use, abbreviations such as "i.e", or "etc.", which stand for, respectively, "that is" and "all the other things (of the same kind)". Surely, each of us daily uses "a.m." (or "p.m.") to indicate the hours, knowing that the first refers to the morning (ante meridiem = before the mid-day), and the second to the afternoon (post meridiem = after the mid-day). These are all Latin expressions, which have been incorporated into our daily lives and our useful vocabulary.

Latin, the language of ancient Romans, is not a dead language; rather, it is alive in our daily usage. Indeed, Latin is present even in the English language! Take the English word "student", for instance: it comes from the Latin "studens" meaning "the one who studies". And, as we know, Latin survives through modern languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Catalán, Galician, etc.

A solid knowledge of Latin will guarantee a faster and more thorough learning of any other language, especially the Romance languages. More importantly, since language is one of the ways we use to communicate thought, Latin is particularly suited to help us reflect upon and understand the ways in which the original speakers of Latin, people who lived in ancient Rome, organized their thoughts, beliefs and values. Latin is, in other words, the linguistic decodification of a civilization. Since so many of our political, legal, and cultural institutions derive from foundations established in Roman civilization, studying Latin helps us to deeply understand our own present world. Indeed, in terms of both pure language and expression of a culture, Latin constitutes one of the basic roots of what we know today as Western Civilization. This is the reason why - despite the wrong reputation of being a dead language - Latin is widely studied nowadays. In Texas it is the fourth most studied language.

St. Mary's offers classes in Latin, but not a major or minor.

For more information, please see the degree plans and course catalog.

Major in Multinational Organization Studies Portuguese or Spanish

Housed in the Department of Languages, the degree of Multinational Organization Studies Bachelor of Arts enables the combination of advanced language skills that will give our graduates the possibility of pursuing careers in the private and public sectors. The Program is based on a liberal arts core and an inter-disciplinary foundation in economics, business and administration, history and political sciences, and includes one summer semester (5 weeks) internship with an American or foreign organization abroad or in the US in which foreign language stills are a part of the day-to-day operation.
With concentration in Portuguese or Spanish, the program consists of 120 semester hours, divided in the following manner:

30 hours of the St. Mary's Core
48 hours of the School Specific Core (taught in the corresponding departments/schools)
30 hours of the Major (Spanish or Portuguese, mandatory)
12 hours of MOS-specific courses (taught in the Department of Languages)

For more information contact:
Mark Lokensgard, Ph.D., Coordinator
mlokensgard@stmarytx.edu

Learn more about Multinational Organization Studies here.

Portuguese

Portuguese

The Portuguese Language Program at St. Mary's is unique in the city of San Antonio. Created in 1999, the Program has grown to include a Minor in Portuguese, and the MOS in Portuguese. Spoken by more than 250 million people in the world, Portuguese is a world language that enhances the academic and professional profile of any student planning a career with an international component, in international business, international relations, economics, anthropology, sociology, etc. Students majoring in International Business can fulfill the Area Studies requirement of the major in advanced level Portuguese classes. The lower-level courses in Portuguese fulfill the St. Mary's foreign language requirement for all majors.

International Experience

St. Mary's has two study abroad options in Brazil: During Summer Session I (Southern Cone Studies Program) or Semester study at the Catholic University of Paraná during the fall or spring. Internships are also available. St. Mary's also hosts students from the Catholic University of Paraná for one semester and is the University's most active exchange.

Points to consider

Speaking Portuguese increases your marketability, as more businesses, government agencies and nongovernmental organizations seek tri-lingual (English-Spanish-Portuguese) speakers to cover Latin America
Portuguese is the most widely spoken language in South America, with over 180 million speakers in Brazil. Before his interview with Brazil's president in March 2009, Fareed Zakaria of CNN referred to Brazil as "the country that is most important, about which you know least."
In Africa, two Portuguese-speaking nations, Mozambique and especially Angola, are experiencing rapid economic growth after the end of civil conflicts as production of their oil and minerals increases.

What Courses are offered?

* Introductory Portuguese for Spanish Speakers (PR 2317 and PR 2318): Spanish speakers begin at the sophomore level and reach the advanced level of study after only one year, instead of two.

* Introductory Portuguese for students not fluent in Spanish (PR 1311 and PR 1312)

*Topics of advanced courses in Portuguese (3000 level and above) include Literature and Cinema in Brazil, Gender and Sexuality in Brazilian Literature, and Introduction to Brazilian Culture, among others.

Minor in Portuguese: 18 hours.
First Track: students who do not come from a (self-identified) Portuguese speaking background: PR2311 and PR2312 (or PR2317 and PR2318--Portuguese for Spanish Speakers) and 4 courses in Portuguese from the 3000 or 4000 level.

Second Track: students who come from a (self-identified) Portuguese speaking background: all 6 courses for the MInor are from Portuguese offerings in the 3000 or 4000 level.

For more information, please see the degree plans and course catalog.

Spanish

The Spanish Language Program at St. Mary's University is one of the oldest at the University. Its roots come from the international education character of the Marianist Order, which has schools and universities not only throughout the United States, but in Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. The Department offers the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish with or without Texas State Teaching Certification.

International Experience
St. Mary's University has a spring semester at the Universidad de Alcala de Henares outside of Madrid, Spain. Part of the program was designed to give prospective teachers a cultural experience. All Teacher Certification students are encouraged to participate in the Spain Semester abroad.

St. Mary's offers a major and a minor in Spanish.

Minor in Spanish: 18 hours
First Track: students who do not come from a (self-identified) Spanish speaking background: SP2311 and SP2312 and 4 courses in Spanish from the 3000 or 4000 level.

Second Track: students who do not come from a (self-identified) Spanish speaking background: all 6 courses for the MInor are from the Spanish offerings in the 3000 or 4000 level.

For more information, please see the degree plans and course catalog.

St. Mary's University wants to further develop the study of languages and especially to encourage students to pursue language study at more advanced levels beyond those established in the Language requirement in the Core Curriculum. The Language Certificate is intended to provide an incentive to students who are interested in continuing their study of a particular language but who do not wish to complete the major or minor program in this language. Also, the Certificate signals on the transcript that a student has completed two courses at least in the third-year of language study and achieved the grade point average required for the certificate.

The Language Certificate is neither a substitute for a minor program in a language, nor does it impedes a student wishing to complete such a minor. The Certificate is different from a minor in two critical elements: it requires that courses be taken in language study or in classes in which the subject is taught exclusively in the target language, and it requires that the students meet a high grade point requirement.

It is important to note that the students fulfilling the requirements for a language certificate in a particular language will have this achievement noted on their transcript. Also, students completing a minor or major program in a language who at the same time meet the minimum grade requirements for a language certificate would have both the certificate and the minor noted on their transcript.

A Language Certificate can currently be earned in Spanish and Portuguese, and we hope to extend this offer to other languages such as German and French in the near future, depending on the number of students interested and the availability of faculty to teach the upper level classes.

Requirements to obtain a Language Certificate:

Students must take two courses in the level 3000 or 4000 or 5000 offered in the Languages Department and taught in the target languages.
Students must earn a minimum grade of B- in each of the courses.

Observations

for those languages in which the University currently offers only a sequence of only two years of language instruction, a Language Certificate could be earned through taking two years of courses in that language (level 2000) plus one advanced course (level 3000) in literature or culture taught in the language. The advanced course will be offered when there is a minimum of interested students. As the number of students interested in obtaining a Language Certificate increases, the department may expand its offerings in the different languages to the level 4000.
Students wishing to earn credits in the country where the language of study is spoken, should discuss study abroad programs with the department and the directors of programs in those countries.

It must be emphasized that the Language Certificate is not a minor. It is distinguished from a minor in that it stipulates that two courses in a foreign language in 3000 (or 4000 or 5000) level courses count towards achieving a certificate and, crucially, that a high grade in each of those courses is essential.

It should be clear that the Certificate and a major or minor in a language program are complementary, not conflicting. The student who achieves the Language Certificate is recognized for level and quality of achievement. The recognition appears in the student's final transcript.

The option of earning a Language Certificate is available to all St. Mary's students, from all the schools.

For more information, please see the degree plans and course catalog.

Student Testimonials

Stephan Hardt
Engineering Management
Graduation: Fall 2010

Having a high GPA and a major in engineering from a well-known university does not necessarily guarantee a position for an internship, much less for a well paying full time job. Nowadays companies are looking for potential employees as people who also have flexibility in communicating in different languages.

From my experience here in San Antonio, some American students assume that just because they naturally have proficiency in English they do not need to know other languages. Some think that since there is a perception that the international business language is English, the other countries should be concerned in learning English. But that it s not true. Today we live in world where more corporations depend on suppliers and customers from different countries, therefore it is crucial to know how to speak other languages and understand other cultures.

Prospects and customers from other countries feel more comfortable and more confident working with a company that can talk and negotiate with them in their language. English of course remains very important for a first contact; however, if the company has at least one person who can speak the language of the customer, the customer feels that this is a polite and engaging way to contact them, and that also demonstrates respect and interest in their culture.

I had the great opportunity chance to do my summer internship this year (2010) in a Multinational Distribution company located in Houston. One my projects required intense communication and negotiation with people from Brazil. Because I can speak Portuguese and Spanish, as well as English, the internship experience was very positive for me and for the company. The ability to speak other languages also allowed me to communicate with other departments from the company, since some people needed assistance with some documents in Portuguese. I am sure that my presence, my work, and my linguistic skills have caused an excellent impression in the company, and will most likely open their doors to other bilingual or trilingual students from St. Mary s seeking internships there.

I truly recommend students make an effort to understand other cultures and acquire other foreign languages in order to increase their competitive edge. It really does not matter which language you learn, because the United States has commercial, military and cultural interests all over the world. If you feel more comfortable with European languages, you can study French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. If you want to learn other languages, you can study Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Japanese. After you learn a second language, just remember: the third language is always easier and faster to learn than the second. The important thing is to start!

Departmental Scholarship Opportunities

Departmental scholarships for language majors are available for deserving students who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need. Listed below are the various scholarships available, each with their respective eligibilitycriteria.

La Prensa Foundation Scholarship for Spanish Language Majors

La Prensa Foundation Scholarship for Spanish Language Majors

It is to be awarded to Spanish Language Majors in their last semester of their junior year, or to those in the first semester of their senior year. Candidates to the award are students who have a minimum GPA of 3.2.

Eligibility and Rules

To be considered for the award, you need:

To inform the Chair of the Department, by email, of your intention to participate.
To write an essay of at least 3 pages (double space, font Times New Roman, size 12) about what has led you to choose the Spanish Major, and what you intend to do in your career that incorporates Spanish.
To deliver personally your essay and an unofficial copy of your transcript, in an envelope marked:

"La Prensa Foundation Scholarship for Spanish Language Majors"

Dr. Bueno, Chair
Department of Languages
Reinbolt 304
St. Mary's University

Participants will receive a confirmation of receipt, and within two weeks, of the decisions. The amount of the award will depend on the number of winners, and can be up to $1,000. The award will be given at the end of the semester, in the Departmental party that happens usually the week before Study Week.

MOS Internship Assistance Fund and Language Department Fund

This fund was established by an anonymous donor to benefit both MOS Students and Spanish Teaching Major going on their teaching or MOS práctica or pasantía

Eligibility and Rules

To be considered for the award, you need:

Writing to the Chair of the Department of Languages to indicate his/her intention to participate. Dealine for Fall 2012 is November 2.
Writing an essay about why he/she chose to be a teacher, or, in the case of MOS majors, why he/she chose MOS as a career. In both cases, the essay should include a reflection about how a course of study at St. Mary s University has helped shape the student s professional and personal views.
To deliver personally your essay and an unofficial copy of your transcript, in an envelope marked:

"MOS Internship Assistance Fund and Language Department Fund"

Dr. Bueno, Chair
Department of Languages
Reinbolt 304
St. Mary's University

The results of the award will be announced before the end of the year, and the award will be given during the end of the semester Department party.

The Rose Louise Ballinger Memorial Language Major Scholarship

This award was created by Mr. Robert Ballinger and is wife Ginny Ballinger, who currently reside in Cuyahora Galls, Ohio. Both Mr and Mrs Ballinger have been teachers all their lives. Mr. Ballinger has always had deep connections with the Marianists, and he worked at Worthington, Ohio as a teacher of French and English. While at Worthington, he developed the French program and eventually taught this language full time. Mrs. Ballinger, who has a doctorate in Education Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development from the Ohio State University, taught Spanish at Upper Arlington, was chair of her school's Global Languages Department, and was appointed State Curriculum Consultant for Foreign Languages at the Ohio Department of Education from 1993 to 2000, when she retired. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ballinger were very active in their state association of language Teachers (Ohio Foreign Language Association), and were each elected as OFLA's presidents (Mrs. Ballinger 1993-4, and Mr. Ballinger 2000-1).

It is a great honor for our Department of Languages at St. Mary's University to be associated with and beneficiaries of such a fine example of love for teaching and, more specifically, love for teaching languages. We are very grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Ballinger for their generosity in establishing this award that benefits our students.

Eligibility and Rules

The award of up to $3,000, is to be given to a foreign language major with a minimum GPA of 3.2 and demonstrated financial need. Students in their last semester of their junior year, or the first semester of their senior year are eligible.
Preference will be given first to a language student interested in becoming a foreign language teacher, then to a foreign language major, and if no qualified candidate exists, to a student seeking teacher certification in any field
To apply to the award, the student will write a 3-page essay in English or in Spanish, explaining why he/she has decided to study Spanish. For those seeking a degree with Teacher Certificate, make sure to write about your plans for a career in teaching.
To deliver personally your essay and an unofficial copy of your transcript, in an envelope marked:

"The Rose Louise Ballinger Memorial Language Major Scholarship"

Dr. Bueno, Chair
Department of Languages
Reinbolt 304
St. Mary's University

The results of the award will be announced before the end of the year, and the award will be given during the end of the semester Department party.

2012 and 2011 Honorees

2012 Honoree: Fr. Quentin Hakenewert, S. M.

Written by Robert Ballinger, January 5, 2012

The 2012 Rose Louise Ballinger Memorial Language Scholarship

Preamble: Each year I identify a person to honor who has made a significant impact on my life and career. In doing so, I intend to encourage college students to be alert to persons in their lives who have had or who will have an equally important influence.

This year s honoree is Father Quentin Hakenewert, S. M.

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/humanities/content/languages/images/Fr.Hakenewerth2.jpg

I first met Fr. Hakenewerth while I was at the Marianist Scholasticate at St. Mary s University. During the academic year 1964-65 Fr. Hakenewerth was the chaplain at the Scholasticate. As a man of vision, Fr. Hakenewerth knew that the future of the Province lay in the "houses of formation" where young religious members were being educated and prepared to join school communities. Fr. Hakenewerth soon developed a reputation among the college-age brothers as a speaker with fresh, innovative, and well thought-out ideas. I, for one, hung on his every word and have long since assimilated his thinking into my spiritual and intellectual life. There is one talk in particular he gave that I remember as clearly as if it were delivered yesterday. In it, Fr. Hakenewerth explained the difference between sympathy and empathy. He said that when someone is suffering an emotional crisis and expresses that suffering to someone else, that person is hoping for healing. However what usually happens is that the listener sympathizes, that is, shares in the emotional discomfort. That identification with the sufferer does not help to alleviate the discomfort. On the other hand, a person who empathizes starts off by sympathizing in order to affirm the sufferer s plight and then begins carefully to ask questions to help the sufferer to raise the discourse from the emotional to the intellectual level so that the sufferer begins to realize a solution to the crisis. I remember the simple graphics Fr. Hakenewerth used to illustrate his explanation which helped me to visualize clearly what he was saying. Since then I have heard many people try to explain empathy: from the simplistic, in which sympathy and empathy are virtually synonymous, to the scholarly, in which empathy becomes complex and obtuse. None has matched Fr. Hakenewerth s explanation for its clarity and usefulness.

Over the years, I have used empathy as defined by Fr. Hakenewerth to help hundreds of students. I will cite two examples from my personal life.

In 1987 my wife Ginny began to work on a doctoral degree in Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development at the College of Education at The Ohio State University. By 1992 she had finished her course work and was working on the last chapter of her dissertation when she experienced a moment of crisis. She had wanted to finish her degree by the end of the winter quarter. When she realized that she was not able to do that, she "panicked" and felt that she was not going to complete her degree. Realizing how serious her emotional crisis was, I knew that the only solution was for me to empathize with her. After a long conversation over dinner at our favorite German restaurant, she conquered her emotions, clarified her plans, and finished her degree that spring. When she returned full time to her high school, she was made the Global Languages Department Chair and inspired her colleagues to institute a proficiency-based language program that, after twenty years, is still in use today. Her success there led her to be hired by the Ohio Department of Education to be the state curriculum director for foreign languages. During her seven-year tenure she developed Ohio s first curriculum model for foreign language instruction, spoke to hundreds of teachers throughout Ohio, and was president of the National Association of State Supervisors of Foreign Languages for two years. All this and more would not have happened if Fr. Hakenewerth had not equipped me with a useful understanding of empathy.

The second example of just how powerfully Fr. Hakenewerth's words influence me today happened this past year. Although Ginny and I have been both retired since 2002, we still have a keen interest in educational issues. In January, 2011, we had just read Waiting for Superman which ends with a call to action. I have always been inspired by Ginny s remarkable accomplishment of instituting a proficiency-based curriculum for foreign languages in her high school. I believe that what she and her colleagues did has broad application to school reform. So, in March I made an appointment to speak to the superintendent of our local school district. I thought that he would surely welcome my offer to "reform" his schools. Although he listened politely, I could tell by his glassy stare that did not "get it". In fact, afterwards, he did not return my two phone calls, nor answer my two hand-written notes to him. My first reaction was to feel disheartened, rejected, and angry at him for not recognizing the gift I was offering him. After a few days of wallowing in my negative emotions, I realized I needed to re-think my approach. Instead of blaming him for not understanding my message, I needed to blame myself for not presenting my ideas better. So, after making an advice call to another superintendent, reading (that is, studying) two practical books on marketing, and spending two months crafting my improved presentation, I was ready to try again. I knew I could not go back to the superintendent. So I called a school board member and set up an appointment to speak to him. With a new approach, I knew within ten minutes that he "got the message". Ginny and I talked with him for two hours. He promised to champion our plan. He talked the superintendent into giving me a second chance to make my case. This time I introduced A B Ready, a team-approach to helping students achieve better grades so that they will be ready to do college work. Since mid-October, I have been working with twenty-five students most of whom have improved their grades and some of whom are now making all A s and B s. Some even want to recruit other students to join A B Ready; others want to tell middle school students so that they will take their studies more seriously. A B Ready is growing with the support of parents, teachers, and administrators. Again, all this would not have happened if Fr. Hakenewerth had not given me a clear and useful definition of empathy.

In honoring Fr. Hakenewerth, I want to thank him for being an educational leader, a man of vision, and a teacher. His words to me during his conferences formed my thinking and helped to define my mission as an educator. His influence on me has benefited countless more people. As my work with A B Ready continues, his inspiration will still have even more impact well into the future.

2011 Honoree: Fr. Father Herbert Pieper, S. M.

Written by Robert Ballinger

In early December 2010 I learned that Fr. Herbert Pieper was about to celebrate his 100th birthday on December 26. (Coincidentally, Fr. Pieper is only two days older than my wife Ginny s father.) I was so delighted to have an opportunity to tell him how much he meant to me and to write this tribute to him as the 2011 Honoree of the Rose Louise Ballinger Memorial Language Scholarship.

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/humanities/content/languages/images/Fr.Pieper.jpg

In late August, 1959, just six weeks before my fourteenth birthday, I arrived for my freshman year at Maryhurst in Kirkwood, Missouri as a postulant. Fr. Pieper was the chaplain to the 35 or so boys attending high school there. The homilies and spiritual conferences he delivered to us as a group reflected the kindness and gentleness of his personality. In addition, he met with each one of us individually once a month for Spiritual Direction.

Throughout my eight years at SS. Peter and Paul Parochial School in Merrillville, Indiana, I learned and knew that each one of us has a soul. But it was when Fr. Pieper and I met for those monthly sessions devoted to Spiritual Direction that I learned about my own individual soul.

I remember that, at the appointed time, I would knock at Fr. Pieper s office door and, when invited in, I was to greet him with "Praise be Jesus and Mary" which was a signal to me that I was entering a sacred place and time. Life at Maryhurst provided the topics for our conversations about the spirit: homilies, sermons, spiritual conferences, retreats, as well as spiritual reading, a part of every day s routine. Spiritual Direction was the chance to tie all these experiences together. Fr. Pieper helped me reflect upon those experiences. His words awakened in me an awareness of my own unique soul. I became a willing listener and eager participant in our conversations as his words found resonance within me.

In addition to the impact he had on my spirituality, Fr. Pieper s influence could be seen in the way I related to my students over my thirty-four-year career as a classroom teacher of high school French. I tried to remember that each student had a unique soul that needed nourishing as well as a mind and a body. Now that I am retired, I try to relate to family and friends in the same way. I observe the four grandchildren who live nearby and look for clues, such as generosity, empathy, and persistence, as to the nature of their spirits. I hope and pray that I can help them discover their unique souls as much as Fr. Pieper helped me to find mine.

Presently, Ginny and I are trying to effect significant educational reform in our local school district. We believe we have the expertise and experiences to help teachers and school administrators provide the district s school children with an education far superior to what they are being given now. But how do we convince people to change outmoded habits and to trust each other? After much thought and prayer, we have come to realize that the only we can deal with people of disparate views is to respect each person s individuality and unique talents. If we succeed, it will be due in large measure to lessons I learned from Father Pieper.

Faculty

Eva Bueno, Ph.D.

Languages
Chair and Professor of Spanish, Portuguese and M.O.S.
Office: Reinbolt 304
Phone: (210) 436-3738
Mail Box 53
Email: ebueno@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Doctoral degree, Hispanic Languages and Literatures, University of Pittsburgh - 1991

Eva P. Bueno studied in Brazil and in the US. She has an Master of Arts in English from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and a Doctoral degree in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of Pittsburgh. She has taught in Brazil, Japan, and in the US. Besides her teaching of Spanish and Portuguese, and chairing of the Department of Languages at St. Mary's University, Bueno writes books and essays about Latin American literature, popular culture, American Literature, film, and politics. Her essays have appeared in Criticism, Revista de literatura latinoamericana, Chasqui, and others. Her last books, published in 2012, are the co-edited volume The Woman in Latin American and Spanish Literature; Essays on Iconic Characters (Mcfarland), and Amacio Mazzaropi in the Film and Culture of Brazil; After Cinema Novo (PalgraveMacmillan). She is also a columnist in the monthly magazine Espaço Académico.

Thelma Acevedo

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Spanish
Office: Reinbolt 312
Phone: (210) 436-3167
Mail Box 53
tacevedo@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Native from Mexico, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish at St. Mary's University, San Antonio, TX and a Master of Arts in Spanish Literature at University of Texas in San Antonio. She teaches in different institutions of higher education in San Antonio. She enjoys teaching and interacting with students.

Flordelia Balite

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Japanese
Office: Reinbolt 312
Phone: (210) 436-3167
Mail Box 53
fbalite@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Delia Balite was on her senior year pursuing a bachelor's degree in math (honors) at the University of the Philippines, when she received a Japanese Government scholarship, an unexpected turn of events from what could have been a calling in pure mathematics. Immediately after receiving her bachelor's in math, she left for Tokyo, underwent an intensive language training at the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies and entered the Faculty of Business Administration of Kobe University in Japan. She then worked for a development aid project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency in the Philippines, and returned to Japan on another Japanese Government scholarship to do research at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Economics for her master's thesis in Asian Studies (major Japan). Another research would bring her back to the University of Tokyo as a Japan Foundation Fellow. She also pursued a Master's of Science in Management from London Business School, University of London. Prior to her teaching profession in the US, Ms. Balite worked for a Japanese multinational as chief of staff of the president and for a diplomatic mission in Tokyo.
She has standard certifications in teaching Japanese and math (EC-12) in the states of Texas and New Jersey. In addition to advanced proficiency level certification in Japanese from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, Delia has a First-Level (or Highest Level) Proficiency Certificate in Japanese from the Japan Foundation and the Association of International Education in Japan.
Ms. Balite has teaching experiences at Rutgers University, the state university of New Jersey, Bergen Community College and the New Brunswick Public Schools, also in New Jersey, and the North East ISD in San Antonio. At the public high school where she teaches Japanese, she sponsors the Japanese Club, which is one of the most active clubs on campus, and nurtures her students to garner accolades in statewide Japanese speech contests and prepares them for the AP Japanese exams.

Timothy Barnett, Ph.D.

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Spanish
Office: Reinbolt 302
Phone: (210) 436-3194
Mail Box 53
tbarnett@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Master of Arts and doctoral degree in Spanish Renaissance and Baroque literature, University of Alabama
Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Marketing, University of North Alabama

Barnett earned a bachelor of arts in Spanish and Marketing from the University of North Alabama, and an Master of Arts and doctoral degree in Spanish Renaissance and Baroque literature from the University of Alabama. He taught at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor before teaching at St. Mary's and has lived in Spain, Mexico and Venezuela. His research interests include Lope de Vega and the writing techniques of other Spanish comedia dramatists.

Erika Barragan

Languages
Adjunct Professor of French and Spanish
Office: Reinbolt 312
Phone: (210) 436-3167
Mail Box 53
ebarragan@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Barragan graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a teaching certification in Spanish, French and German and a Master of Arts in French from University of Arkansas. She has lived and taught in Bolivia as well as in the states of Florida and Arizona. She was an Assistant Professor of Spanish and French at Tarrant County College in the Forth Worth area before coming to St. Mary's University.

Rachel Dong

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Chinese
Office: Reinbolt 312
Phone: (210) 436-3167
Mail Box 53
rdong@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Dong, a native speaker of Chinese, earned her Bachelor of Arts in China with a major in English language and literature; and Master of Education in second languages and cultures education from the University of Minnesota. She has teaching experiences both at college and k-12 levels. Her approach to language learning emphasizes proficiency in communication skills as well as promotion of cultural awareness. She is also one of the founders of a children's English language school in Changsha, China and co-authored the 5-volume English textbook for the school. She has been teaching Mandarin Chinese at St. Mary's University since 2006.

John Gregg Hoffenkamp

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Latin
Office: Reinbolt 312
Phone: (210) 436-3167
Mail Box 53
jhoffenkamp@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

J. Gregg Hoffenkamp earned a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Greek Language and Literature from Elmhurst College, a Master of Arts in Classics at the University of Iowa, and passed his doctoral examinations at the University of Iowa. He has taught Latin and ancient Greek at Missouri State University and at the Harvey School (New York), as well as Latin, Greek and Humanities at the Latin School of Chicago. Having earned an athletic scholarship for college, he later coached football, wrestling, and lacrosse. His professional interests have taken him through extensive travels in Europe, the Mediterranean, and South America.

Mark Lokensgard, Ph.D.

Languages
Associate Professor of Portuguese and Spanish and M.O.S.
Office: Reinbolt 314
Phone: (210) 436-3231
Mail Box 53
Email: mlokensgard@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Doctoral Degree, Brown University, 1999

Mark Alan Lokensgard (Doctoral Degree, Brown University, 1999) is founder of the Portuguese program at St. Mary's. He directs the Brazil portion of the Southern Cone Studies Program and the Brazil Semester Study Program in Curitiba, Brazil. He has served as the Chair of the Department of Languages, on the Executive Council of the Brazilian Studies Association (BRASA), and as Program Chair for the Tenth Congress of BRASA (Brasília, July 2010). He has published articles on Luso-Brazilian literature and culture and on Portuguese language instruction in Letras de Hoje, Cadernos Literários Romance Notes, Portuguese Studies, the Luso-Brazilian Review, and the collection Portuguese for Spanish Speakers/Português Para Falantes de Espanhol. He also appeared on the MLA radio program "What's the Word?" to discuss modern Brazilian cinema. His translations of Brazilian poetry and prose have been published by Gávea-Brown and in the Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry (2009). He was awarded a Fulbright Lecturing Award to teach at the Center for American Studies at the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) in São Paulo, Brazil, during the spring of 2010. His current research interests are representations of the law in Brazilian literature and cinema, Theory of Mind in the humanities, and cultural competency.

Stefania Malacrida

Languages
Adjunct Professor of German
Office: Reinbolt 312
Phone: 210-436-3167
Mail Box 53
smalacrida@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Stefania Malacrida obtained a master's degree in Philosophy after two years at Ruprecht-Karls University in Heidelberg, Germany. Studying Philosophy in Germany, she had the opportunity to understand an important brick of Central-European culture and of the western identity. Teaching German, she is glad to give the same opportunity to others.

Juan Carlos Moreno, Ph.D.

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Spanish
Office: Reinbolt 302
Phone: (210) 436-3194
Mail Box 53
jmoreno14@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Native to Spain, Juan Carlos Moreno earned his Doctoral degree in Latin American Literature in the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, after completing studies in Madrid and Buenos Aires. After 8 years of teaching in Argentina, Moreno earned a degree in Theology in Fribourg. As the director of Spanish programs at Swiss Radio International, Moreno produced reports and interviews in the different countries of Latin America. Having a strong passion for education, Moreno maintained connected to the academic world conducting courses, conferences, and writing articles. Since 2004, Moreno has been resident in San Antonio. Besides teaching the current courses, he is also very interested in teaching the cultural topics in Spanish.

Elvia Quijano

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Spanish
Office: Reinbolt 312
Phone: (210) 436-3167
Mail Box 53
equijano2@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Professor Quijano hails from Nicaragua, land of lakes and volcanoes. She earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in Spanish Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles. During her time in California, she was a Lecturer at UCLA, Mount St. Mary's College and its Weekend College, Santa Monica College, and other institutions of higher education in the greater Los Angeles area. A State Certified Translator and Interpreter, she served as a Psychiatric, Medical, and Court Interpreter plus she worked in Business and Film translations. A Spanish Language Specialist of the Master Plan Teacher Training Program, she taught Spanish to teachers and administrators of the Los Angeles Unified School District and prepared them for Fluency Exams and Bilingual Certification. For personal and professional enrichment, she has travelled extensively in the U.S. and has visited Central America, Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, and Spain. Ms. Quijano has taught a variety of Spanish language courses ranging from basic grammar, composition, and conversation classes to courses in Literature, History, Gender Studies, Theatre, and Film. She is a passionate learner and facilitator of all things Hispanic. Committed to excellence, Professor Quijano strongly believes in creating a balanced learning environment where cultural exploration and language acquisition will be an enjoyable, useful, and rewarding experience.

Kathleen Rueppel

Languages
Adjunct Professor of German
Office: Reinbolt 304
Phone: (210) 436-3738
Mail Box 53
krueppel@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Rueppel, Master of Arts, Lecturer in German and Russian. Prof. Rueppel received her Bachelor of Arts from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Penn., and her Master of Arts from the University of North Dakota. In addition she studied for two years at Philipps University in Marburg, Germany. She has taught at Trinity University, the University of Texas at San Antonio and the University of Maryland. She also has several years experience teaching both German and Russian to American Military students posted in Germany. She has taught at Judson High School and the Texas Military Institute.

J'Leen Saeger, Ph.D.

Languages
Adjunct Professor of Spanish
Office: Reinbolt 302
Phone: (210) 436-3194
Mail Box 53
jsaeger@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

J'Leen Manning Saeger earned her doctoral degree in Contemporary Spanish Literature from the University of California, Riverside. She taught Spanish in California at UCR, Chaffey College and La Sierra University before relocating to Texas. She has lived in Spain, Argentina, and Costa Rica. Her research focuses on works by female authors and artists who have contributed to the recuperation of historic memory.
She also earned a Master of Arts in Spanish from the University of California, Riverside in 2006 and a Master of Arts in Education from La Sierra University in 2004.

Ian Tippets, Ph.D.

Languages
Assistant Professor, Spanish Linguistics
Office: Reinbolt 302
Phone: (210) 436-3223
Mail Box 53
Email: itippets@stmarytx.edu Full Bio Details

Ian Robert Tippets received his doctoral degree in Hispanic Linguistics from the Ohio State University in 2010. His primary research interests focus on language variation and change of morphosyntactic variables, as observed both synchronically and diachronically. Additional areas of interest for both research and teaching include sociolinguistics, dialectology and language attitudes. Tippets has had the opportunity to spend time abroad in various research and service capacities including Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala and Bolivia. These experiences have greatly contributed to his appreciation for the diversity of language and culture in the Hispanic world. Finally, he believes that a mutual tolerance of and appreciation for American football and soccer can be achieved in his lifetime.