I love languages.

I love learning them, I love seeing the light shine in someone's eyes when they learn something new. I love to think strategically about how to teach language, using the latest tools and technology, but most of all, I love how they illuminate the culture of the people that speak them, and by learning a language, bridges of peace are created - that are not easily broken.

This is why I love my job.

I work at the Center for Language Study, at Yale University and as a "Faculty Liaison" I help language teachers here on campus use and incorporate the latest technology, along with the latest language pedagogy
to teach their students.

One of the languages I work with is Arabic, which I am privileged to do, given the importance of Arabic in this present time.

Recently an Arabic class is working on the first student-produced video project ever, in the Arabic Department (NELC).  This is a first of many firsts for Yale (scroll down mid-page).

The group of two students, that I helped out in the process, were not just any students, but both are non-traditional students from Israel, one of which I know has worked for a number of years working to advocate for the rights of Palestinians in Israel.

At the CLS we're just starting to support student multimedia projects like this, so they created a 8 minute video dialog, with 5 scenes, all using the camera built-in to an iMac in the student computer lab, creatively re-positioning it to create the illusion of different scenes, and adding a jazz soundtrack effectively throughout, and burned it to DVD.

When I watched it, I was tearing up, not just because of what I saw, but what it represents. Passionate people who want to break down walls by to tangibly growing  and learning the language of their "adversary" and by doing so, gaining skills by which they can more effectively reach out and be agents of peace in the Middle East.

They are heading back to Israel after this class ends, in a week. My thoughts and prayers will be with them.

May each of us have as much courage as they do to make this world a better place.

Shalom. M'asselema.

~Jeremy