Carlos’ translated articles will appear in the “” section of The Montclarion website. The first translated article is our story on the cultural impact of Bad Bunny’s Super Halftime show. We are also planning to publish original stories written in Spanish that will then be translated into English.

Thanks to , Chair of the Department of Spanish and Latin Studies; , Internship Coordinator at CHSS; and , Director of Career Services at CCOM for their work on creating this new internship.

Learn more:Ěý

For the final project in Audio Description (), students had the option to collaborate with their peers to create a script to describe a theatrical piece to a real audience. The course, taught by , has staged four previous projects, but this was the first to take on a musical—a new challenge that required nearly two months of preparation. Dr. García Vizcaíno noted that the experience was both fun and highly productive, giving students an invaluable hands-on learning opportunity.

Creating Inclusive and Engaging Theater

Preparation for audio describing La Llamada began with students going to the Repertorio Español to experience the show live. The Repertorio also provided a video of the performance, which students used for rehearsals. With 11 students participating, the script was divided into equal sections. During practice sessions, students collaborated to edit and refine each section until deciding on a final script.

This collaboration between Montclair and the Repertorio Español has allowed theater arts to become accessible to many more people. “After several years promoting these special performances, we have seen how important it is to open our doors to everyone and facilitate the access to plays and musicals without any barrier,” said Rafael Sánchez, Director of La Llamada and the Repertorio Español.

When asked about the importance of making art accessible, Anne Marsac, one of the students involved said, “It’s important because it reaches so many more people…It can be for all people because you can experience art in all different ways.” The audio description for them “was a cool experience because you had to be efficient with your words to best describe what the audience was seeing.”

Audio describing a musical presented unique challenges, so the team developed creative strategies to keep the narration engaging. While audio descriptions are usually usually given in a monotone voice, the students “broke the rule a little,” as Dr. García Vizcaíno explained, adding subtle shifts in tone to convey drama, laughter, and moments of mystery throughout the performance.

“One strategy was to choose words that were comical…The audience isn’t going to expect you to say that swear word or that irreverent adjective and it’s going to provoke humor,” said Dr. GarcĂ­a VizcaĂ­no.

The dancing is an essential part of the story and also needed to be carefully described. Dr. Raul Galoppe, who was teaching about translating Broadway musicals into Spanish during the Spring semester, collaborated on this project and supported the team during the live performance.Ěý He assisted with sound and guided the team describing dance sequences, helping students describe the dancing while allowing room for the music to shine through.

“You have to be very succinct in how you’re going to interject the description of the actions,” said Dr. Galoppe.

Pre-Show Experience

This project also includes a pre-show tactile experience which allows the blind and low vision audience members to feel key components of the production. “Sometimes, due to the tech specs of the productions, a tactile experience may be easier for the productions. But in the case of “La Llamada“, we had the chance to bring everyone on stage before the performance to have a real idea of space size, elements, materials, textures and colors,” said Director Sánchez.

The audience members were able to touch key objects, furniture and walk through where the band was set up. “In the case of La Llamada, where we have transformed the whole theatre into a cabin in the woods, including the sound environment, I think it helps everyone to feel part of the story they are experiencing,” said Director Sánchez.

Dr. García Vizcaíno has expressed great interest in continuing this program with the help of the Repertorio Español. Working to elevate communities and make theater arts accessible to everyone is just one of the incredible things students of the CHSS do.

Written by Vivvy Gundani

The career opportunities for students learning world languages range immensely, even for those with only a few years of exposure. Students who have taken one of the 14 languages at Montclair alongside other studies are using their skills in fields from the arts to the sciences, from business to the humanities and health or social science fields. With the recent launch of the public Montclair CHILL – Career Hub for International Language Learning, students can explore career applications for their languages at any point in their college experience.

The launch on December 11 brought together faculty, advisors, administrators, career counselors, study abroad officers, Modern Language Association representatives, and students, all of whom explored this new online resource, received career advising on how to foreground their languages, and entered raffles to win internationally themed prizes. A particular highlight of the hub is the collection of Languages on the Job videos made by recent graduates who use their languages in fields ranging from IT to manga editing, HR and beyond.

Students can also experiment with finding a fit for their own personal interests with the . Here, they can learn about a variety of jobs that require or encourage language knowledge or proficiency, including positions as international admissions counselor, change management team member, court interpreter, online content editor for gaming sites, and dozens more across fields.

Montclair offers an innovative Language, Business & Culture interdisciplinary major with a capstone international experience. In addition, many students also choose to pursue a language as part of a double major or minor, or add on a faculty-led, summer, or semester-long study abroad experience in addition to their world language requirement to demonstrate their international flair.

Having explored another language shows employers in any field that you are ready to speak to partners on their terms and ready to manage new cultural situations.

At the launch, faculty members and College of Humanities and Social Sciences Career Services representatives reminded students of the importance of highlighting multilingual experiences on their resumés, and of connecting with alumni. They emphasized that language exploration reflects professional readiness, demonstrating cognitive flexibility, resourcefulness, and the ability to build bridges with collaborators here and abroad.

A faculty member told students, “New Jersey is so diverse. On the one hand, we have many immigrant groups here who need health, justice, and education professionals comfortable working in their languages. And at the same time, we are home to so many large and expanding international businesses where our students with language skills can make special connections with managers and international clients.” Students applying for positions in these fields attract supervisors’ attention when they bring language skills to the table.

The CHILL website shares the stories of recent graduates using their language skills to facilitate internal communications at Audi, to recruit international students at colleges, to work abroad in their expert fields, and more. Professor Elizabeth Emery, who served as Principal Investigator on the Modern Language Association Pathways Grant that helped fund this grant, notes that this launch is only the beginning: “So many doors open for graduates with language knowledge–even just a few semesters of a language–and so many Montclair students have amazing language skills, that we hope that these tools will help students and advisors showcase their talents. Visualizing the paths taken by recent graduates also helps make it much less scary to plan for the job search!”

Students can meet to discuss how to use their languages with career advisors at the College for the Humanities and Social Sciences any time. The CHILL website is publicly accessible and will continue to serve as a career resource for students with language skills across all majors.

Curious what 14 languages Montclair teaches? Click here to find out!

Hearing from Indigenous groups has “double meaning for students because maybe they’re not directly connected to the community but it’s like their neighbors in their country of origin or their parents or their grandparents,” says Calarota-Ninman, “that’s why I wanted to do it with this class specifically.”

She says the class goes beyond grammar and speech. “It’s building a bridge between who they are here in the United States and their heritage,” she says. “Many of them are born here and may lose contact with their past. So, in the class what I do is try to empower them, helping them understand that their bilingualism and their biculturalism is a gift and it’s precious.”

Rising sophomore Psychology major Andrea Cerna says she enrolled in the class to improve her communication skills. “I wanted to learn how to communicate better in Spanish with my family members,” she says.

Cerna, who is of Peruvian descent, says she learned from Indigenous speakers from Ecuador that the Indigenous languages of the two countries – quechua and Quichua or Kichwa – are quite similar.

She also says she was sad to hear from the group that because they are among the first to live in the U.S., their “whole tradition is not expressed here in the United States and even within the Hispanic community.”

“I found it very impactful,” she says.

Visitors from different Indigenous groups address Antonella Calarota-Ninman’s class.

Danny Tarifa-Ramirez, a rising junior Film and Television major of Venezuelan descent, says he, too, appreciated the discussion about keeping traditions and culture alive even as Indigenous groups also adapt to societal and technological changes. “They talked about how they have astrological apps for understanding harvests; I think that’s a good way they use technology for the benefit of their communities.”

As a Spanish speaker, Tarifa-Ramirez says he was able to focus on learning linguistics and different Latin American cultures and cultural contexts. “The cultural references and how they vary from country to country, that was definitely important to me.”

As part of the class final, the students produced oral history projects. Cerna interviewed a Peruvian nurse about her career in various countries before her arrival in the U.S. Tarifa-Ramirez interviewed a Guatemalan and Venezuelan musician about “how his culture influenced his artistry and how his music is influenced by his culture.”

The projects are likely to become a part of Hola Montclair State (Historia Oral de los Latinos y Archivo digital) [https://holamontclairstate.org], which was launched last year by an interdisciplinary group with faculty from the Spanish and Latino Studies, Sociology, and Teaching and Learning departments. HOLA is “essential to preserve Indigenous cultures, languages and traditions, as well as stories of the Latino communities on campus and in New Jersey,” Calarota-Ninman says.

This collaborative effort began in 2023, when Calarota-Ninman invited a group of 12 Indigenous leaders from the various groups, including Kichwa, Tlapanec, Mije and Mam, to be interviewed by her Spanish 135 students and be part of the oral history project. Calarota-Ninman says the day was very meaningful for her and the students, who learned about the group’s stories, cultures, traditions and struggles.

“I decided to continue the collaboration with these leaders who have a lot to share and to teach,” Calarota-Ninman says. “Informing our community about this collaboration with leaders of different Hispanic Indigenous communities is very important. It will not only awaken interest in those students who are descendants of these groups but also will enrich our community with their knowledge and wonderful culture.”

Spanish Language Coordinator Antonella Calarota-Ninman, second from left, poses with Indigenous members who shared their experiences and language with her students.

Story by University Communications Staff Writer Sylvia A. Martinez. Photos courtesy of Antonella Calarota-Ninman.

Senior Jurisprudence, Law and Society major Nayelis Fernandez credits the Spanish for Law Enforcement class with helping her during her summer internship with a law firm. “It gave me a lot of confidence,” she says.

“When I started school, I really wasn’t speaking Spanish outside of my home, so I thought the class would challenge me, especially since I want to become an immigration attorney,” says Fernandez, who has since been hired as a legal assistant at the firm where she interned. “Even though the class was specifically for law enforcement, more on the criminal side, I really learned a lot. It challenged me, and it helped me with writing and speaking better.”

Fernandez says the class, taught by adjunct professor Mayra Badillo, not only helped her learn legal terms in Spanish but also maintain a certain level of professionalism. “Professor Badillo challenged us to speak as though we were working for a police department, so we would have to practice giving speeches to the community,” she says, adding that she expects the class to continue to assist her as she moves toward her goal of becoming an immigration lawyer.Ěý “I want to be the voice for and help those people because they have no idea what the law is, and with immigration law, it’s constantly changing.”

Spanish for Law Enforcement is the most recent career-focused class added to the Spanish department’s roster, says Antonella Calarota-Ninman, Spanish language coordinator for the Spanish and Latino Studies department. There is also Spanish for Health Practitioners. Other classes, such as Spanish for Heritage Speakers, Spanish for Teachers and Spanish and International Business have been offered for some time; the latter by the Feliciano School of Business for many years.

While the department offers a robust roster of Spanish courses, including Negotiation Skills in Spanish, certificates in translation and interpreting and many classes for heritage speakers, Calarota-Ninman says she routinely tells students about the career-specific classes. “Imagine how useful it would be for you to satisfy a language requirement with a class that prepares you for your profession,” she says.

The Spanish for Law Enforcement class consists primarily of Justice Studies majors, says Badillo, a former lawyer in France and the Dominican Republic, who created the curriculum. She says her classes, numbering 30, consist of students interested in becoming police officers, lawyers and social workers. She presents them with real-life scenarios where they role-play and give people instructions in Spanish.

Badillo, who is married to a retired police officer, says speaking or understanding Spanish can mean the difference between life and death. “It’s important to speak Spanish when you are in the field of law enforcement.”

Adjunct professor Abigail Fana has Montclair Spanish courses to thank for her career at the University. Fana graduated with a BA in English, minors in Linguistics and Spanish and a certificate in Translation in 2020 and a master’s in Spanish and a certificate in Interpreting in 2022. While a teaching assistant working on her master’s, Fana started workshops where she led around 300 students per week in Spanish oral communication. Those workshops continue biweekly to this day with both professors and teaching assistants splitting duties.

When a Spanish professor left the University, Fana was asked to teach and has now taught Spanish I for three semesters. She’s also currently teaching Translation I while a professor is on sabbatical. While other opportunities have arisen, she is happy teaching Spanish I. “I feel like I can make a bigger difference teaching Spanish I and encouraging students, emphasizing how important it is, teaching them culture and things like that,” Fana says.

Fana also co-led the Spanish interpretation for Montclair’s first Spanish simulcast of Commencement this year with her friend Richard Solis ’23 MA, whose master’s is also in Spanish.

“There were good, positive reviews,” she says, noting that the three ceremonies racked up almost 6,000 views despite not being advertised. “This is really great because it was the first time that they had ever done this, and it really helped people because there are so many Hispanics,” she says. Fana isĚý hoping for even more listeners during the 2024 Commencement, for which she will be interpreting.

Meanwhile, she and Solis are currently working on another first – translating the University’s website, beginning with the FAQ pages – “also a pretty big, important step,” she says.

In addition to the many course offerings by the Spanish and Latino Studies department, Montclair also has a Spanish journalism class, Reportando las Noticias. The class is unusual in that it is available to all majors.

“It’s open to the campus community, so anybody can take the class,” says Thomas Franklin, an associate professor in the School of Communication and Media. “No matter what your major is, what your area of interest is, and no matter what your language proficiency is, we welcome everybody.”

The class, which started in 2019 after two students pitched the idea, is offered in the spring semester. “The idea is that most people speak or understand some Spanish, and the competency in Spanish varies quite a bit,” says Franklin, who co-leads the class with a Spanish-language media professional. While much of the class is in English, “there was a good amount of Spanish spoken and instruction in both languages.”

Translation News Service

Also employing both English and Spanish is the , a project of Montclair’s Center for Cooperative Media made possible through a $75,000 grant from New Jersey Civic Information Consortium (NJCIC). Now in its second year, the service provides translation of English-language news articles into Spanish for publication in Spanish-language publications.

The service was piloted with funding from the Democracy Fund and the NJCIC in 2020 prior to the presidential election with election-related content translated in Spanish to help increase “voter participation in the Latino community,” says Anthony Advincula, the ethnic and community media coordinator at the Center for Cooperative Media. It started with seven English- and Spanish-language media partners.

What the participating news organizations discovered, he says, is that there was value in translating other stories as well. “The Spanish-language news outlets don’t have the same resources that the mainstream media have to cover these stories,” Advincula says, “So, it became all types of stories – from breaking news to investigative news, rather than just election-related content.”

Today, the translation service boasts 12 English- and Spanish-language media partners. They include: NorthJersey.com, NJ Advance Media/NJ.com, Asbury Park Press, Press of Atlantic City, NJ Spotlight News/NJ PBS, Front Runner New Jersey, The Latino Spirit, New Jersey Hispano, Americano Newspaper, CATA Radio and Reporte Hispano.

“The main goal of this is really to narrow that information gap because we realize that there’s still language barriers in the Latino communities and a lack of nuanced and informed reporting from their language and perspective,” Advincula says.

New Jersey Hispano Editor Maricarmen Amado says the service has been helpful to her digital and print newspaper. “The stories have been prepared for larger newspapers with larger teams, resulting in stories with more depth,” she says, adding that the feedback from Spanish readers has been positive.

Given her journalistic background, Amado translates the stories. “It’s easy for me to understand and translate,” she says. “It’s not just translated but written in the way that Hispanics speak.”

The largest beneficiary of the translation services “is our community,” Amado says.

Story by Staff Writer Sylvia A. Martinez. Photos by University Photographer Mike

Peters.

Live Audio Description is the process in which audience members listen through an earphone and special receiver to a narration that describes the relevant visual elements of a performance without intruding on the dialogue of the performers. This narrator is usually somewhere in the theater watching the play through a live feed. It is a process that makes live performance accessible to those with visual impairments.

What separates this project from other live audio descriptions is that it is specifically designed for the visually impaired Spanish speaking community within New Jersey and New York.

This is the fourth year that the Department has partnered with Repertorio Español and Resident Director Leyma López. The relationship has been led by Dr. María José García Vizcaíno, the current Chair and Associate Professor of the Department. García-Vizcaíno is a trailblazer, being the first professor to offer a course in Spanish Audio Description (SPAN429), not only here at Montclair State but across all universities within the United States.

The process of audio-describing La dama boba took the students three and a half months to complete. They began by dividing the script and each writing their own audio descriptions, then meeting weekly as a group to provide feedback and rehearse their script. For this play, this year the team benefited from the expertiseĚý of Dr. Galoppe, MSU professor whose area of research is precisely Spanish Golden Age theater. Thanks to his collaboration and involvement on this project, students were more conversant with 17th century terminology and contextual information necessary for the audio description.

There is also a unique feature that these students provide – a pre-show tactile experience. While hearing the described performance is important, it is also crucial to feel key elements of the production itself.

This year, the students created a miniature version of the stage, including a teaching map that one of the characters uses. This map had letters, and the students provided two versions, one with foam letters and the other in braille. They also provided a 17th-century-styled costume dress that included a ruffled collar, corset, hoop skirt, and intricate fabric, helping audience members envision the costumes of the play.

It is a very unique experience that we hope to continue. We hope to be able to provide audio description for more theaters across New Jersey and further advance accessibility.
– García-Vizcaíno

Registration begins Thursday, November 3rd, please visit Nest

These workshops would not be possible without the leadership of Dr. Antonella Calarota-Ninman and the help of three new facilitators this semester: Marta Berrocal, Elisa Michel, and Cristina Moricete.

COIL is an international virtual exchange program that promotes international and intercultural experiences by engaging students and professors to work collaboratively on projects and discussions.Ěý Our students, working in small groups, were engaged in an Oral History project for over a month during which time they interviewed family members and built stories of different Hispanic communities with the goal of knowing more about their origins as well as creating bridges between families in Mexico and those who’ve emigrated to New Jersey. Students could spot similarities and differences and were amazed by how many details of their past they did not know before. The final results of their project were shared in a Podcast episode format.

The successful completion of the COIL project in this course granted each student an international digital badge and also left them with new international friendships.