World Languages and Cultures
News and Events
Upcoming Events
World Languages and Cultures Open House
When: October 2, 2025
Where: TBA
Join us for the annual Fall Open House to welcome new and returning World Languages Wildcats! Usually scheduled within the first three weeks of classes, the Open House is a community building event that brings together language students who are just starting their language journeys, their senior peers, affiliated student clubs, and World Languages and Cultures (WLC) faculty. The event features games and prizes, international potluck and meet-and-greet activities.
Fall Open House 2024. Over 75 students and faculty, student clubs, and International Studies and Programs representatives attended.
Good news!
Congratulations to our faculty and students!
Japanese Students Win 42nd Washington State Japanese Speech Contest College Division Level 1
Congratulations to the Japanese students! Calina Lin won First Place and participated in a special award ceremony in Seattle (pictured). But that's not all! Janelle Showalter and Dominic Showalter both won Second and Third Place respectively. What a great honor - congratulations to all! おめでとお! よく でき ました！
Japanese Program is Awarded a Grant from the Japan Foundation
Congratulations to Professors Junyuan Chen and Yoko Allen! Japanese program at CWU was awarded $14,000 grant from the Japan Foundation for the AY 2025-2026. Great things ahead for our Japanese program and students!
Dr. Taralynn Petrites to Lead ASL Interpreter Education Efforts in WA
Congratulations to our Deaf and Sign Language Studies (DSLS) Coordinator, Dr. Taralynn Petrites! Washington state Office of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (ODHH) has selected Dr. Petrites to lead research and development of a comprehensive educational pathway from K-12 to Post-Bac for ASL Interpreter Training in Washington State. In 2020 Dr. Petrites created Deaf and Sign Language Studies at CWU, the only BA in ASL in our state, and is now lending her expertise to address shortages of ASL interpreters in WA to support our local Deaf, DeafBlind and Hard of Hearing community and ensure that students in our state have opportunities to become certified ASL interpreters. Community-based scholarship is an integral part of our mission for accessible education for all - congratulations, Taralynn, and good luck with the project!
Dr. Petrites and Ivan Alfaro, the first Deaf student to graduate with Deaf and Sign Language Studies BA from CWU in 2023. Photo and story from Columbia Basin Herald.
CWU News
$4 million federal grant aimed at helping with school psychologist shortage
February 25, 2026 by Marketing and Communications
CWU Disability Services aims to provide equitable access to education
February 23, 2026 by Rune Torgersen