Barbara Kosta's Talk at UVG

Presentation: Using Film to Teach English Language and Culture

Guest Speaker: Dr. Barbara Kosta, Professor of German at the University of Arizona

Location: Aula Virtual, Universidad del Valle-Altiplano

Time: April 1, 16:00-17:00

Barbara Kosta, one of my oldest dearest friends (our friendship dates back to 1973, our junior year in Munich ), came to visit me in Guatemala. She gave a very stimulating well-received talk at the Universidad del Valle (UVG) about using film to teach English language and culture. She is actually a full professor of German at the University of Arizona but because her specialization is in German film studies, she was able to apply her knowledge and teaching experience to an EFL setting. In her presentation, she showed participating English teachers how they can enhance cultural awareness as well as motivate students to practice all four skills with the aid of a film, in this case, "Night at the Museum," a 2006 American adventure comedy based on a 1993 children's book by Milan Trenc. All teachers from UVG attended the talk as well as the well-known local author Richard Morgan Szybist of the Lake Atitlan Reference Guide and Fables and Other Mayan Tales of Atitlan. Richard has a special connection to the University of Arizona because that is where he completed his graduate studies in Latin American affairs in 1992.