Preview: Power of Language Week 2025

By: Phuc Ngo ’27

Sixty countries are represented in Wesleyan’s community, and over 70 languages spoken.

This rich diversity of language and culture is the focus of the third annual Power of Language Week (POL) at Wesleyan. From Feb. 13 to 21, the Fries Center for Global Studies, in partnership with the Office of International Student Affairs, the Resource Center, and several academic departments, is hosting a series of events that celebrate the history of language and multilingual students—from language learners to heritage speakers to international students.

“Language is something that we use not only to communicate, but to convey art, to convey emotion,” said Thais García Bagué ’23, Global Language and Outreach Fellow at the Language Resource Center. “I hope that all of these events emphasize that people should be thinking about language more.”

The week kicks off on Feb. 13 with the FLTA Carnival, hosted by the Foreign Language Teaching Assistants and Fries Center staff, where students can play board and parlor games from around the world. “POL gives people the opportunity to connect by learning about each other’s backgrounds in a way that goes beyond stereotypes and media portrayals, highlighting which aspects people care about the most and how they personally relate to them,” said Julia Gardner ’25.

Alongside events where students will share their culture with other students, there are also opportunities for faculty to share their expertise with students outside of the classroom. For example, Valeria López Fadul, assistant professor of History and Latin American Studies, will give a talk on her recently published book The Cradle of Words, which outlines the ways languages served as an archive of local knowledge for the human and natural history of the Americas in the Spanish empire.

“Events like the ones during Power of Language Week are a great opportunity to expand your worldview beyond what’s accessible to you just from coursework,” Gardner said. She will run an event on immersive language programs for prospective study abroad students.

There are also several events that represent the languages of domestic students. “We have such a huge diversity of languages that aren’t foreign languages on campus,” noted García Bagué, “like American Sign Language or African American Vernacular English.”

At the ASL Karaoke and Poetry Night, scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 20, students can learn to transcribe, or ‘gloss,’ and perform their favorite songs or poems in American Sign Language. Similarly, a listening party for Puerto Rican reggaetón artist Bad Bunny’s most recent album release DeBí TiRAR MáS FOTos, scheduled for 7 p.m. on Feb. 15, aims to address issues of colonialism and gentrification in Puerto Rico.

POL, then, is a unique opportunity to call attention to and celebrate heritage speakers, regional dialects, and sign languages. Whereas International Education Week is a federal government initiative observed by several universities across the country, POLW is a Wesleyan-exclusive event. “I think that’s really cool,” commented García Bagué, “especially in a time where heritage language is a lot less likely to be celebrated due to the political climate.”

“I’m really excited to see all of the events and learn more about other cultures,” said Calista Huang ’25, an Art Studio and History major with a minor in Art History.