French majors represent study abroad program at 5th Annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capital

Morgantown, W.Va., January 16, 2008: French students Megan Hoover and Lindsey Daugherty will present research from the WVU-V program in Vendee, France, at the 5th Annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Capital in Charleston, W.Va. on Jan. 31.

Undergraduate Research Day at the Capital is an opportunity for the West Virginia higher education community to ensure the State government that undergraduate research funding is important, appreciated and in need of continuing support. Members of the State Legislature and Executive Branch provide a substantial amount of funding to various programs from Anthropology to Woman’s Studies. This event allows them to understand the importance of the research they fund by talking directly to students through a poster session.

“Our presentation focuses on the importance of total immersion in a foreign country allowing us to completely understand and comprehend all that the French culture and language entails,” said Megan Hoover. “We will also emphasize our use of technology by displaying vodcasts containing still photos, sound recordings and video of interaction with citizens and historical attractions.” Both Hoover and Daugherty researched Vendee’s education, urban planning, shopping, recreational activities, health care systems and pharmacies, and family relations.

WVU-V is a five-week summer program in Vendee, France, a small fishing and resort town on the Atlantic coast. The program is an opportunity for 15 advanced students of French to improve their language skills and gain a better understanding of the region’s culture while exploring the geography and history of the region from prehistoric stone structures to modern day life in Western Europe. By living with host families each student can more easily interact with native speakers, shop at local markets, and interview community members and professionals.

“Our program allows students to explore the cultural resources of small town French life as opposed to intense programs for American students at large universities where it is often more difficult to get in contact with the true French culture,” said Dr. Valerie Lastinger, professor of foreign languages and creator of the program.

Students earn six hours of credit through three four-hour morning classes and two field trips a week, overnight excursions and vocabulary discussions. They also divide into groups of three to four and create video productions through the use of laptops, digital cameras and recorders provided by the Office of Extended Learning. At the end of the program, students are evaluated on linguistics and pronunciation, narration, and the cultural content, originality and subtitles of their video productions.

“Since I have returned back to the states, I am always excited to tell others about my journey abroad and what better way than to participate in an event like this,” said Hoover.

Students are selected to participate in the Undergraduate Research Day at the Capital by electronically submitting abstracts of their research, along with a letter of recommendation from their mentor. Up to three students may present one project and undergraduates from both public and private institutions are encouraged to apply. Criteria for selection includes quality and diversity of the project, geographical distribution, diversity of student backgrounds and readability of the abstract.

The WVU-V program is funded through the Department of Foreign Languages in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of International Programs and the Office of Extended Learning.

For more information about the WVU-V study abroad program, contact Dr. Valerie Lastinger at vlasting@wvu.edu. To learn more about the Undergraduate Research Day at the Capital, go to http://www.marshall.edu/urdc.

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