Norman -Norman – The Southwest Conference on Language Teaching has named Jessica Stowell, director of the Oklahoma Institute for Teaching East Asia and associate director of the University of Oklahoma Confucius Institute on the OU-Tulsa campus, the winner of the Friend of the Profession Award. Stowell received the award at the SWCOLT’s annual conference held in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February.
Stowell said in her acceptance speech, “This I believe: communication opens doors; communication in a second language opens more doors; communication in Mandarin Chinese opens golden doors!”
The Friend of the Profession Award recognizes an individual or organization not directly involved in the teaching of second languages that has made a significant contribution to the profession. The recipient must have provided notable support of the development and promotion of the study of the second language in his or her community or region and must reside in the SWCOLT region.
“Dr. Stowell is remarkable,” writes Desa Dawson, American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages board member and Stowell’s nominator. “Since 1985, Jessica worked to internationalize curriculum at Tulsa Community College. When she came to the University of Oklahoma in 2000, her main goal was to provide professional development about East Asia for teachers. That led to study trips to Asia for teachers, principals, higher education deans, legislators and eventually, Oklahoma’s governor Brad Henry and Mrs. Henry.”
She has received bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Oklahoma City University, the University of Arkansas and Oklahoma State University and engaged in post-doctoral study at the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii. She has studied and traveled extensively in China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. Her professional activities include publishing numerous articles on East Asian communication, editing a textbook on Chinese culture, producing an educational video series on communication and presenting national and international speaking engagements on communication and Asian topics. She is affiliated professionally with the Tulsa Global Alliance, Association for Asian Studies and National Communication Association, among others.
Stowell has initiated teacher exchange programs that have resulted in the establishment of Chinese classes in 39 different schools with more than 4,000 students enrolled. She also worked with the city of Tulsa to start a Chinese immersion program in that city’s public schools this year.
“Jessica is invaluable to the Confucius Institute at OU,” says Paul B. Bell Jr., dean of OU’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Her dedication to advancing the teaching of Chinese language and to promoting deeper understanding between Oklahoma and China is helping to enhance both education and economic growth.”
The Southwest Conference on Language Teaching is a regional foreign language teachers’ organization that hosts an annual conference in partnership with state foreign language teacher associations. The participating states in SWCOLT are Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah.
The purposes of the organization include disseminating and publicizing information, data and materials that promote, develop and enhance the study and teaching of languages together with their literatures and cultures; recognizing and publicizing excellence in second language study and teaching; promoting the work and interest of state language organizations; and cooperating with state, national and international organizations whose purpose is to enhance second language study and teaching. For more information, visit their Web site at www.swcolt.org.
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