Ted Kalivoda
Program in Foreign Language Education
Department Member from 1967-1991
Memoirs on the Language Education Department
Many years have passed since my 1967 debut at UGA as well as my 1991 retirement. Consequently, I find much of departmental life escaping me. But apparently some recollections never fade. I offer below a few of those memories that seem to have left an indelible mark on me.
Departmental Colleagueship
Prior to my coming to UGA, I was employed at two other universities that contrasted starkly with UGA. What was so different? The phenomenon of departmental colleagueship! Faculty members in UGA’s Dept. of Language Education had a unique characteristic. They saw the importance of being first-rate educators and, whether they realized it or not, their practice of collegial relationships contributed significantly to our professional expertise. I experienced that camaraderie in the laughter of mid-morning conversations at the department’s coffee table, the congenial interoffice visits we made with one another, the shared insights at productive faculty meetings, and the department’s fun-filled retreats held yearly at Unicoi State Park. They all played a huge role in creating an environment of colleagueship. That interaction resulted remarkably in cooperative professional endeavors.
I found it even truer among Foreign Language Education faculty of which I was a part. Composed of one faculty member each in French, German and Spanish (Genelle Morain, Bob Elkins, later Tom Cooper, and myself), the group worked together closely in several ways. We engaged in joint research projects, shared ideas about their potential impact, cooperatively submitted our findings for publication, and made joint presentations at state and national conferences. But best of all, we applied our learning to our classes. How precious are those memories of joint discussions on new and sometimes revolutionary teaching techniques we came up with. (The Audio-Motor Unit, a strategy we developed to teach listening comprehension in a foreign language, is still heralded nationally as a breakthrough in foreign language learning.)
On a lighter note, collegial relations at departmental retreats in Unicoi remain especially ripe in my memory. Funny things sometimes happened. For example, one year Tom Cooper and I drove together to the north Georgia site. Arriving late, we were directed to the remaining bedroom that contained one double bed to accommodate both of us. Trying to sleep without touching each other, we clung desperately to our own sides of the mattress the entire night. We laughed about it come morning, but we were so exhausted we could hardly keep awake during the day’s meetings.
Then there were those late night poker sessions at Unicoi for the guys (the women gathered together for less weighty matters). What fun! -- even though most of us were neophytes at the game. Someone (probably the guy with years of poker savvy) walked away with the pot. Fortunately, bets consisted only of pennies.
Those experiences contributed to the joy of departmental fellowship. They cemented relationships that molded us into caring human beings.
One further factor demands mention – departmental leadership, a responsibility assumed over the course of my tenure by Mary Tingle, Ramon Veal, Roy O’Donnell and Carol Fisher. Their encouragement contributed immeasurably to everyone’s professional efforts. From the beginning of my first year at the University, I was challenged to dedicate myself to research productivity.
Research
Research, of course, represents the backbone for forming defensible teaching strategies. If you will permit a bit of levity on the matter, I am compelled to relate that Baldwin Hall, the department site at the time, proved to be an ideal place to emphasize research. With our offices on the third floor, and no elevators, we chugged up the stairs to pass a window that looked down on an ancient cemetery. (I believe that cemetery still exists.) Could there have been a better reminder than that graveyard below seemingly crying out -- “publish or perish?” All of us took up the challenge for the benefit of our respective fields.
We likewise challenged each other to engage in research and publication for our own professional welfare. Several of our efforts produced national awards, to our delight as well as to the pleasure of the Department, College, and University administration.
New Quarters – New Adjustments
Following the brief Baldwin Hall sojourn, we moved to our new location -- Aderhold Hall. Wow – a mammoth building housing the University’s entire education faculty. At first, we found it a bit overwhelming; it was remote from the hubbub of north campus and a busy downtown area we were used to. But no matter. Our offices were now on the first floor. No more stair climbing. And on top of it all, if we wanted to go up or down, there were escalators!
Aderhold was close to a cafeteria (the name I can’t remember) and to the dining room of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Only two blocks from Aderhold, each afforded quick access to lunch. However, with salaries hardly earth-shaking, Roy O’Donnell and I, when not brown bagging, would frequent the cafeteria where we each ordered three vegetables for the magnificent sum of 60 cents. I guess we thought we were carrying over a life of academic discipline to the financial scene. We did sometimes splurge, however, along with other colleagues, by dining at the Georgia Center – a nice experience, but infrequent because we considered it “expensive.”
International Efforts
A further adventure comes to mind, this time one more attuned to the teaching scene. Being the department’s Spanish methodologist, I was asked to teach an off-campus course for Cuban immigrants who had been teachers in Cuba but were now seeking Georgia certification. I remember my weekly trek to Macon to hold the tiring four-hour class sessions. But the effort was worth it. The Cubans, of course, were fluent Spanish speakers, but they were woefully inadequate in their methodology for teaching Spanish to Americans. But what bright and eager learners they were. Seeing them blossom into first-rate teachers made me proud of the whole endeavor.
Another memory along the lines of internationalism centered on the Department’s study abroad program. In 1970 I initiated what I believe was UGA’s first formal association with Spain -- an overseas endeavor for Spanish teachers. Ramon Veal, department head at the time, greatly encouraged and supported the effort. Held at the University of Valencia, the program gave teachers first-hand experience with the Spanish language and culture while at the same time demonstrated how they could effectively apply those elements to the classroom. It supported my personal philosophy on the importance of conducting Spanish classes in Spanish, not English, a strategy not practiced then and unfortunately still not a reality in many classrooms today. Little wonder why students today still apologetically say, “I took two years of high school Spanish and can’t say a word.”
The Spain experience likewise allowed teachers to share insights with their students on cross-cultural understanding they had gained through personal experience. How often did program participants contact me in ensuing years to tell me how much the overseas experience had influenced their teaching careers. The study abroad program was a tiny beginning, but one in which a forward-looking department entered the international scene, an environment that now flourishes nationwide in U.S. colleges and universities.
Over time, UGA’s international efforts blossomed in many ways. One notable thrust was Language Education’s vision to create an English as a second language (ESL) program. The American Language Program (ALP) came into being as the department joined the Georgia Center for Continuing Education to offer intensive language instruction (five hours daily) to foreign students. Since I spearheaded the effort, the department asked me to chair the program, which I did for seven years. Hundreds of students from all over the world attribute their university education and later success in life to the ALP.
UGA’s Language Education Department – a body of educators with vision, determination and dedication. We lent our expertise for the benefit of Americans and internationals world wide. But for me personally, the Department provided an atmosphere that helped mold this professor into a caring and productive academician. I will always cherish the fond memories of those past days.
Retired Faculty Stories Ted Kalivoda |
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