{"212751":{"#nid":"212751","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Comfort Takes Spanish Students into Community","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVolunteering for nonprofits such as the Latin American Association or La Amistad. Interning with local organizations that serve Atlanta\u2019s Latino community. These probably aren\u2019t the activities that come to mind when you think about college Spanish classes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWelcome to Kelly Comfort\u2019s approach to teaching Spanish \u2014 with a service learning twist.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cRather than learn about speakers of the language, I want my students to learn with speakers of the language,\u201d said Comfort, associate professor of Spanish in the School of Modern Languages. \u201cThis approach blurs the lines between serving and learning, giving and receiving, and experience and education.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EComfort attributes her interest in service learning to teaching English as a Second Language courses as an undergraduate student.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDoing this helped me speak Spanish fluently, but it also taught me the value of interacting and working with people from other cultures,\u201d she said. \u201cI learned so much beyond the walls of a classroom, and I want to provide opportunities for my students to have the same experiences.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince arriving at Georgia Tech in 2005, Comfort has developed or revised three courses for students that integrate learning language with community outreach. In SPAN 4150, Spanish Service Learning in the Hispanic Community, students design their own community service projects and commit to 30 volunteer hours during the semester. The course focuses on the Hispanic immigrant experience.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESPAN 4251, Hispanic Community Internship, places students in 60-hour internships with local businesses or organizations that work with the area\u2019s Latino community. SPAN 4500, Intercultural Seminar, is a revised senior capstone course that integrates community outreach, roundtable discussions with Hispanic community leaders, and case study projects about the problems and challenges faced by the local Hispanic immigrant community.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIt\u2019s a bit like studying abroad without ever having to leave Atlanta,\u201d said Comfort, who received Georgia Tech\u2019s 2013 Innovation in Co-Curricular Education and Class of 1940 W. Howard Ector Outstanding Teacher awards. \u201cI love how this approach allows students to hone their language skills, while they learn about diversity and civic engagement.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERead on to learn more about Comfort and her time at Georgia Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat did you want to be when you were a kid?\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EFirst, I wanted to be an actress, and then I wanted to be a broadcast journalist. But as a junior in college, I decided to change majors and shifted to international studies and comparative literature. To be in comparative lit, you had to know two languages, which led me to Spanish.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHow did you arrive at Georgia Tech?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003EThis is actually the job I took right after graduate school. My parents live in Peachtree City, and I was fascinated by how the School of Modern Languages was teaching Spanish in very useful ways, so coming here just made sense.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell us about your research.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EI focus on the intersection between Latin American and European literature from about 1880 to 1910 and have looked at topics such as the changing role of art and the artist at this time, and the interaction between aesthetics and economics. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat have you learned from your students?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003ESince my students have studied abroad or are from a number of Spanish-speaking countries, I\u2019m always learning new words and phrases that are unique to specific areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your favorite spot on campus?\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EThe International House, which is a ThinkBig Living and Learning Community (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/enrichment.gatech.edu\/thinkbig\u0022 title=\u0022http:\/\/enrichment.gatech.edu\/thinkbig\u0022\u003Ehttp:\/\/enrichment.gatech.edu\/thinkbig\u003C\/a\u003E). I\u2019m a little biased because I\u2019m the faculty director, but it\u2019s the place on campus where I wish I could live if I were a student. The I-House is a place where students from all backgrounds \u2014 international and not \u2014 live together. It\u2019s a place that combines my love for language, culture, and learning. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWhere do you like to have lunch?\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EI\u2019m a fan of Osteria Del Figo, and I always order the lasagna.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETell us something unique about yourself.\u003C\/strong\u003E \u003Cbr \/\u003EYears ago, I swam a marathon in 16 hours, which was something that a swimming coach made me do. Recently, I did my first triathlon to get back into shape after having two kids. I really like the mental challenge that\u2019s involved.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVolunteering for nonprofits such as the Latin American Association or La Amistad or interning with local organizations that serve Atlanta\u2019s Latino community - these probably are not the activities that come to mind when you think about college Spanish classes.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Volunteering for nonprofits such as the Latin American Association or La Amistad. Interning with local organizations that serve Atlanta\u2019s Latino community. These probably aren\u2019t the activities that come to mind when you think about college Spanish cl"}],"uid":"27445","created_gmt":"2013-05-14 09:24:56","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:14:16","author":"Amelia Pavlik","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2013-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2013-05-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"212451":{"id":"212451","type":"image","title":"Kelly Comfort","body":null,"created":"1449180076","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 22:01:16","changed":"1475894874","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:47:54","alt":"Kelly Comfort","file":{"fid":"196957","name":"kelly.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kelly_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/kelly_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":475637,"path_740":"http:\/\/www.tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/kelly_0.jpg?itok=mpNSTApv"}}},"media_ids":["212451"],"groups":[{"id":"1259","name":"Whistle"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"66221","name":"Kelly Comfort"},{"id":"167342","name":"School of Modern Languages"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:amelia.pavlik@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EAmelia Pavlik\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EInstitute Communications\u003Cbr \/\u003E404-385-4142\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}