For those who've ever wanted to travel around the world, now is their chance - and it will be cheaper than ever imagined.
At this year's fifth-annual World Language Expo, participants will be granted the opportunity to experience more than 20 different languages and their respective cultures.
For only two bucks, participants of the expo will be granted a schedule, a passport, entry into any of the activities being offered and a French pastry. If the pastry isn't enough, participants will also be given the opportunity to gain a new insight into many cultures.
Marina Peters-Newell, a professor of French in the Foreign Language and Literature Department and the event's coordinator, said the event offers its participants a rare cultural opportunity.
"We seldom have a chance to visit the world - unless you have a thousand dollars for airfare - so what we're trying to do is offer as many languages and cultures as possible for people in New Mexico to come and get an idea of what that culture is about," she said.
Peters-Newell added that the expo helps people to value other cultures.
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"Oftentimes, we tend to fear what we don't know or understand," she said. "I think that's particularly true with different languages. The more we expose ourselves to them, the better we will understand them and learn to appreciate them."
The goal of the World Language Expo is to bring the world to New Mexico, allowing students to experience languages and cultures first-hand.
According to a news release, the expo will offer a new appreciation of the countries and peoples outside of the United States, as well as cultures within the country, and is intended to motivate students to study these languages and cultures.
The event, which will take place this Saturday, will enable participants to "choose their path," Peters-Newell said.
The day is broken down into 25-minute workshops, during which about five or six activities will be conducted, each in a different language. The participants can then decide which language or activity most interests them.
The demonstrations being offered range from physical events to the mentally challenging, including such activities as Japanese origami, Chinese calligraphy, Sevillanas dancing, German cartoons, French chocolate truffle-making, Tai Chi and an intro to Arabic.
Of particular interest, especially to those fans of J. R. R. Tolkien, is a workshop on Quenya, his fictionally-inspired elfish language.
Yet, these are merely a few within a massive amount of cultures that will be represented in Saturday's expo, which, according to Peters-Newell, attempts "to recreate the world in New Mexico."
What: World Language Expo
When: Saturday, 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Where: Ortega Hall
Price: $2
Ticket Info: 277-0525
