USF World Languages Department

08/27/2026

Need one more class? Check this one out!

🌍 Interested in sustainability, food, culture, or environmental issues?
What can Italy teach us about climate change, food systems, migration, and environmental justice?

ITA 4930: Italian Ecologies examines contemporary ecological challenges through literature, film, culture, and social movements.

📚 Taught entirely in English
🌿 Interdisciplinary approach
🌎 Relevant to today's global environmental conversations

Open to students across disciplines.



Patrizia La Trecchia USF World Languages Department USF College of Arts and Sciences Environmental Humanities at USF

08/26/2026

Looking for an internship? Check out what opportunities the City of Tampa's Student Intern-Emerging Professionals program has to offer!

Click the link to learn more:

08/03/2026

Curious about what experts think about the faithfulness of Christopher Nolan's 'the Odyssey'?

Click the link to read about what are very own Dr. Nethercut and Dr. Hedrick have to say about it!

https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/chronicles/2026/is-nolans-odyssey-faithful-to-homer-usf-faculty-weigh-in.aspx

07/24/2026

Do you want to know what USF World Languages Faculty have been up to this Summer?

Dr. Domenica Diraviam recently returned from Italy, where she served as the coordinator of Campus Italy 2026 through her leadership role with the Florida Association for Teachers of Italian (FATI).

Here's what she tells us about it:
"Campus Italy was a two-week pilot program designed to bring together high school students, college students, educators, and lifelong learners in an immersive Italian environment. Students participated in language classes each morning, while lifelong learners could choose between language instruction and culturally focused experiences conducted in Italian, such as pasta-making workshops and olive oil tastings. Based in the small town of Fabriano - famous for paper making, participants became part of the rhythms of everyday life, navigating shops, restaurants, public spaces, and community interactions (including following World Cup matches) through the language.

The program was intentionally designed to move beyond traditional study abroad models by emphasizing authentic community integration and intergenerational learning. As a pilot initiative, our hope is that it will inspire other Italian instructors throughout Florida to develop similar opportunities that connect language acquisition, cultural immersion, and meaningful engagement with local communities."

07/24/2026

Ever wondered what USF World Languages faculty do during the Summer?

Well, Dr. David Arbesú traveled to Mexico City, Portugal, and Spain to conduct archival research on Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and Fr. Francisco López de Mendoza Grajales. His work took him to the Archivo General de la Nación in Mexico City, the Cathedral Archive of Évora, and the Archivo General de Indias in Seville.

The expedition proved highly successful. Dr. Arbesú doubled the number of documents he has identified relating to Fr. Mendoza Grajales—from 20 to 40—and verified numerous dates and historical details concerning Menéndez's 1565 expedition to Florida.

Not every archive yielded the hoped-for discoveries, however. Despite an extensive search in Évora, the elusive manuscript he sought was nowhere to be found. But every investigation has its mysteries, and the search continues. Next stop: the National Library of Portugal in Lisbon, where Dr. Arbesú hopes to uncover the missing manuscript.

We wish you luck with finding the missing manuscript Dr. Arbesú!

07/06/2026

04/30/2026

Congratulations to graduate student colleague Dr. Benjamin Puterbaugh, who successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, “Semiotics of Difference: Language, the Body, and Haitian Personhood in the Dominican Republic”. 🎉👏

04/30/2026

Congratulations to graduate student colleague Dr. Tania Ferronato, who successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, "The Dynamic Nature of Comprehensibility During ITAs’ Oral Language Performances”. 🎉👏

04/29/2026

Congratulations to graduate student colleague Dr. Yuxuan Mu, who successfully defended his doctoral dissertation, “Construction of Chinese Identities and Community: A Linguistics Ethnographic Study of a Chinese Culture-Sharing Club at a U.S University”. 🎉🎊

04/28/2026

Congratulations to graduate student colleague Dr. Nafla Alshahrani, who successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, “Complimenting Saudi Diplomats Online: A Crosslinguistic & Cross-Gender Analysis of Syntactic Realizations & Stancetaking in Arabic & English Youtube Comments”. 🎉👏