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Student AmbassadorsHonor SocietiesLanguage Clubs

Student Ambassadors

Since the Fall of 2015, the department of Foreign Languages & Literatures has received the help of a special group of dedicated students. Members of the FLL Council of Student Ambassadors are unified by their common love of the study of languages and cultures from around the globe, from the past and the present.

The Council of Student Ambassadors recognizes students who are strong performers in our classes, and who are dedicated to foreign language study and sharing their enthusiasm with other students and the community.  The organization honors our best students, builds community across the language sections, publicizes the department, and does outreach to recruit majors and minors.  

We tip our hats to this vibrant and talented group of students and the impact they will have on communities here in North Carolina and around the Globe!

Honor Societies

Φ Σ Ι Phi Sigma Iota

Induction into ECU’s Sigma Upsilon Chapter of the Phi Sigma Iota international foreign language honor society, established in 1969, represents our highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages. Students must be juniors or seniors majoring or minoring in a foreign language discipline, possess a minimum 3.0 GPA in foreign language courses and 3.0 overall. Members join together in club activities and provide service to students of foreign language and the community.

Delta Phi Alpha, the National German Honor Society

Induction into ECU’s Eta Mu Chapter, established in 2005, represents our highest academic honor in the field of German Studies. Students must have taken the equivalent of two years of college in German, possess a minimum 3.25 GPA in German and 2.75 overall. Members should be interested in the continuing study of German language and literature (not necessarily graduate school). A lifetime membership fee of $20 must accompany each application for initiation into the Society. Each new member receives an embossed membership certificate and a copy of the Delta Phi Alpha Bulletin. Additional information is available on the Delta Phi Alpha Homepage . For more information, contact Dr. Susanne Jones.

Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society

Sigma Delta Pi is the largest foreign-language honor society in existence and among the most elite. Membership is reserved for those students who have demonstrated high scholarship in general and excellence in the academic study of Spanish. The benefits and reasons for joining the Society are substantial, including a generous scholarship program for study abroad and graduate research grants. To qualify, students must have completed at least three semesters of college work, possess a minimal 3.0 GPA in all Spanish courses and rank in the upper 35% of his/her class (or have a 3.20 cumulative GPA overall), and have completed 18 semester credit hours of college-level Spanish. For more information, check out the Sigma Delta Pi Homepage or contact the ECU Chapter Advisors: Dr. Almitra Medina (medinaa15@ecu.edu) and Prof. Sarah Tyson (tysonsa@ecu.edu).​

Honor Society Induction and Installation Ceremony

In March 2023, we celebrated academic excellence and passion for the German language and culture as our most outstanding French, German, and Spanish students were inducted into the Delta Phi Alpha, Sigma Delta Pi, and  Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society at ECU. Guest speaker and ECU alumni for the FLL Honor Society Induction Ceremony, Javier Castillo from Castillo Language Services, emphasized to us, “Your skills are perishable!” and the importance to continue practicing the skills we want to hone and perfect.

In November 2019, we honored our most outstanding students in French, German, and Spanish during the third joint FLL Honor Society Induction Ceremony! Guest speaker and alumnus of our department, Javier Castillo, shared with us the impact his study of the Spanish language and culture has had on his personal and professional life, particularly his professional experience as a translator and owner of Castillo Language Services.

In October 2018, we celebrated student achievements and inducted FLL’s most outstanding students into the National French (Pi Delta Phi), German (Delta Phi Alpha), and Hispanic Honor Societies (Sigma Delta Pi). A new chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society was installed!

Language Clubs

ClassicsFrenchGermanJapaneseRussianSpanish

Classics

Reading Group: Ancient Greek Reading Group

Anyone interested in reading ancient Greek, whether Biblical or classical, no matter how much or how little experience, contact Prof. Tricia Wilson-Okamura at wilsonokamurat@ecu.edu for meeting times and information.

French

French Club

Contact Dr. Larkin Murphy at murphyl15@ecu.edu .

Conversation

La table française. Voulez-vous parler français avec nous? Informal gatherings at lunchtime to practice French. Faculty Lounge, Foreign Languages and Literatures Department, 3rd Floor Bate Building. Contact Dr. Marylaura Papalas at papalasm@ecu.edu.

German

ECU German Club

Wollen Sie Deutsch sprechen? Möchten Sie neue Freunde finden? Wir freuen uns auf Sie! Faculty Lounge, Foreign Languages and Literatures Department, 3rd Floor Bate Building. Contact Dr. Jill Twark at twarkj@ecu.edu.

Japanese

Conversation

Follow Japanese Culture Club on Instagram (@ECUKaiwaClub) for upcoming meeting information! Meetings are in Bate 2003, Contact Prof. Tricia Wilson-Okamura at wilsonokamurat@ecu.edu or Prof. Ken Tseng at tsengc23@ecu.edu.

Russian

Russian Culture Club

Contact Dr. Elena Murenina at mureninae@ecu.edu or Dr. Justin Wilmes at wilmesj15@ecu.edu.

Conversation

Russian Tea and Conversation

Faculty Lounge, Foreign Languages and Literatures Department, 3rd Floor Bate Building. Contact Dr. Elena Murenina at mureninae@ecu.edu.

Spanish

Conversation

¿Quieres practicar tu Español sin presiones ni estrés? ¡Ven a La Sobremesa! Contact Prof. Magali  Krosl at kroslma15@ecu.edu or Dr. Laura Levi Altstaedter at levialtstaedterl@ecu.edu.