The Cornell University Language Resource Center held its fifth annual World Languages Day (WLD) event on Saturday, October 25, 2025. Over 110 middle and high school students registered for the event, making this the largest turnout of any previous WLD.
The event brings students from the Ithaca community and surrounding area to Cornell’s campus to expose them to the vast world of languages and cultures, and to provide an opportunity for students to experience the many opportunities for language learning and cultural exchange on a college campus.
An Engaged Opportunity Grant from the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement also provided financial assistance to bring a bus of students to WLD on a field trip from Binghamton High School. "The kids all said their experience at WLD exceeded all expectations. They had a blast and really felt pampered by the attention to detail. Next best thing to international travel!" said Dr. Diane Phelps, French teacher at Binghamton High School.
Throughout the day, participants were engaged in language sessions, student panels, culture sessions, student group performances, and an info fair featuring various campus departments and organizations.
As students were dropped off at Klarman Hall, they were warmly welcomed by the extraordinary Cornellians volunteering for the event. After checking in, the day kicked off with a welcome plenary, where Language Resource Center Engagement and Outreach Coordinator, Ashley Griffith, shared logistics and prepared participants for the exciting day ahead.
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The welcome plenary continued with a keynote address by Anna Marchetti '28, who attended WLD twice as a high school student, and has now volunteered at the event twice as a Cornell student. Anna shared her experience with languages and encouraged students to take advantage of the resources available at WLD, ending with, "and who knows, maybe one day you will get to be here as a volunteer as well."
In celebration of five years of Cornell WLD, awards were granted to Senior Lecturer of French, Dr. Thierry Torea, for consistently offering a French session at every WLD, and to Language Resource Center director, Dr. Angelika Kraemer, for five dedicated years of co-coordinating the event.
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Before heading off to their first session of the day, the welcome plenary concluded with an exciting visit from Touchdown, who joined the group of participants and volunteers for a photo.
Participants then traveled with their tracks to Morrill Hall for their first session of the day. The exciting line-up of sessions this year included:
- Experience Africa through the Lens of Language Learning
- From Memes to Meaning: Exploring the Arabic Language and Culture
- Amaze your Peers. Baffle your Elders. Learn ASL!
- Bangladesh: Land of Cultural History and Natural Beauty
- Oh, the Places You'll Go! Languages = Superpowers (French)
- The Great Italian Geo-Guessr Game
- KPop Demon Hunters Dance Workshop (Korean K-Pop)
- Feel the Rhythm with Shimtah (Korean Drums)
- The Secret of the Andes: Where do Llamas and Alpacas Come from? (Quechua)
- Languages of Southeast Asia: The Gameshow!
- What is Study Abroad Anyway?
- Turkish Delight: Revealing the Gems of Turkey’s Past and Present
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The sessions, presented by various Cornell faculty members, visiting scholars, and language students, introduced participants to world languages they may not have been previously exposed to. One youth participant stated, "The lessons were engaging and informative and it was a great experience," with another noting, "I really enjoyed the level of interaction from those teaching the sessions and the ability to learn so much in a short period of time."
After the first session, participants returned to Klarman Atrium, where student groups and campus organizations set up tables for the info fair. The info fair took place in tandem with lunch, a taco bar from Cornell Catering. The campus units represented at the info fair this year were Cornell Japan United States Association, Cornell Kendo Club, Education Abroad, Einaudi Center for International Studies, Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Kroch Library Asia Collections, Language Resource Center, Language Expansion Program, Mexican Students Association, and Translator Interpreter Program. Youth participants were encouraged to visit each table at the info fair and interact with the representatives to earn a sticker for their WLD Passport. Completed passports were entered into a drawing during the closing remarks, where three lucky winners received prizes from the Cornell Store.
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The lunch hour was split into two sections, with half of the participants eating lunch and visiting the info fair, while the other half enjoyed a performance in the Klarman Auditorium by student groups Cornell LOKO and Cornell Shimtah. Each group shared their talent in performances of both modern and traditional Korean music.
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After lunch, the youth participants visited their second and third sessions before returning to Klarman Auditorium for closing remarks to reflect on the impact and importance of the day. Participants shared that they enjoyed "the ability to learn and connect with other cultures," "seeing a lot of different cultures other than my own," and "the intersectionality of the event." All participants noted a positive experience and said that they would like to return to WLD in future years.
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World Languages Day was made possible thanks to the generous support of over a hundred volunteers, presenters, performers, and info fair representatives. Success of the event is also owed to the generous financial support of the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs, the David M. Einhorn Center for Community Engagement, and the College of Arts & Sciences.
Save the date for WLD 2026 on Saturday, October 24!
