UPDATE: Click here  to watch the RealVideo of John De Mado's recent keynote address at the Middlebury Language Schools' 2009 Graduate Symposium.


MIDDLEBURY, Vt.—On July 10 and 11, 2009, the Middlebury Language Schools will host the 2009 Language Schools Symposium (in English).

The symposium will feature the following events: 

• Panel Discussion with language School Alumni—An alumni career panel will offer insights into the role of language in their professional careers, with suggestions for students and others interested in language-related opportunities.
• Opening Speaker—The keynote speaker for the Symposium is John De Mado, MA French ’73, a nationally recognized advocate for language acquisition. His presentations typically engage in ways that are humorous and insightful, leaving his audiences inspired about language and its impact on the individual and the world at large.
• Graduate Student Panel Presentations—For the first time, Middlebury Language Schools graduate students will copresent their research with colleagues from the other Language Schools. The focus of the conference is language acquisition through teaching. Film, literature, and teaching methodologies will be explored and presented by students during morning panels.