San Jacinto College students can learn about other cultures without spending a single dime of their own money by attending the eleventh annual Modern Languages International Festival Feb. 27, hosted by San Jac’s modern languages departments.

Central Campus Spanish Professor Yesenia Chavez is organizing the event that features a series of presentations from students enrolled in modern language classes.

“We are going to be covering Chinese, French, and Spanish presentations,” Chavez said.

French professor Pascale Sharpe said the French presentations focus on French history, holidays celebrated in France, and all the countries where French is spoken.

“It’s good to see how involved the students are in their learning and not only the language, but the culture,” Sharpe said.

Moreover, students taking Chavez’s Spanish class will perform the song “Como la Flor” by Selena Quintanilla. Nadine Khoury is one of Chavez’s students and will participate in the performance.

“I’m Arab,” she said. “I don’t see a lot of diversity in my household, so seeing something different, like Spanish events, it’s interesting.”

South Campus Adjunct Professor Carlos Naranjo will serve as guest speaker and offer tips on learning a second language.

The modern languages faculty encourage students and staff to attend. “They need to open their minds to other cultures,” Sharpe said.

There is no charge for admission to the event and in addition to light refreshments, attendees can participate in karaoke.

Meanwhile, Chavez said participating students feel a sense of pride for contributing to their campus and community, while others gain confidence from showcasing their heritage. 

“If they’ve got any Chinese, French, and Hispanic background,” she added, “they will be proud to show those skills on that day.”

The Modern Languages International Festival takes place Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. until noon in Room 264 of the Student Center (C14) on the Central Campus.