Ken StewartInterviewed in 2021

Ken Stewart (BA International Studies and Spanish, UNC-Chapel Hill; MA Spanish, NC State University) is an ACTFL National Foreign Language Teacher of Year and Director for Professional Development at Vista Higher Learning. He has served on the AP® Spanish Language and Culture Test Development Committee, and as a question leader at the AP® Reading. Ken works as a freelance world language consultant and keynote speaker and speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and some French.

What inspired you to work for Centro MundoLengua?

Mundo Lengua's personal touch—how they tailor their services and programs to the individual sets them apart from the competition. They value students and teachers, and their mission is to give them an educational opportunity that is transformative. The directors go beyond the call of duty to ensure their participants' well-being and success when studying and living abroad. 

Mundo Lengua’s focus on community, language instruction, and culture put them in a different category from the "big box" travel companies where students get a superficial glimpse of the country they are visiting. 

Meaningful travel and study abroad does not take place in a classroom.

Describe a typical day at work.

I lead a summer institute in Seville for Spanish teachers from around the world. Participants learn the latest methodologies for language instruction in an immersion environment. Classes are held from 9-3; the evenings are filled with enriching cultural activities where the participants become active learners (hands on cooking class with a cooking school, flamenco course, walking tours, and guest speakers).

Why do you do what you do?

I have been working with CML for over 15 years and I have always been treated with the utmost professionalism. I share their mission: to provide the highest quality professional development as well as their growth mindset for the teaching of culture, language and inclusion.

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love the on-site interaction in Spain. The joy of my job comes from seeing a new teacher or young student open their eyes to a new language and culture and fall in love with a life-long goal of learning and sharing. 

How do you use your education and international background in your current role?

Being a Spanish teacher was my goal as a child, and I have reached my dream many times over by being fortunate to teach in the place where I studied abroad in 1985. I have continued to improve my practice over the decades, having taught 6th grade through university. The chance to work with peers now allows me to continue my own goals and helps others to achieve theirs.

What challenges do you often face and how do you overcome them?

The biggest challenge I am facing now is how to survive and thrive in the pandemic. This crisis has put Mundo Lengua and other study abroad programs in jeopardy. Another on-going challenge is keeping up with technology, change, and innovation.

What are some current projects you are working on?

I am working a second job (new position) as the Director of Professional Development for a language publisher in the US. I have started a scholarship (in the last two years) to encourage high school students to consider a career in language education. 

What advice would you tell your pre-travel self?

Travel more and seriously study more languages. I wish I could have done a study abroad in Spain and a second one in Latin America. Knowing a lesson-commonly taught language would be advantageous today.

What hopes do you have for the future for Centro MundoLengua?

We want to bounce back from the global economic crisis and travel ban. Our future depends on people's trust and health in order to travel abroad.

What makes your organization easy to market to potential participants?

We customize tailor-made programs for specific purposes. Our staff is always on-site and ready to help (unlike other companies who may be located in a different city, or even based in the US). 

How do you help support participants?

We offer scholarships for students and teachers, as well as stipends to help support teachers who want to travel with their students. The directors are very generous and are not driven by a profit-seeking mindset.

If you could participate in one of MundoLengua's programs, where would you go and what would you do?

Any of them! I would like to see us grow into other areas in northern Spain (Barcelona, Galicia, and the Basque country). I also think there are growth possibilities in Southern Portugal, perhaps for Portuguese. 

Why do you think learning a new language is important?

Languages open doors. Languages open your mind. Being multilingual is one of the best skills you can have to make you more marketable in the workplace but also to make you a citizen of the world.

What does meaningful travel mean to you?

Meaningful travel and study abroad does not take place in a classroom. Study abroad includes those off-hours, informal, and formal conversations where learners take risks and use language for communicative purposes. 

What issues do you see in the world of international education that don’t line up with your values and expectations for mutually beneficial & educational relationships between providers/programs and the communities in which they are located within?

Language learning in the US is based almost entirely on textbooks and learning a language to meet a requirement, and as a result, it is a dead end. We must teach languages as a life skill. 

We live in a global community—languages break down barriers and promote peace and empathy.