Chances are that anybody who has studied a language at Claremont McKenna College (CMC), Pomona College or Scripps College has met one of the language residents, who are colloquially referred to by their first names, living, working and learning across the 5Cs.
Beyond teaching language conversation classes, language residents, like Anya Doglio from CMC, Alessia Griesi from Scripps and Manxi Wang from Pomona, host study breaks and cultural events, lead language tables at Pomona’s Oldenborg Center and the 5C dining halls and serve as accessible resources for students eager to explore the language and culture of their home countries.
As the newly appointed French language resident at CMC, Anya was excited yet overwhelmed by the novelty of Claremont when she arrived last August: new colleagues, new students, a new daily language, a new country — and, on top of it all, her new position as a language resident, acting as a bridge between 5C French students and her hometown of Bordeaux, France.
As an aspiring teacher currently pursuing a master’s degree in second language acquisition, Pomona’s Chinese Language Resident Manxi expressed similar thoughts on the strain of the adjustment process.
“I regard last semester as the time I needed to get used to life here,” Manxi explained. “The life here, living and learning style, my responsibilities, it was all very new.”
Language acquisition is an immersive process and the spaces that language residents occupy and create are incredibly valuable in building community within the language departments and across the 5Cs.
Reflecting on what goes on in the classroom, Scripps’ Italian Language Resident Alessia said that she cherishes the moments she gets to spend learning with her students.
“There’s a satisfaction when you see people willing to learn about your culture, your language and really putting effort into it,” Alessia said.
Outside of their daily responsibilities, the Residents are eager to explore all that Claremont has to offer, whether it be playing baseball with students on Saturday afternoons or taking classes alongside their students.
Manxi is always one to show up for her students, from intramural water polo matches to dance performances and thesis presentations.
“I want to support [my students],” Manxi said. “I love to witness all of [their] important, shining moments and be there to cheer [them] on.”
The Language Resident program also serves to facilitate the learning exchange between students and Residents.
“I can help you improve your Chinese, but you all also help me a lot with English and [American] culture,” Manxi said. “Through interaction, I teach you and you teach me.”
Although the chaos of the initial adjustment period has passed, many language residents are still figuring out how to navigate the liminal space they occupy: not quite a teacher and yet not solely a student.
“There’s a satisfaction when you see people willing to learn about your culture, your language and really putting effort into it.”
Anya explained that due to the barriers of her age difference and role as a language resident, students often are unsure of how to act upon meeting her.
“Being a [teaching assistant (TA)], you never know how people will see you,” Alessia agreed. “A lot of people see me as a TA, a teacher, so they wouldn’t consider me a part of [the student body].”
In reality, the interests and goals of language residents are not so different from those of students.
“They’re also students and so we have very similar experiences … we want to go out and do things that are fun and we want to meet new people,” Anna Jircho SC ’25, one of Manxi’s Chinese conversation class students, said. “They understand that we all want to have a fun environment to learn in.”
The barriers present in students’ perceptions of language residents can contribute to a sense of isolation. To counteract this, they have built strong support systems on campus, starting with the administration.
“The Oldenborg [Center] team is very supportive in helping us get used to both living here and our teaching roles,” Manxi said.
Language residents also support each other by sharing advice during meals and exchanging hometown dishes.
On Feb. 9, Manxi is hosting a dumpling making workshop in celebration of the upcoming Lunar New Year. This event is open to all students and is an example of the engaging activities language residents frequently host for the 5C community.
Language residents are colloquially known by their first names.
Harvey Mudd College does not offer any languages, but Mudd students often participate in language programs at other schools. Pitzer College offers Spanish, Portuguese and French, but their Teaching Assistant programs don’t typically host residents from other countries and therefore are not included in this article.
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