Photo caption: President Mun Y. Choi with Megan Moore, Chair of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, and Iva Youkillis, teaching professor of Italian and new president of the Foreign Language Association of Missouri 

Statewide gathering supports language educators, prepares students for a global future

Mizzou’s School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures hosted the Foreign Language Association of Missouri conference, October 17-18, 2025. More than 170 of the state’s language educators, preschool to university level, attended the conference to connect, collaborate, and celebrate.

“This conference showcased our commitment to teaching language and culture as a pathway to enhanced career outcomes and job placements,” said Megan Moore, Director of the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Moore is also a professor of French, the Catherine Paine Middlebush Chair of Romance Languages, and an affiliate faculty member in the Women’s & Gender Studies program.  

The conference included sessions with leading experts in the field, including Mizzou faculty who shared research insights and strategies to enhance teaching effectiveness. Attendees explored new ways to face classroom challenges and learned how Mizzou can support their important work. 

“The conference was a great opportunity to share ideas and experiences and be a voice in the world language community,” said Maria Crespo, a Spanish teacher for Brookfield R-III High School.  

More than half of the attendees – including Crespo – work in rural school districts with limited resources. The conference provided these educators with new tools, including how to use AI in the classroom to support their students.