Recent News
In a recent article written for the Northwest Asian Weekly, "The Enduring Power of the Omoro Sōshi", Prof. Davinder Bhowmik describes how the Omoro Sōshi, a collection of some 1,500 songs written in the 16th and 17th centuries and the oldest extant text in Ryukyuan literature, offers insights into how early Ryukyuans expressed and practiced indigenous linguistic,… Read more
"Songs are not mere entertainment if we consider the case of Japan. There, they can be the very essence of life itself," writes Davinder Bhowmik, a UW associate professor of Asian languages and literature.Featured
on Northwest Asian Weekly
On March 6, the Department of Asian Languages & Literature convened a distinguished gathering of community leaders, scholars, writers, translators, humanitarian activists, and film artists for a day of talks, presentations, and film screenings to commemorate fifty years since the end of the Vietnam War. Each of the conference's speakers, panelists, and discussants were united by their deep connections to postwar Vietnam and Cambodia, and shared personal stories, insights, and experiences… Read more
Jieyu Zhou, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature, has been awarded a Graduate Student Research Grant from the National Federation of Modern Language Teachers Associations (NFMLTA) and the National Council of Less Commonly Taught Languages (NCOLCTL). The grant, which includes a $2,500 award, supports graduate student research in the fields of applied linguistics and language education, with an emphasis on less commonly taught languages.
Under the… Read more
The Year of the Snake begins Jan. 29. It’s the first time Lunar New Year is a legislatively recognized (though unpaid) holiday in Washington state, thanks to a bill signed into law last March. Chan Lü, associate professor of Asian languages and literature at the UW and coordinator of the UW's Chinese program, is quoted.
Featured
on The Seattle Times
AL&L's Professor Nazry Bahrawi sat down with Singaporean poet and scholar Samuel Caleb Wee and Vietnamese translator Quyên Nguyễn-Hoàng for a discussion around the complexities of translation, multi-lingual writing, and more. Read the interview in diaCRITICS, a publication of the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network (DVAN).
Professor Nazry Bahrawi has been quoted throughout an article published in the South China Morning Post, titled "… Read more
An interview with AL&L's Professor Nazry Bahrawi is featured in the October 2024 issue of The Karyawan, a quarterly publication by AMP Singapore and its research subsidiary, the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA). In the interview, Professor Bahrawi sits down with Irdina Aisyah Mohd Imran to discuss his personal and academic journey — from growing up in Singapore as an ethnic minority to navigating life and academia overseas, and how his experiences have shaped his… Read more
AL&L Department Coordinator Belle Arkham Featured in CAS's Celebration of First-Generation Community
The Department of Asian Languages & Literature's Belle Arkham, Department Coordinator, is featured in the College of Arts & Sciences's First-Generation Storytelling Celebration. The celebration honors the stories and contributions of first-generation students, staff, and faculty to the College of Arts & Sciences community. Watch the College's interview with Belle on the … Read more
EunYoung Won, Teaching Professor of Korean in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature, has published the second edition of Korean For Dummies through Wiley, serving as the book’s primary author. This new edition features twenty thematically organized chapters covering essential topics such as Hangeul, Korean grammar, travel, shopping, work, and dining out. Each chapter is filled with practical phrases, vocabulary, cultural insights, and language tips to help… Read more