CLI Alumnus Kevin Morris on Language Learning's Crucial Role in Balkan Democracy
For over thirty years, Arizona State University's Melikian Center has been providing students with diverse opportunities for engaging in language learning. Among these initiatives is the Critical Languages Institute, which offers both in-person and study-abroad experiences. Recently, Kevin Morris, a graduate of the Critical Languages Institute’s Macedonian Program and recipient of a U.S. Department of State Title VIII Fellowship, shared reflections on his language learning journey.
When asked about how he discovered the program, Kevin credited his friends in the Fulbright community for directing him to the Critical Languages Institute(CLI) at Arizona State University. He recounted two impactful conversations from the previous year that motivated him to apply. “I was conducting fieldwork in North Macedonia last summer when I ran into my good friend Tatum James, who is an ASU CLI alumna and, at that time, was finishing her Fulbright scholarship in North Macedonia.” He continued, “She told me that she had made leaps and bounds in progress with her Albanian language ability and highly encouraged me to apply. Furthermore, I also heard from another North Macedonia Fulbright alumnus Noah Knapp, who studied Macedonian at CLI before starting his Fulbright scholarship.”
Noah was placed in the same university as Kevin, Goce Delčev University of Štip, in the city of Štip. Noah explained to Kevin how the training in Macedonian at CLI helped him navigate his new community and university. “After speaking with these two, I knew I wanted to join the Critical Languages Institute to develop my skills in Macedonian!”
Kevin emphasized the role of language learning in shaping his career goals. “Language learning is immensely important to my career goals, especially as I am so passionate about reimagining what democratic capacity building looks like for the US and other Western partners who want to support this work in the Balkans and around the world.” Kevin shared that learning the languages of local communities is a vital step in the overall process of becoming fluent in a community’s history, culture, and society.
“Likewise, speaking the local language, like Macedonian, allows you to better engage with the local talent and innovation, which is already being put to work to affect change, enabling you to center local voices and perspectives rather than speaking over them. Democratic assistance receives much criticism for failing to counter Western biases when working with local communities and learning the local language paves the way for more equitable and sustainable collaboration and partnership. Speaking and reading Macedonian allows me to access a rich collection of historical and political scholarship in the language and engage in meaningful conversations with local students, experts, and activists."
He expressed how his perspective on his work has evolved, thanks to the language, enabling him to recognize that a free and fair society is not just a future vision but also the birthright and heritage of every citizen of North Macedonia. Kevin finds great personal reward and insight in conversing with people in North Macedonia in their own language in seeking to promote a linguistically and culturally informed free and fair society.
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Written by: Victor Johnson