MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — With WVU’s dissolution of the majority of its foreign language programs, the West Virginia Foreign Language Teachers Association’s (WVFLTA) recent fall conference being held within the university almost felt ironic.

WVFLTA highlighted seven different world languages at its annual fall conference in Morgantown over the weekend, with the initial day being at Hotel Morgan on High Street and the following day at WVU’s Hodges Hall.

Various speakers and presenters from throughout the state and surrounding regions were featured, including the featured keynote speaker, Dr. Aleidine J. Moelle of the University of Nebraska.

The purpose behind WVFLTA’s fall conferences is to unite foreign language teachers throughout the state and provide them with additional ideas or resources to better suit their classrooms.

12 News spoke with WVFLTA’s standing president, Heiko ter Haseborg, on the conference’s significance.

“Many teachers work alone or are maybe the only world language teachers at their schools. There are teachers that are even the only ones in the whole county where they work, and so this is the main event to connect with other professionals, other teachers who may be in a similar situation,” ter Haseborg said.

In light of WVU’s recent decisions to lessen its offerings for foreign language programs, ter Haseborg said that although attendees were excited for the conference, “at the same time they are disappointed and sad about the recent developments here. We’re going to keep doing our work every day for the students and the state of West Virginia.”

With each conference held at the location of the organization’s standing president, WVFLTA’s next fall conference will be held in Lewisburg as Shirlene E. Groseclose is the president elect.

Groseclose said that, “West Virginia needs languages. We’re a unique group of people that value what we do, and our conferences are always wonderful and entertaining, not just educational. We love our fellowship with each other, and we love what we do.”

You can keep up with the WVFLTA through its website.