Terminal Youth: The Failure Narrative of the Dysfunctional Family as the Non-Viability of Capitalist Economic Liberalism in Contemporary Latin American Film

This project examines the desire for national and international belonging and citizenship in the figure of the child intersectionally marked by race, class, and gender in contemporary Latin American film, a desire that is ultimately met only with precarity and violence. Chapter One analyzes the figure of the orphaned street child in terms of the desire for connection with a mother figure as a stand-in for the lack of affective community in Pixote: a lei do mais fraco (Brazil, 1981), La vendedora de rosas (Colombia, 1998), and Huelepega: ley de la calle (Venezuela, 1999) in which the protagonists either die, disappear or become entrenched in a life of crime which is mirrored in the real-life scenarios the young actresses and actors faced. Chapter Two studies the role of adolescent indigenous female protagonists as a function of how national belonging is correlated to the prestige in Madeinusa (Peru, 2006), La teta asustada (Peru, 2009) and Ixcanul (Guatemala, 2016) on international film circuits. Chapter Three focuses on the migrant child’s desire for belonging in the US in El Norte (Guatemala/USA, 1983), Which Way Home (Mexico/USA, 2009), and La jaula de oro(Mexico, 2012), a migration that is both ironic and tragic because it is historically driven by economically motivated US-backed state-sponsored violence, and ends with the dehumanization of the protagonists both in their countries of origin and the US. My dissertation argues that the child is a microcosm for the region as a whole, and the lack of belonging that the child experiences as an effect of intergenerational historical and political structural power and violence is analogous to Latin America’s frustrated attempts to come into its own both economically and culturally on a global scale

Rising Against the Machine : Appeasing the Educators’ Fears of Artificial Intelligence Taking Over Foreign Language Education

The presentation explores humanity's interaction with advanced technology, particularly the pros and cons of using artificial intelligence in language learning. It discusses the impact of AI on foreign language education, tracing historical use and the emergence of AI-powered tools like Google Translate and ChatGPT. The presentation highlights the growing importance of bilingual skills in an interconnected world and the role of language education in cross-cultural understanding, addressing the concerns about AI advancements as potentially surpassing foreign language teachers in the classroom. Moreover, the authors discuss AI integration in language education, recognizing opportunities like personalized learning and automated translation. However, they acknowledge challenges, such as reduced cultural understanding and unequal access. The authors provide examples of ways to use generative AI, like ChatGPT, in language instruction, emphasizing advantages in customized listening practice but cautions against overreliance and potential errors. Overall, the presentation advocates embracing AI in language education while maintaining a balanced approach, combining AI with traditional methods. Responsible implementation and research, as they conclude, can maximize AI's benefits without threatening conventional learning