WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Joint National Committee for Languages and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) welcomed Rachel Brown as a Policy & Communications Intern for the Winter/Spring 2021 term.
Brown will be working remotely under the guidance of Alissa Rutkowski, JNCL-NCLIS Manager of Communications, Policy, and Operations, on various projects within the organization, including research on language policy amid political transitions, programming support for our upcoming Language Advocacy Day, and drafting weekly NewsBrief for members.
Brown recently earned her B.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University (GW) with a concentration on Contemporary Cultures and Societies, and supporting studies in Cross-Cultural Communication and Korean Language and Literature. During her time at GW, in addition to her coursework, Brown continued to develop her interest in Korean culture by conducting linguistic fieldwork at the GW Institute for Korean Studies’ 27th Annual Hahn Moo-Sook Colloquium on Korean music’s global soft power, marketization, and cultural appropriation.
Brown also served for two-years as a student staff receptionist for the school’s Multicultural Student Services Center, where she worked closely with senior staff of the Office for Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement to create a welcoming, enriching environment for all students of color. Brown was particularly involved with organizing Asian-Pacific Islander Heritage Month as a member of the Hawaii Club, where she participated in coordinating performances for their yearly Lu’au.
Summer of 2019, Brown first became interested in professional language services through an internship for the Community Interpreter Program at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). There she worked with the team to screen new interpreters and assist in general training for their assignments with IRC clients. “I learned so much about the hardships language professionals face from the feedback of our contractors,” reflected Brown. “Legislatively, there lacks protection for this essential job sector, and it stems from our country’s misunderstandings of multilingualism.”
Proficient in English, Twi, Korean, and Spanish, Brown describes herself as an “avid language enthusiast” and hopes to continue to expand her knowledge of the language industry through her internship with the JNCL-NCLIS. “Growing up, I felt like I was always exploring global languages at school or in my own free time,” she says. “ I quickly noticed that self-study tools for certain critical languages, such as Korean, were limited and underrepresented in education. I want to bring my passion for language study to my role at JNCL-NCLIS to help shape a more accessible, multilingual future for all young learners."
If you would like to reach out to Rachel for further inquiries and/or discussions on her work, she can be reached at intern@languagepolicy.org
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About JNCL-NCLIS:
Established in 1972, the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL) and the National Council for Languages and International Studies (NCLIS) represent the Language Enterprise to the US government and business community. Our membership includes over 130 organizations, which employ more than 300,000 language professionals globally. Together, we form an all-inclusive network and encompass all areas of the language field: exchanges, research, technology, translation, interpretation, localization, testing and more. Our mission is to ensure that Americans have the opportunity to learn English and at least one other language.
Contact: info@languagepolicy.org