Charly Verstraet, Ph.D., an assistant professor of French in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, was recently awarded “Best University Professor” by the American Journal of French Studies for his mentorship and dedication to his students.
Verstraet, originally from the French region of Flanders, knows how daunting publishing in a foreign language can be. He was excited to offer his students an opportunity to publish their work and gain practical experience writing in French when he heard about the American Journal of French Studies essay contest.
“Every professor hopes their students will be successful, no matter what they do,” said Verstraet. “One of the biggest rewards is when you receive an email from a student telling you what they have done or become. That warms your heart.”
Verstraet encouraged five students to submit essays to the journal for publication. Recent alumna Abby Garver received third place for her personal essay. She wrote about her experience with bipolar disorder and how French became her “asylum from the madness.” Garver later became the journal’s Director of Operations after graduating from UAB.
“For me, the biggest moment of happiness isn’t me receiving an award but seeing my students succeed,” said Verstraet. “I was much happier for Abby to receive an award than me. She’s at the beginning of her career.”
The American Journal of French Studies is based in Louisiana and began in 2019. Verstraet encouraged his students to submit work to the journal due to the region’s similarity to South Alabama. Verstraet is interested in the similarities shared by communities and cultures between the South of the U.S. and the Caribbean.
“There are many, many different Souths just like there are many different Caribbeans. And that’s a question of representation and visibility, of different histories, of different cultures, different waves of immigration. All of these factors play into that,” said Verstraet. “It is important to advocate for all of them, not just one.”
Currently, Verstraet is teaching a course called, “The French Revolution and its Caribbean Aftershocks.” He is also translating Crusoe’s Footprint by Martinican writer Patrick Chamoiseau in association with the University of Virginia Press. Verstraet uses his experience publishing in a second language to advise his students.
“I had a student who told me in French this semester, ‘I’m so scared to speak French, I’m still a nestling, I’m still a little bird.’ The fear of flying is part of the process of flying. You have to be scared and jump into the void to learn how to fly,” said Verstraet. “It’s very similar for languages or learning other cultures. It's scary and there’s fear in the process but once you overcome that fear there’s a whole world that’s waiting for you.”
Learn more about the French concentration in the UAB Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures.
