Anita Süess Kaushik, an instructor in World Languages, recently earned a rare distinction: she became a member of the International Association of Hyperpolyglots, a group made up of members that speak at least six languages.
Walk into Dr. Anita Süess Kaushik’s office and it transfers you across the globe. That feeling continues as soon as she begins to chat with you in one of the eight languages she speaks.
Dr. Süess (as many of her students call her because of the identical-sounding children author), a full-time instructor who teaches in the World Languages Department, recently added a new honor to her list of accomplishments: she has become a member of HYPIA, the International Association of Hyperpolyglots; an organization celebrating those who can speak six languages or more.
For Süess Kaushik, spending time learning the languages is just as enjoyable as speaking in them.
“The most important thing is joy. If you force yourself, and your interest in the target language is not that strong, then the path towards fluency will be difficult,” she said. “As far as I am concerned, I have always loved the journey as much as the end result.”
The eight languages Süess Kaushik is fluent in include: Swiss-German, standard German, French, English, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Hindi.
Dr. Süess, a native of Switzerland, grew up speaking Swiss-German at home. She was a voracious reader, a passion that led to her interest in other cultures, and by extension, languages. After getting her undergrad degree in Switzerland, she moved to Paris to earn her master’s at the Sorbonne. She came to the United States in 1988 for a teaching assistant position at the University of Cincinnati, expecting to only stay one year before heading back to Europe.
That changed on the connecting flight she took from New York to Ohio: she met a man from India who became her husband two years later. Discussing where they would live, they decided on staying in the U.S. and completing their doctorates together at the University of Cincinnati.
Hindi is the most-recent language she has been studying, because she wanted to converse with her husband in his native tongue and be able to easily communicate when traveling in India.
“So, exactly two years ago, I decided that the moment was right for this new and challenging language, being empty-nesters and all, and I have pretty much dedicated my life to it since then,” she said. “If I’m not working, I’m studying Hindi. I gave up Netflix and reading and reduced other hobbies too to find the necessary time.”
Now that Süess Kaushik is “fluent-ish” in Hindi, it’s become the default language spoken in her household.
“I know enough now to easily converse with my husband and it’s a miracle that after 35 years of speaking English together, we were able to switch the language,” she said.
Besides acquiring languages as an autodidact, Süess Kaushik has founded or co-founded several conversation or polyglot groups where enthusiasts meet, both in-person and online, to chat and at the same time expand, practice, and maintain their various languages.
The HYPIA membership is a rarity for a faculty member here at the College, said Dr. Michele Kelly, the dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She believes Süess Kaushik is the lone faculty member to earn such a distinction.
A passion for teaching
After UC, Süess Kaushik has worked at universities in Connecticut and Michigan and was hired at Schoolcraft College in 2006. She has taught several languages throughout her career, including French, Spanish, German and Italian. The passion for teaching has kept her in the classroom for all these years.
She has always had a wonderful connection to her students, she said.
“I bring a lot of energy to the table, but it always gets replenished by their enthusiasm, interest and active participation,” she said.
It’s something she’s going to need to find a replacement for: “Dr. Süess” will retire from her full-time role in the World Languages Department later this month.
“Having someone like Anita teaching our students is incredibly valuable. We’ve been so fortunate to have her here at Schoolcraft College,” Kelly said. “To have her become a member of the International Association of Hyperpolyglots is an incredible testament to her dedication and passion. We will miss her dearly as she prepares for her retirement.”
While Süess Kaushik is departing from the classroom, she’s not saying goodbye completely to the College. She’s been leading annual world travel trips since 2006 and will continue organizing them for the foreseeable future, including the May 2025 trip to Spain, Portugal and Morocco (itinerary and signup can be found online). This tour is open to Schoolcraft College students, faculty, staff, as well as community members. She is also planning on teaching an occasional course at SC to stay connected to her field.
Despite knowing eight languages, Süess Kaushik is ready for a new challenge and plans on adding Catalan to her list, a Romance language spoken in Spain, France, Italy and Andorra. Her son recently married a young woman native from Barcelona. Last year, they all spent Christmas together with her daughter-in-law’s family in Spain and they issued this playful ultimatum: “Okay, Anita, next time we see each other, you better be fluent in Catalan too.”
“How fun — I’ll do my best!” was her response.