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| Posted 01.15.08 |
Institute to Teach Foreign Language in 4 Weeks
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Parlez-vous français? By attending the Wesleyan Summer Language Institute,
students will learn to speak, write and comprehend basic French in only four
weeks.
The new Summer Language Institute, developed by the Division of Continuing
Studies, will offer programs in Arabic, Russian and Spanish as well as
French. Participants will be grouped together by language, and will live,
study, eat and mingle together constantly in the target language.
“In four weeks of immersion, students will gain the equivalent of a full
year of language study at Wesleyan,” says Jennifer Curran, assistant
director for admissions and outreach. “This is a great way to participate in
a vibrant learning atmosphere and learn a language quickly.”
The intensive immersion session is held June 2-27 on campus. Students will
live in Clark Hall dormitory and dine together at tables set up for their
target language at the Usdan University Center. Wesleyan faculty and
visiting faculty will teach all sessions.
Weekdays will be filled with classes, conversation sessions, co-curricular
activities and guided study sessions. Weekends will feature activities
emphasizing the target language and its cultural contexts such as cooking
classes, dance lessons, singing, movie and discussion nights, short video
productions, crafts, sports and field trips.
Most activities will relate directly to the culture of the target language.
For instance, students enrolled in the Russian Institute will learn to make
borscht and pel'meni, dance 'kazachok' and sing 'Katiusha.' And students in
the Arabic Institute will travel to Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue, the heart of
New York’s Arab-American community.
The institute offers programs in the four languages at a variety of levels.
Elementary courses will help students develop the basic skills of language:
listening, speaking, reading and writing in their chosen language.
Coursework is organized to maximize rapid proficiency with effective
retention. Intermediate courses refine and strengthen skills. Cultural
education is an integral part of all the courses at the Institute.
The Summer Language Institute is open to Wesleyan undergraduates and
graduate students, students from other institutions and professionals in
international fields, government employees, non-profit organizations,
medical workers and others.
The Institute has rolling admission and has started accepting applications.
Applicants are expected to have completed at least one year of college and
provide two academic recommendations. Admission is competitive and based on
a person’s application.
“We’re looking for students who demonstrate success in previous language
study, in a challenging program of college courses, or whose academic or
professional work demonstrates the motivation and aptitude to thrive under
the rigors of this hyper-intensive form of study,” Curran explains.
Upon completion, undergraduates will receive two Wesleyan language credits,
or eight credit hours, toward their degree. Tuition is $4,600 and housing
and dining is $1372. Student loans may be available.
For more information on the Summer Language Institute, or to apply, go to:
http://www.wesleyan.edu/summer/.
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By Olivia Bartlett, The Wesleyan Connection
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