Je voudrais apprendre
January 19, 2010 7:56 PM Subscribe
Name some intensive language courses that take place in universities!
What other courses exist like the CCFS course at the Sorbonne in Paris? In other words, the language of that country taught in a relatively short space of time by a well-known university in a vibrant city?
Can be for any language but English.
What other courses exist like the CCFS course at the Sorbonne in Paris? In other words, the language of that country taught in a relatively short space of time by a well-known university in a vibrant city?
Can be for any language but English.
This does not really meet your criteria, but the Middlebury Language Programs are full-immersion programs in a bunch of different languages. You have to sign a pledge to only speak that language. So it's not the language of the country or a vibrant city, but other than that...
posted by brainmouse at 8:41 PM on January 19, 2010
posted by brainmouse at 8:41 PM on January 19, 2010
Summer Workshop in Slavic, East European, and Central Asian Languages at Indiana University. Bloomington, Indiana is a pretty cool college town in the US.
Here's a list of intensive language courses in the Classics (Latin, Greek, etc.) that looks like it's been updated for 2010 for many of the universities.
posted by k8lin at 8:41 PM on January 19, 2010
Here's a list of intensive language courses in the Classics (Latin, Greek, etc.) that looks like it's been updated for 2010 for many of the universities.
posted by k8lin at 8:41 PM on January 19, 2010
Oh, sorry, I didn't realize that you wanted it to be taught in the country that the language is spoken in. In that case, Wesleyan University offers many intensive language programs in different countries, including India, Japan, China, and Taiwan.
posted by k8lin at 8:43 PM on January 19, 2010
posted by k8lin at 8:43 PM on January 19, 2010
SWEESL represent! There is also FLAS funding if you're an American grad student.
in the not-in-that-country category, the University of London SOAS has a number of intensive courses.
posted by k8t at 8:48 PM on January 19, 2010
in the not-in-that-country category, the University of London SOAS has a number of intensive courses.
posted by k8t at 8:48 PM on January 19, 2010
Moscow State University (the premiere university of Russia) offers Russian language courses. Moscow is incredible.
posted by mnemonic at 8:55 PM on January 19, 2010
posted by mnemonic at 8:55 PM on January 19, 2010
I'd love to take some of the classes in Turkic languages at Indiana University, but I've found that one could do courses in those languages in those countries, with tuition, room and board and travel - for about the same price as it would cost in Indiana!
Babes-Bolyai University in Romania has a summer Romanian course. Various schools in Budapest, as well as the universities in Szeged and Sopron and Pécs all have great Hungarian summer courses.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 9:40 PM on January 19, 2010
Babes-Bolyai University in Romania has a summer Romanian course. Various schools in Budapest, as well as the universities in Szeged and Sopron and Pécs all have great Hungarian summer courses.
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 9:40 PM on January 19, 2010
I felt that Sorbonne course was pretty good when I took it, although Alliance Francaise de Lyon is obviously way way cheaper.
I've been most impressed with the Czech republic among the Eastern European countries I've visited thus far, and Prague is more vibrant than most Eastern European cities, but those languages are not exactly broadly spoken or economically important, except maybe Russian.
I'd think your best options are :
(1) All the cool artsy kids are moving to Berlin these days because Berlin is very cool and is very inexpensive. The Gothe Institute covers German exceedingly well.
(2) Spanish is fairly useful for Americans of course. Spain itself is obviously nicer and safer than Central and South America. Spanish courses in Madrid will surely be more serious than those in Barcelona (Catalan speaking).
(3) Chinese is a considerably more serious commitment, but many people are taking that route too.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:42 PM on January 19, 2010
I've been most impressed with the Czech republic among the Eastern European countries I've visited thus far, and Prague is more vibrant than most Eastern European cities, but those languages are not exactly broadly spoken or economically important, except maybe Russian.
I'd think your best options are :
(1) All the cool artsy kids are moving to Berlin these days because Berlin is very cool and is very inexpensive. The Gothe Institute covers German exceedingly well.
(2) Spanish is fairly useful for Americans of course. Spain itself is obviously nicer and safer than Central and South America. Spanish courses in Madrid will surely be more serious than those in Barcelona (Catalan speaking).
(3) Chinese is a considerably more serious commitment, but many people are taking that route too.
posted by jeffburdges at 10:42 PM on January 19, 2010
Dee, no one pays for Indiana U's SWEESL - it gets covered by US Government foreign language scholarships. All you do is apply and they do the paperwork. I subletted a house for a summer and MADE money cuz it was so cheap there. They also have a great library. I did a lot of research there. (Oh - the classes are top notch, especially if you do well in socialist style classrooms and Bloomington's a cute city.)
posted by k8t at 11:23 PM on January 19, 2010
posted by k8t at 11:23 PM on January 19, 2010
Dee, no one pays for Indiana U's SWEESL - it gets covered by US Government foreign language scholarships. All you do is apply and they do the paperwork. I subletted a house for a summer and MADE money cuz it was so cheap there.
Really? Because I looked last year and it was expensive and implied that one ought to stay in dorms or something to help with the "immersion" aspect of it. This is what it says for costs, right now:
Tuition for graduate and undergraduate Workshop courses is $291.97 per credit hour for all participants regardless of state origin (except undergraduate residents of Indiana who pay a lower fee based on the students' matriculation date). If you are a non-IU graduate student, the university charges a $25 continuing non-degree student processing fee.
All students also pay a $130 non-refundable administrative fee to the Workshop, and miscellaneous university fees (technology, health, activity, etc.), which are approximately $350. Please note that the health service fee allows you to use the Health Center at a discounted rate, but it does not include health insurance.
So it looks like it would work out to $3500 (most programs are 10 hours) before you get into food and housing. There's no tuition if you're a grad student for certain programs - but I'm not.
So what am I missing?
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 1:04 AM on January 20, 2010
Really? Because I looked last year and it was expensive and implied that one ought to stay in dorms or something to help with the "immersion" aspect of it. This is what it says for costs, right now:
Tuition for graduate and undergraduate Workshop courses is $291.97 per credit hour for all participants regardless of state origin (except undergraduate residents of Indiana who pay a lower fee based on the students' matriculation date). If you are a non-IU graduate student, the university charges a $25 continuing non-degree student processing fee.
All students also pay a $130 non-refundable administrative fee to the Workshop, and miscellaneous university fees (technology, health, activity, etc.), which are approximately $350. Please note that the health service fee allows you to use the Health Center at a discounted rate, but it does not include health insurance.
So it looks like it would work out to $3500 (most programs are 10 hours) before you get into food and housing. There's no tuition if you're a grad student for certain programs - but I'm not.
So what am I missing?
posted by Dee Xtrovert at 1:04 AM on January 20, 2010
Here is the general page for foreign students wishing to study in Italy, and then for specific universities, here are the intensive Italian language class pages for Bologna, two pages for Florence, and Siena.
Bologna is the oldest university in Western Europe, Florence has a lot of American students studying there, and Siena is the furthest north, the smallest of the three but very pretty,
posted by ellieBOA at 1:27 AM on January 20, 2010
Bologna is the oldest university in Western Europe, Florence has a lot of American students studying there, and Siena is the furthest north, the smallest of the three but very pretty,
posted by ellieBOA at 1:27 AM on January 20, 2010
Did somebody mention Princeton in Beijing yet? (↓class of '00)
posted by msittig at 1:49 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by msittig at 1:49 AM on January 20, 2010
Other than for being "in a vibrant city" (quite the opposite in fact), the
French immersion program at Université Sainte-Anne would probably meet your definition.
posted by aroberge at 3:24 AM on January 20, 2010
French immersion program at Université Sainte-Anne would probably meet your definition.
posted by aroberge at 3:24 AM on January 20, 2010
I took a two week intensive Finnish course at The University of Turku and loved it.
There are similar offerings in Helsinki, which is certainly larger and more cosmopolitan than Turku, but I quite like both cities.
posted by ursus_comiter at 3:28 AM on January 20, 2010
There are similar offerings in Helsinki, which is certainly larger and more cosmopolitan than Turku, but I quite like both cities.
posted by ursus_comiter at 3:28 AM on January 20, 2010
Can't vouch for this program specifically, but they offer Spanish immersion in Sevilla, Spain - it's an awesome city for learning/improving Spanish. There are plenty of people who can speak some English, but fewer than, say, Madrid or Barcelona. So, you'll be forced to use Spanish more than you would in the larger cities in Spain. I studied abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla 5 years ago and had a great time.
posted by melissasaurus at 5:32 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by melissasaurus at 5:32 AM on January 20, 2010
The Universita per Stranieri (University for Foreigners) in Perugia, Italy offers a bunch of short-term Italian language courses.
posted by wsquared at 7:20 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by wsquared at 7:20 AM on January 20, 2010
Hey Dee - as I mentioned above as long as you're an American grad student, you can get FLAS funding. (Was on my phone last night, so couldn't link.) I don't know anyone that wasn't on a FLAS. The website lists the costs for non-American non-grad students, I imagine, but in my experience everyone was funded (except for the occasional Brit wanting to work on his Uzbek.)
posted by k8t at 8:12 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by k8t at 8:12 AM on January 20, 2010
Response by poster: Just to head an extended funding discussion off at the pass, I wouldn't be eligible
for any, not being an enrolled student.
Thanks for all the answers so far, please keep them coming!
posted by djgh at 8:19 AM on January 20, 2010
for any, not being an enrolled student.
Thanks for all the answers so far, please keep them coming!
posted by djgh at 8:19 AM on January 20, 2010
You can also learn French in Tours, which is about an hour from Paris on the high-speed train and a lovely city of (I think) 100,000 or so. Renowned for its unaccented French, whatever that means. Check out Université Francois Rabelais. The site's a bit confusing but I believe they partner with the Institut de Touraine.
posted by nicoleincanada at 10:01 AM on January 20, 2010
posted by nicoleincanada at 10:01 AM on January 20, 2010
The Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University offers a Yucatec Maya Summer Institute. There are three levels of instruction, and it's a 6-week program. You could go back for three years running and get your your Mayan on.
posted by Stewriffic at 12:57 PM on January 20, 2010
posted by Stewriffic at 12:57 PM on January 20, 2010
well ... not really a university ... but the "gold standard" Dutch immersion course is the "nuns of Vucht" ... http://www.reginacoeli.nl/.
posted by jannw at 7:59 AM on January 21, 2010
posted by jannw at 7:59 AM on January 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Gomez_in_the_South at 8:30 PM on January 19, 2010