Middlebury Arabic or Russian Summer Program w/o aid: worth it?

Paying for College
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<p>I applied to the Arabic and Russian schools but was told that they have completely run out of financial aid. The programs cost about $9,500 for 9 weeks. I could get some help from family, but I would have to take out a loan for much of it to attend. Do people think the program is worth it, or could I learn as much for cheaper studying abroad? And how much would attending the program increase my chances for getting a job with a government agency using my language skills? I've already graduated, have studied both languages for 2 years, and have been told that I have a good ear for language and would do well studying abroad. However, the Middlebury web site says that students studying these difficult languages do better if they study abroad after attending a domestic immersion program like their own.</p>

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<p>Of course Middlebury would say that! They have a program to sell.</p>

<p>The advantage of studying abroad is that you would be truly immersed in the language and the cultural environment. You would be dealing with people who do not necessarily have the same intellectual framework as a US college graduate. You would be the foreigner.</p>

<p>Two years of college level study should be enough of a base for you to be successful if you go abroad. Look around, you may be able to find a place where you could teach English to support yourself while learning the other language(s). If you earn a CELTA certificate (usually about a month long course), you would have a recognized beginning credential that would allow you to work in many English schools around the world. <a href=“http://cambridgeesol-centres.org/centres/teaching/index.do[/url]”>http://cambridgeesol-centres.org/centres/teaching/index.do&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>Thank you for your reply. The problem is that the ESL boards say that Russia is a terrible place to work, and also it doesn’t seem that you can study a language intensively while working at the same time. So it could take years to get to the point where I could get a good job, vs. making a sacrifice now for quick results. Still no guarantee that I could earn enough to pay back the loan, but better chances.</p>

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<p>I know someone who had a good experience with Arabic at Beloit. I think my friend got some sort of financial aid, but I don’t know when she applied.</p>

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<p>The Beloit program is excellent - it might be worth a look to see if they have any aid still available.</p>

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<p>for that kinda money, you probably could study abroad. Check out the University of St. Petersburg. Several top US colleges (WashU, Dartmouth) send their students there for study abroad coursework.</p>

<p>Also look into the program at Indiana, or advanced courswrok at Harvard.</p>

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<p>Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I will look into them next. So far I have found a cheap summer program in Syria that seems good, and I was thinking I could teach ESL after it ends if there’s a gap until other sessions start in the fall, and I’m hoping to be able to get an ok job without paying for the CELTA (although I know it’s always better to have one, but it’s another $1,500.) Has anyone heard about teaching ESL in Syria, or tried to learn Arabic or Russian while teaching ESL abroad?</p>

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