I just finished up my first summer at Middlebury Language Schools, and if anyone would like any additional information/ advice, feel free to ask on this thread!
- Did you like the program? What were its pros and cons? (And which language did you study?)
- Is it all college-aged kids, or were there some older adults taking the courses as well?
- Are you able to call your family and speak to them in English? Can your family visit you on a weekend?
- Were the dorms air-conditioned? If not, were they cool enough?
Was the foreign language only rule strictly enforced ?
Were you in VT or did you do the program in the country of the language?
There’s a language school in Minnesota (I believe) and I wonder what the differences between the two are.
- I loved the program! I studied Mandarin. Although it was handwork everyday, and almost every day, even weekends, was devoted to studying, it was a very rewarding experience. Honestly, it was one of the best, if not the best educational experience of my life. The teachers are among the best in the world and are all dedicated to helping students. The pros were being able to be in an intensive study environment in which I was able to solely focus on one language. Also the fact that everyone eats meals and lives in the dorms together makes for a close-knit community. At first, it took a few weeks to find friends that I could really see myself keeping contact with after the program. The majority of the people I met, I will not keep contact (ie. try to meet up) in the future. Some people, just because we were not close enough, and some people because it is too hard by distance. Another con would be the pace of the classes. Because you learn a year's worth of material in 8 weeks (7 for some schools) there is little time to review and little time to digest the material. So, if you are not prepared to have 4 hours of class everyday, studying 5+hours after class, and tests and oral reports every week, it will be even harder of a struggle for you.
- Most of the Chinese school students were either college-aged kids or recently graduated college grads. There were probably 15 or 20 people out of roughly 100 that were adults. For the Chinese school, we had two dorms, and the younger people and teachers were in one dorm, while the older students and professors were placed in the other dorm. Generally speaking, it appeared to be harder to make friends if you were an adult student (at least in the Chines school). Although, I did see many non-college aged students in the other language schools.
- You are able to call your parents and family using English. As a whole, Middlebury Language Schools strictly enforces the language pledge, but I think each schools' strictness varies. Also, most students in the Chinese school ended up breaking the language pledge at some point, which, if you get caught, you get a warning. They say you get three warnings and then after that are told to leave, but to the best of my knowledge, they never sent anyone home, even though people repeatedly were speaking English. It is not super strict, and it is impossible for the school to make sure you are following the language pledge 24/7. As for leaving campus/ visiting family, at least for the Chinese school, you were supposed to tell the director of the program if you were leaving campus for the weekend. However, if you did not tell her, I do not know how/if they would find out.
- My dorm did not have air conditioning, and during the second week of the program the heat was super bad. Outside of that, it was okay, but wasn't great. Bring a fan or two, because the summer heat can make the dorms feel very stuffy. As a result, I didn't spend much time in my room except for sleeping.
Generally speaking, the Language Pledge was enforced but not as strictly as they say.
I was at the program in Vermont. I am not sure of what the differences between their other programs are.
Was this your first exposure to Mandarin ?
Also, were there any students who had not studied Mandarin before this summer course ?
Great info! Thanks!
I had studied Mandarin for one year at college and then completed level 2.5 at Middlebury. Yes, there were students in first year with no prior knowledge to Mandarin. Honestly, they seemed to form the greatest bonds between each other because for the first half of the program they were required to sit with each other at meals, and even when they could sit with the other levels during the second half, they choose to continue sitting with each other. Also, every night I saw the majority of them studying together, like big group study style.
Thank you for responding to my questions & thank you for starting this thread.
Did you enjoy Vermont in the Summer ? Any organized weekend trips ?
Is Mandarin necessary for your career, or was this study just for personal enrichment ? For example, I know several dealmakers wishing that they had studied Mandarin because so much of trade & M&A activity involves Chinese businesses.
No problem! I really enjoyed my summer in Vermont. The Chinese school had a few organized trips throughout the summer. In total we had a trip to Lake Dunmore, weekend hikes (although most got rained out), three parties, two s’mores parties/ social events, and two movies every weekend. Also, if you take part in any sporty extracurriculars, like volleyball or soccer, matches against other language schools usually happen on the weekends. Outside of organized activities, you can go downtown with friends or just hang around campus.
If you have any more questions, feel free to ask here or PM me.