<p>Everyone is always saying how wonderful the language programs are at midd...is this true? If so, what sets them apart from other top schools' language depts.?</p>
<p>This interests me as well.</p>
<p>I’m just a parent, so I don’t know about techniques used in class specifically, but studying languages at Midd is very rigorous (small classes plus “drills” so that Chinese, for example, has 7 classes a week) and, of course, the study abroad program includes mostly schools actually run by Middlebury with classes taught in the other language. Students are required to achieve a certain proficiency before being allowed into a non-English speaking country’s program. Also, the weekly language tables provide extra speaking practice. The other thing I think you’ll find if you compare is a lot of depth in the offerings. In Chinese both simplified and traditional are taught (which you won’t find at all the Ivies, for example) and there are four+ levels with literature and other courses taught in Chinese. The Russian department is also supposed to be excellent. I suspect in Arabic as well that you might find more levels than you would at other LACs. An arabic major was just added. Also, the addition of the master’s programs in California through the Monterey Institute has led to the addition of some linguistics courses at the Middlebury campus and some limited opportunities to get credit toward a master’s.</p>
<p>I can’t speak to language programs at other schools, but they are definitely amazing at Midd. First year classes meet a minimum of 5 times per week in all languages, so you really get the benefit of the repetition, since you are speaking/reading it everyday. As mentioned above, there are also the language tables, which you can go to even if you aren’t enrolled in one of the classes. I went to language tables after I got back from studying abroad in Italy and couldn’t fit a language class into my schedule. Another great thing about the programs is the professors. Even the first day of a first year class, they are speaking primarily in the language (at least in italian classes). You really work on listening skills from the very beginning. I think that’s another thing that might set Middlebury languages apart-all aspects of the language are taught in equal focus. Speaking, reading, writing, listening, culture. You don’t just learn one or the other, you learn all of these so that when you go abroad, you can truly function well.
Another advantage is obviously the summer language schools. Clearly not all Middlebury students who take a language do summer school, but if you decide that you want to go to language school, Middlebury students have a much easier time getting in, I think. Plus, you’re well prepared. When I went, there was a huge difference between the second year Italian students from Midd and the other second year students (all of the Midd students were put in one class so there wasn’t an issue of it not being challenging enough for the Midd kids while the other students caught up).</p>
<p>I’ve never taken a language class at another college/university, so I can’t compare Midd’s language programs to those at other schools, but I think that the reputation is well deserved. Also, the professors are great!</p>
<p>sounds amazing! but what exactly are language tables?</p>
<p>**Language tables: Five days a week Middlebury offers all its students the option of having lunch – for free, like all Middlebury dining halls, as a result of the open meal plan – entirely in a foreign language in Atwater Dining Hall, the dining area reserved specially for this and other special events. The language tables experience includes being served by paid student waiters who are fluent in that language, getting to eat with your professors, and getting to meet people who share your passion for your chosen language(s). You don’t even have to be currently taking classes in that foreign language, so if you took Spanish in high school but study Arabic at Middlebury you can still keep your Spanish sharp by coming to language tables every once in a while.</p>
<p>just to clear this up:</p>
<p>a lot of schools have language tables…</p>
<p>middlebury’s summer language program may be what you are thinking of: they bring in highly regarded teachers from around the world…</p>
<p>its undergraduate program is definitely better than most, but do not confuse the two in terms of reputation…</p>
<p>you can also go to a different school and still study abroad using Middlebury’s programs and get the best of both schools…</p>
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<p>I believe the undergrad program in general is very very good, and while Middlebury also has a uniqueness in it’s intensive summer program with the addition of teachers to fill the campus with “no English spoken here” aplomb, it’s program during the academic calendar has a reputation well deserved as well. Do you disagree?</p>
<p>For an example of the rigour-again on Chinese-one son took a semester of Chinese at another top 30 small LAC and learned about 60 characters in his first semester, with 3 one hour classes a week taught by a native Chinese teacher and a language lab. Second son studying Chinese at Midd-7 hours of class a week, rotating 3 different teachers, 2 native speakers and 1 American with extensive credentials, 2 language tables a week, and after one semester, 300 characters…</p>