<p>Has anyone had any experience with the 7 week summer intensive language programs at Middlebury, specifically German? What was the total experience like? How is the quality of instruction? Do they live up to the promise of advancing a full year + in seven weeks? </p>
<p>My D is a freshman at WashU and just completed German IV this semester.
She received an 'A' in the course, but had to work very hard during the semester to get her speaking ability up to par. She is not a German major, but I understand she will have a minor after completing the course she takes next semester. She wants to study abroad in the future, but is considering the Middlebury program this summer.
(Also posted on the Middlebury forum)</p>
<p>Not direct experience but DD's voice teacher prefers her students to go there for a summer to other programs. 2 of the students in DD's studio went for German and DD says their German is amazing. DD is planning to go for Italian in the future.</p>
<p>Went there 20 years ago prior to my senior year in HS. Got A's first 3 years HS but the senior year teacher was known for poor grades and very tough. After the summer I was able to get homework done in 30 minutes and got an A my senior year of HS. Living in dorms where everyone speaks the language and conversing at lunch makes the academic part much easier. Plus, lots of fun.</p>
<p>My virtual niece spent last summer there in Spanish, after her freshman year in college. She had one year of college Spanish (and five years of Latin before that). It was very successful -- she enjoyed it and learned a lot. Contact with her non-Spanish-speaking family was strictly limited, however.</p>
<p>I don't know about German, but my D did the 9 week Mandarin program and it was superb. My goddaughter did the Arabic program last summer and thought that was excellent as well. My D is a Middlebury student and had completed two years of Mandarin there before the program. She says that the immersion program would not be nearly as effective for someone beginning a new language. Beyond the academics, the program was quite wonderful as it drew students from all over the country and my D made good friends who are, logically enough, the same students who are now doing internships and looking for jobs in China. It was a nice networking opportunity for all of them. She also raved about how beautiful Middlebury VT was in the summer, something average Midd students never experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies - keep them coming!</p>
<p>It sounds like all the accolades they receive are well deserved. </p>
<p>During a car trip to run errands this afternoon D said, "I was thinking I might double major in German and ___________ (whatever area of science she finally decides on)." Sounds like this language program just became a little more important!</p>
<p>My nephew did Japanese this past summer. He is currently a junior spending his year abroad in Japan. He really learned a lot during the summer, and is doing very well in Japan. He loved it.</p>
<p>Forgot to say earlier that another relative studied Russian at the Middlebury Language School - in the summer of 1956! He was a career diplomat and the Foreign Service sent him there before a posting to Moscow. The Language Schools have a long and distinguished record.</p>
<p>I don't know if the number of hours awarded would depend on your own college or if the student's college just awards the 3 units listed by Middlebury.</p>
<p>I saw that. However, some language classes at my school are double that in credit worth (Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, and Persian, I think). It seems like a summer intensive program would be worth even more. For example, Middlebury's "affiliate," the Monterey Language Institute, awards 12 credits for their 8-week summer program. </p>
<p>I was just curious because I was wondering what level of language someone would be placed in upon their return to their own university, whether they came to Middlebury knowing none of their target language, were already an intermediate speaker, etc. Ex. would a beginner speaker who has attended the program return to their university and then theoretically be able to place into an intermediate class based on the material covered over the summer?</p>
<p>^ I had a friend who was in First Year Russian with me during our freshman year . She went on to take Russian in Middlebury and when she came back she was immediately placed in 300-level Russian and did very well. She had an amazing time there.</p>
<p>We know two folks who have been to this summer immersion program, one in Spanish and the other in French. Both raved about it...and their fluency really improved.</p>
<p>123go - Those are all excellent questions. Middlebury or your own university could probably answer them for you. We know nothing about the Middlebury program other than it is the only one we know of that WashU supports in the U.S. and the information posted on the Middlebury website, hence our inquires here.</p>
<p>My daughter took an on-line German test before enrolling for her freshman classes as WashU. We were shocked that she was placed in German IV. She actually tried to get her placement moved to a lower level, but they said they go by the test and wouldn't change it. I always thought her high school German classes were VERY subpar (especially Jr. and Sr. years), but apparently she self-taught a lot more than I knew. Her interest in the Middlebury program is to try to work toward fluency at a fast pace.</p>
<p>I have a friend whose D is considering the Middlebury program, but it would be for a new language. Does anyone have any experience with starting a new language in this program? Is the total immersion too overwhelming if you don't know the language at all?</p>
<p>I would think that the more you learn new languages, each comes by easier than the previous because you just know what to expect- the kind of vocabulary and the teaching of grammar (especially conjugations...ugh). My newest language, Hebrew, is my 3rd foreign language and I first learned in an ulpan ("studio" in Hebrew, very, very intensive program) and the program itself wasn't terrible at all. I struggled a little but nothing shocked me. </p>
<p>Also it depends on the language families too although each of my languages had NO relation to each other! (Spanish, Russian, Hebrew) LOL but I've seen people pick up another Romance language quite quickly after learning one.</p>
<p>I think the main thing about starting a new language is you need to continue the study immediately. Starting a language in the summer, but then not continuing it during the fall will lead to immediately forgetting everything. But if it is reinforced immediately with further study, it should work well.</p>
<p>Wanted to put in a plug for working at Concordia Language villages as a camp counselor if looking for paid, not paying ways to gain language fluency in college and beyond. To be hired you need to have a certain level of fluency. Of course for HS students and younger, being a camper is a great way to gain fluency. </p>
<p>Beloit College also has summer language immersion, perhaps other schools as well?</p>