News: Summer Foreign Language Opportunity for Middle/High Schoolers

Parents Forum
1

<p>
[quote]
OBERLIN, OH—Oberlin College has been selected as a new site of the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA), a foreign-language summer study program for talented youth that currently has campuses in Vermont and Massachusetts.</p>

<p>Begun in 2008, the MMLA is a collaborative project between the Language Schools of Middlebury College, one of the nation’s leading language and cultural education organizations, and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, a world-renowned graduate school for linguistic education.</p>

<p>“The Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy is excited to bring its summer-immersion language program for middle and high school students to Oberlin College for the summer of 2010,” said Roberto d'Erizans, director of the MMLA. “Oberlin College is uniquely well-suited to support the mission of the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy, and it is our hope to build a relationship with both the college and the community of Oberlin that will last for years to come.”</p>

<p>The Oberlin program will bring together 70 educators from around the country to teach a class of 200 middle and high school students for a period of four weeks in summer 2010. Students participating in the academy will completely immerse themselves in their language of study—they will commit to speaking only the target language, both inside and outside the classroom, throughout the program’s duration.</p>

<p>“Partnering with the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy is a great honor for Oberlin,” said Oberlin College President Marvin Krislov. “The MMLA is a terrific summer language immersion program that fits well with Oberlin’s great tradition of internationalism. Having the MMLA here will enable middle and high school students to acquire the superior foreign language skills and cultural awareness they will need to become tomorrow’s global leaders.”</p>

<p>The academy will be open to students who have completed 7th grade through students who have completed 12th grade. Courses in French, Spanish, Arabic, and Chinese will be offered. The cost for the 4-week program is $5,267 and includes tuition, room and board, field trips, activities, materials, and textbooks. Financial aid through the MMLA is offered on a rolling basis to students demonstrating need. In addition, Oberlin College has established a special scholarship fund for students from Lorain County.</p>

<p>Besides the exceptional learning opportunities the program brings to the region, the selection of Oberlin as an MMLA site is also a positive for area businesses. “The greater Oberlin community will benefit from the increased activity these students and their families will bring to town during the summer months,” said Associate Dean of Studies Ellen Sayles. “The close physical connection between the town and the campus as well as vibrant downtown offerings present attractive shopping and dining opportunities to MMLA staff, students, and families.”</p>

<p>For more information on the program, visit the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy web site.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>(Source: Dec 2009 press release from Oberlin College; reprinted in alumni newsletter received today)</p>

2

<p>I am sure this is a really good program, but for HS kids interested in Arabic or Chinese (or another “critical defense language”), I would strongly recommend looking into a Startalk program. Likely to be much cheaper, and in my kids’ experience, exceedingly well-run.</p>

3

<p>Sounds awesome. This is a great addition to language opportunities available for high school students. </p>

<p>$5267 is steep. I am glad they offer financial aid. For full-pay families, it is also worth considering the four-week credit classes, also immersion programs, at Concordia Language Villages. $3425 for middle schoolers or $3675 for high schoolers, with a discount if you register before 2/28. Four week classes are offered in Arabic, Chinese, Danish, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish. (Spanish, German, and French college credit classes are offered, too.)
[Concordia</a> Language Villages - Schedule](<a href=“http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/newsite/schedule1.php]Concordia”>http://www.concordialanguagevillages.org/newsite/schedule1.php)</p>

<p>Oberlin is closer to a major airport (Cleveland) so it is easy to get to. Concordia Language Villages are mostly on the lakes around Bemidji, Minnesota. The Bemidji airport small, and (I think) only served by commuter flights from Minneapolis. (There is bus transportation from Wisconsin and the Twin Cities.)</p>

<p>Does anyone know when they will they announce the dates and locations for the 2010 Startalk programs?</p>

4

<p>Thanks for posting this, my youngest D may be interested in something like this in the future, and Ohio is closer to home than some of the others I have seen.</p>

5

<p>Having been through three summers of Startalk, I can say that historically the programs have been finalized pretty late (April or maybe even May), but usually the directors will know in advance of that how it likely it looks that their programs will be funded. I would take a look at the past years’ programs and if you think your child would be interested in attending one, contact the director to ask about this year’s program.</p>