Language Programs

Summer Programs

Summer is an excellent time to keep language skills fresh or to get a head start on a new language. Here are a few programs to consider.

For College Students

Many U.S. universities host language programs between semesters, as does the federal government—check out the sample listing below. For courses in your immediate area, ask if your local university or community college offers a summer language institute; community colleges can be great resources for language courses year round.

University Programs

• Beloit College – Summer Intensive Language Program
• Berkeley Summer Sessions
• Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies – Language Institutes
• Harvard Divinity School – Summer Language Program
• Indiana University – Summer Language Workshop
• Middlebury College
  • Middlebury Language Schools
  • Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey – SILP
• Penn State – Language Institute (+ high school students)
• University of Michigan LSA – Summer Language Institute
• University of North Georgia – Summer Language Institute
• University of Pittsburgh – The Slavic, East European, and Near Eastern Summer Language Institute (+ high school students)
• Wisconsin Intensive Summer Language Institutes (WISLI) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison

U.S. Department of State

•  Critical Language Scholarship Program (overseas)

For K-12 Students

• Berlitz – Summer Language Camps for Kids & Teens
• Concordia Language Villages – Youth Villages
• Middlebury Language Academy (grades 8-12)
• Millersville University – Summer Language Camps
• QFI Summer Arabic Study Award Program (available in several states) 
• Virginia Governor’s Foreign Language Academies

U.S. Government Overseas Opportunities for High School Students

• The Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Summer Institute
• The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) Program
• The Youth Leadership Program
• Youth Ambassadors Program

Additional Overseas Programs for High School Students

• Abbey Road Programs (multiple languages)
• Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière (French language; ages 12+)
• Costa Rica Youth Exchange 2019 (Spanish language) 
• That’s Mandarin – Chinese Summer Camp (summer camp ages 7-17; other immersion formats available)
• Vive la Ñ International Summer Camp (Spanish language) 

For K-16 Students of Critical Languages

• See this list of of summer programs compiled by STARTALK, a government-funded program based at the University of Maryland.

See also the Choose Your Language pages for programs and opportunities specific to your language.