The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning. For complete information on the program, visit . The CLS Program seeks participants with diverse interests, and from a wide range of fields of study and career paths, with the purpose of representing the full diversity of the United States. Participants are selected based on their commitment to language learning and plans to apply their language skills to their future academic or professional pursuits. Please note that CLS is an intensive group-based language program. Target Languages Participants in the CLS program choose to study one of fourteen languages deemed to US foreign “critical” interests: Azerbaijani, Bangla, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Punjabi, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu do not require any previous study of the language; Arabic and Persian require at least one year or prior study; and Chinese, Japanese, and Russian require at least two years of prior study. CLS recipients are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers. Eligibility To be eligible to apply for the CLS, one must Be a US citizen, and Be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at the time of application Additionally, to participate in CLS, one must, at the start of the grant period Be at least 18 years old; Be in acceptable mental and physical health; and Have completed at least one academic year of study. Program Benefits The CLS Program covers most of the costs of participating in its overseas institutes, and provides the following benefits: Intensive overseas based language courses (20+ hours per week); Room and often with a host family; A full cultural program; Host community language partners; U.S. academic credit issued through Bryn Mawr College; and Domestic and international airfare. The CLS program cover US passport fees or the cost of medical exams required for finalists. Participants does not receive a small stipend to cover incidental expenses and meals not provided by the program. Upon completion of the program, participants also receive a certified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) score.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a fully-funded overseas language and cultural immersion program for American undergraduate and graduate students. With the goal of broadening the base of Americans studying and mastering critical languages and building relationships between the people of the United States and other countries, CLS provides opportunities to a diverse range of students from across the United States at every level of language learning. For complete information on the program, visit . The CLS Program seeks participants with diverse interests, and from a wide range of fields of study and career paths, with the purpose of representing the full diversity of the United States. Participants are selected based on their commitment to language learning and plans to apply their language skills to their future academic or professional pursuits. Please note that CLS is an intensive group-based language program. Target Languages Participants in the CLS program choose to study one of fourteen languages deemed “critical” to US foreign interests: Azerbaijani, Bangla, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Punjabi, Swahili, Turkish, and Urdu do not require any previous study of the language; Arabic and Persian require at least one year or prior study; and Chinese, Japanese, and Russian require at least two years of prior study. CLS recipients are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers. Eligibility To be eligible to apply for the CLS, one must Be a US citizen, and Be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at the time of application Additionally, to participate in CLS, one must, at the start of the grant period Be at least 18 years old; Be in acceptable mental and physical health; and Have completed at least one academic year of study. Program Benefits The CLS Program covers most of the costs of participating in its overseas institutes, and provides the following benefits: Intensive overseas based language courses (20+ hours per week); Room and often with a host family; A full cultural program; Host community language partners; U.S. academic credit issued through Bryn Mawr College; and Domestic and international airfare. The CLS program does not cover US passport fees or the cost of medical exams required for finalists. Participants receive a small stipend to cover incidental expenses and meals not provided by the program. Upon completion of the program, participants also receive a certified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) score.
cls_application_guide.docx