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I definitely chose Middlebury for three main reasons: the location, community, and academics. Location, because coming from Queens, New York, you get to appreciate the fall, winter, and spring year, and seeing them shift from one to the other is just gorgeous. And the view of the Green and Adirondack Mountains too is incredible as you walk to class. Makes you feel like you’re in a movie. And community because you get to form these deep personal connections with your professors, your peers, and even the townspeople, once you become the regulars to their shops during the year. And academics, because as a STEM major, like me, you get to have way more opportunities for undergraduate research with professors because Middlebury only has an undergraduate population, so there’s no competition with graduate students. So that’s definitely a plus.

Salut tout le monde, je m’appelle Agnes, je suis en 4e année, en double spécialités: Français et Sciences politiques. Aujourd’hui je suis ici pour vous parler de mon expérience à l’étranger: à l’école de Middlebury en France à Bordeaux dans le Sud Ouest. Passer un semestre à SciencesPo Bordeaux et vivre là bas dans une famille d’accueil était incroyable. L’immersion m’a tellement appris qu’en rentrant ici à Middlebury j’ai choisis le français comme seconde majeure. Cela a même été encore plus déterminant dans mon parcours puisque j’ai postulé et été acceptée en Master à SciencesPo Paris. Au delà de ces aspects linguistique et académique, l’aspect social de cette expérience m’a aussi beaucoup enrichi. En effet j’ai eu la chance de pouvoir partager de nombreux moments de convivialité avec ma famille d’accueil, autour des repas partagés et lors des vacances et week-ends passés à la plage ou à la montagne. J’ai découvert une nouvelle ville et surtout rencontrer beaucoup de nouvelles personnes sur place avec qui j’ai partagé plein de moments, culturels, sportifs ou en tout genre. Certaines d’entre elles sont devenues mes amies avec qui je suis toujours contact. 

Une telle chance, de pouvoir s’immerger dans une nouvelle culture et de vivre une expérience géniale comme celle-ci est unique. C’est pour cela que je conseille vraiment à tous les étudiants de langue de saisir l’opportunité d’étudier à l’étranger. 

Hi everyone, my name is Agnes, I’m in my fourth year at Middlebury double majoring in political science and French. Today I’m here to tell you about my experience abroad at Middlebury’s School in France in Bordeaux, the Southwest. Studying for a semester at SciencesPo Bordeaux and living there with a host family was incredible. The immersion taught me so much that when I returned to Middlebury I chose French as a second major. It was even more decisive in my career, as I applied for and was accepted to a master’s program at SciencesPo Paris. Beyond these linguistic and academic aspects, the social aspects of my experience in Bordeaux were also really impactful. I had the opportunity to spend a lot of quality time with my host family over shared meals and during vacations and weekends spent at the beach or in the mountains. I discovered a new city and, above all, met many new people with whom I shared cultural, sporting, and other experiences. Some of them have become my good friends and with whom I still keep in touch. 

It’s a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in a new culture and language. That’s why I really tell all language students to seize the opportunity that is study abroad at Middlebury.

Here at Middlebury, we have a 4-1-4 calendar system, meaning that students take four classes in the fall semester, four classes in the spring semester, and then one class during the month of January, and that is known as our J-term. J-term is a really wonderful time to try something new because you’re taking one class for four weeks. My first year here I took a class in the Religion Department called Buddhism in the Modern World, which was really far outside of my comfort zone, but I think it was the perfect time to do that. You could also take a class from a visiting professor, take a more unique class, like an EMT course and get your certification, but you could even use this time to do an internship, study abroad, or do research for credit. Beyond the classroom, J-term is a really fun time because we celebrate winter in Vermont with activities like a Winter Carnival, which consists of a concert and ski races, and a bunch of different workshops and student-led activities. I also used this time to take my first ever ski lesson at a Rikert Nordic Center, and it was just really fun to celebrate winter in Vermont.

Name: Kai Zhang, Lecturer in Chinese

出色的原教学是明德大学的一大特色这里边有一个重要的原则这是做中学learning by doing。 那，作为老师我们就会想各种办法为同学们提供一个在正式的生活中能够用这个语言跟大家交流的机会。语言桌子就是这样安排。 在每一个工作日的中午在我们的proctor餐厅，就是我给大家看得我身后的餐厅， 这个Proctor餐厅我们会提供十种语言桌子：中文，日文，西班牙语，法语, 意大利语， 等等，等等。那如果你学法语比如，你就只需要提前做一个登记然后到那一天你就在这儿来吃。法语桌子在吃饭的时候跟同学用法语交流。有老师有服务员大家都会用法语。这样一个安排有很多好处你可以想想一下。首先是对于言学习者来说你有一个在教室之外的真实的使用这个语言的环境. 那跟在教室里面单纯的练习会有很大的不同,对不对.另外呢对于老师来说，我就在教师之外也有跟多了解我学生机会. 当然我越了解我的学生,那我的教学就会更有针对性. 另外还有一个好处就是对服务员因为这些服务员其实我们学校的学生。那他们当然也长了高水平了语言的学习者。那他们就会起来一个很好的示范作用。就是给刚刚开始学语言学生一个例子说啊你看只要我很努力的学习那么可能过两年三年我可以到在他的水平这个激励作用非常强

An outstanding teaching method used at Middlebury is learning by doing. As a teacher we consider what methods can simulate real-life scenarios for students to use their language skills or create opportunities for immersion. Language tables are a part of that plan. Every weekday at noon in Proctor Dining Hall, let me show you all the dining hall, behind me is Proctor. At Proctor Dining Hall we have 10 different language tables: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, French, Italian, etc. For example if you study French you only have to register beforehand, then on that day you come, eat food, and use French to converse with your classmates. The teacher and waiters also use French. Let’s consider the benefits of this initiative. First for students studying languages they have the opportunity outside of the classroom to use the language. The casual learning environment of language tables is distinct from classroom instruction, right. Additionally as a professor I have opportunities outside of the classroom to understand my students. My teaching can have more relevance. There is still another benefit which is the wait staff being students! They are of course high level language students who then become role models for students that have just started to study the language. For instance you think, “If I study hard then in my second, third year I can get to that student’s proficiency!” This type of encouragement is useful and powerful.