Would you like to truly learn a language? Eliminate the distractions and immerse yourself.

Surrounded by English speakers on a traditional campus, it’s difficult to keep your mind on the language you’re trying to learn. Even when you study abroad, you’ll find plenty of distractions. But at Middlebury, the Language Pledge—a promise to speak only the language of study for the duration of the program—creates a pure immersion environment unique in the academic world. “We do have distractions here,” says Portuguese School Director Luci Moreira. “But all the distractions are in Portuguese.”

The School’s many "distractions" include regular discussions with scientists, artists, and cultural commentators, as well as a broad variety of cocurricular activities such as capoeira, samba, yoga, and cooking—all in Portuguese. By combining this total immersion environment with rigorous daily classroom instruction, remarkable gains in fluency are the norm in the Portuguese School, not the exception.


• Applicants to the Portuguese School are also eligible to apply for the Kathryn Davis Fellowship for Peace, which covers tuition, room, board, and provides a stipend.  Please click here for more information.