June, 2003

Contact: Sarah Ray



802-443-5794

sray@middlebury.edu

Posted: June 4, 2003

MIDDLEBURY,

Vt.—Residents of the Middlebury community and visitors to the area

can expect to overhear a diverse mix of languages again this summer: Arabic,

Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish and—for

the first time—Portuguese. The opening of a ninth language school,

the Portuguese School, will signify the first new language taught in the

summer at Middlebury College since the Arabic School opened in 1982.

Friday, June 13, marks the beginning of the Middlebury

College Language Schools’ summer sessions, known internationally

for a rigorous approach to the teaching of languages and cultures.

This year, approximately 1,200 students will come

to Middlebury to participate in the language schools throughout the summer.

During the course of the language schools’ 88-year history, more

than 38,000 students from all walks of life—including more than

11,000 advanced degree holders—have attended one or more of the

schools. Corporate executives study side-by-side with writers, journalists,

doctors, lawyers, missionaries, government officials and diplomats. Undergraduates

and graduate students from Middlebury College and other institutions also

attend the summer sessions to fulfill language requirements or complete

degrees.

Under the guidance of approximately 200 faculty

members from colleges and universities throughout the world, students

of all ages and numerous nationalities live on campus, totally immersed

in their target language. Students eat, sleep, drink and live the language

they have come to study, and all agree to abide by a language pledge,

a formal commitment to speak the language of study and no other for the

entire summer session.

Each summer, the College offers three sets of summer

sessions for foreign languages. The nine-week session for Arabic, Chinese,

Japanese and Russian begins Friday, June 13; the seven-week session for

French, German, Italian and Spanish will begin on Friday, June 27; and

the six-week session for graduate-level French, German, Italian, Russian

and Spanish will begin on Monday, June 30. Portuguese will be offered

during a seven-week session that will take place June 13-Aug. 1.