Middlebury Language Schools to begin 110th Summer

About

Students in a cooking class at our Arabic School.

June 21 marks the first student arrival day for the Middlebury Language Schools, known internationally for their full immersion approach to language teaching. This summer the Language Schools will welcome over 1,400 students and 300 faculty and staff to the campuses of Middlebury College, Bennington College, and the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS).

Languages offered include Abenaki, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish from beginner to graduate level. Arabic, Italian, and Portuguese are on the Bennington College campus, English on the MIIS campus, and the remaining nine Schools are on the Middlebury College campus. A group of graduate students in the School of Spanish will spend six weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Students will bring a wide range of experiences with them this summer. A physician will be attending for his second summer to learn French as he prepares for humanitarian aid work in Sub-Saharan Africa, and a human rights lawyer will be learning Arabic. The German School will have an athlete from the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympic teams. A sister and brother will both be attending, but enrolled in separate Schools - Chinese and Japanese.

“The Language Schools faculty and staff have been working around the clock in preparation to welcome students to our campuses,” said Tim Page, acting dean of Language Schools. “We look forward to having a wonderful community of students this summer.”

Language Schools students chat on the Middlebury College lawn

Language Schools students will live, learn, and interact in the language they have come to study and sign the Language Pledge®, a formal commitment designed by Middlebury to speak the language of study for the entire summer session. The Language Schools will also host events open to alumni and the public.

Since 1915, more than 50,000 students from all walks of life—including more than 12,000 advanced degree holders—have attended one or more of the Language Schools. 

Events open to the public can be found on the event list, which will continue to be updated throughout the summer. More information about the Middlebury Language Schools can be found online or by contacting the Language Schools at 802-443-5510.