Middlebury Language Schools: A Summer Experience Like No Other
| by Patrick Culver
Incumbent Gold Ancient Mariner, Capt. Patrick Culver retired in 2023. His next adventure? Our 7-week School of Spanish.
Language Schools Blog
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Italian Beginner to Graduate to Staff: Arianna Contreras
Arianna Contreras, an alumnus of our Italian Immersion and MA programs, spent her second summer as a Bilingual Assistant at our Italian School in summer 2025.
Language Learning in the Age of AI
| by Drew Philp
Drew Philp attended the Middlebury Language Schools Betty Ashbury Jones MA ’86 School of French in 2018 and 2019. In 2019 he received the Fellows for Peace fellowship, which covers tuition, housing, and food for a summer at the Language Schools. He is currently a journalist in Berlin, and writes here about Language Learning in the Age of AI.
Meet 8-week Arabic Immersion Student: Haley Hawkins
Haley chose Middlebury because she knew she had a long way to go in the language, and she wanted the ability to focus solely on Arabic without any distractions. Though it was hard at first when she was forced to jump headfirst into the language, it only took a couple weeks for her to settle in and get used to communicating exclusively in Arabic.
Living German at Middlebury
| by Carolyne Ulomy
From June 29 until the afternoon of August 14, it was all German, all the time for Carolyne Ulomy, whose home language is Swahili.
Paris Internship for Master in Applied Languages in French student
Caroline Finken, Master in Applied Languages in French student, completed a summer practicum as a conservation intern at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte in Maincy, France.
Meet Award-Winning Chinese Graduate Students: Fang Bian and Ying Zhang
Ying Zhang, whose Chinese Program at Montgomery Bell Academy was recognized as one of the 16 programs across the US to receive the 2024 CLTA Distinguished K-12 Chinese Program, shares about how Middlebury’s Master’s in Chinese program shaped her as an educator.
Fang Bian, who teaches Mandarin Chinese at Bergen County Academies in New Jersey, has used the teaching methods she learned in our MA program to integrate authentic language materials with activities that lead to more scientific, productive, and effective student output.
Meet 8-week Russian Immersion Student: Maxwell Goodman
As a historian, violinist, and someone with Belarusian roots, Max Goodman’s choice to attend the Kathryn Wasserman Davis School of Russian felt personal. He was already deeply invested in Russian culture and history, and Middlebury uniquely combined that motivation with the academic structure and immersive intensity he needed to grow.
Staff Spotlight: Markus Clark, Bilingual Assistant, Italian School
Markus Clark, an alumnus of our Italian Immersion and MA programs, spent his second summer as a Bilingual Assistant at our Italian School in summer 2025.
Why Learn Chinese
Drawing on her professional and personal experience, Dr. Pen-Pen Chen shares insights into how language connects identity, community, and opportunity. Dr. Chen highlights the cultural and professional advantages of learning Chinese in today’s world while reflecting on her own journey as a Chinese American. This engaging discussion offers both inspiration and practical reasons for embracing language learning.
Video originally published by the Center for East Asian Studies at the University of Arizona, June 26, 2025.