Middlebury Language Education Semester

Academic Structure

Curriculum

The Language Education Semester at MIIS has a structured curriculum. Students enroll in the following Language Education and Language & Intercultural Study classes at MIIS, taking 15-17 credits during the semester.

• Language Analysis (3 credits)
• Introduction to Sociolinguistics (3 credits)
• Language Teaching for Social Justice (2 credits)
• Principles & Practices of Language Teaching I (4 credits)
• Introduction to Intercultural Competence (2 credits)
• Electives (1–4 credits)

Electives

Sample Language & Intercultural Study electives below. Note: Use the course schedule to find details about each course. This is not a comprehensive list and may change from semester to semester.   

• Intercultural Competence
  • Trust across Cultures (2 credits)
  • Spanish in the Community (4 credits)
• Language Studies: Students need to be at the second-year college level (minimum) 
  • Arabic (4 credits)
  • Chinese (4 credits)
  • French (4 credits)
  • Japanese (4 credits)
  • Russian (4 credits)
  • Spanish (4 credits)

Students may enroll in MIIS electives outside the Language Education or Language & Intercultural Study Departments if the course has in-person instruction and the student can make a case that the course will complement their language education studies.

Electives could be taken in MIIS Departments such as International Policy & Development, Environmental Policy and Management, International Trade, or Nonproliferation & Terrorism Studies.

Dates

The program runs in the fall semester only. It will take place from the end of August to mid-December. 

Click here for the 2024-2025 MIIS calendar and check out the following pages for more information about Dates and Fees, Admissions, and Housing.

Expanded Opportunities

Participation in this program will give students an advantage when seeking teaching and service opportunities post-graduation, including:

• Peace Corps
• Teach for America 
• Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF)
• Japan Exchange and Teaching Program (JET)
• Auxiliares de Conversación
• English Program in Korea (EPIK)
• CIEE Teach English Abroad
• Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Programs (or other Fulbright programs)
• Teaching language at a private school in the U.S. (NOTE: This program does NOT lead to a K-12 teaching credential. For more on public school credentials visit Middlebury’s Education Studies page.)

Study Away + Study Abroad

Many SAAM students have successfully combined Study Away with a Study Abroad program, spending one semester in Monterey and one semester abroad. It is important to keep academic calendars and visa requirements in mind. Middlebury students should click here to schedule a meeting with an advisor to discuss options. Students from other institutions should speak with their study abroad advisor to determine if they could participate in both Study Away and Study Abroad.