KSU to Offer Free Language Courses To Teens this Summer

This summer, Kent State University will be offering a free language immersion program for high school students that want to learn one of the world's four most difficult languages. Approximately fifty students will be chosen to participate in a year-long program to learn Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, or Russian.

Many of these languages are not offered at the high school level, and many students who begin them while in college often find that they don't have sufficient time to become proficient enough in the languages. Compared to other languages like Spanish and French, taking Chinese, Russian, Japanese, or Arabic lessons requires a much larger time commitment both in class, and studying outside the classroom.

Students will be able to enter the program, and will receive their tuition and fees paid for, as well as free room and board at a Kent State dorm. They will also be compensated for not being able to work during the summer with a stipend. Students will also receive a free laptop computer. Dorms will be supervised by a RA who is fluent in the language they are studying.

The program is being paid for through a $350,000 grant that KSU received from the Ohio Board of Regents. Bowling Green State University and Oberlin College are also partners in the language academy.

The application deadline for the program is May 1,2007. For details, you can call 330-672-2150 or e-mail Brian Baer at bbaer@kent.edu.