Program Reviews

Even though my program was 100% virtual due to the pandemic, I went from knowing absolutely no BCS at the beginning of the summer to scoring an Advanced Mid speaking proficiency in two months. Then during the fall semester, I was reading books, analyzing the news, and watching films and TV shows without subtitles. I couldn't have done all this without the excellent quality programming AC provides, and despite the online format, there was a sense of community and support. I can't wait to do another program with American Councils!

I initially had many reservations about the program, uncertain how effective an intensive
language program or virtual study abroad would be towards engaging in cultural exchange, immersion, and advancing my language goals. However, in weighing my options, virtual TISLP appeared to be a valuable experience, despite its newness. Financial support from the Dan E. Davidson Fellowship and other scholarships from American Councils was a major contributing factor in my ability to pursue this program. The scholarship was especially helpful when other funding I had applied for was no longer applicable since I wouldn't be in Taiwan for my study abroad program. The scholarship and others offered through American Councils ensured that I could pay for the program tuition and not stress about finances.
The 8-week program was no doubt, intensive. I started to feel the effects of immersion as I devoted most of my daily schedule to studying Chinese, attending classes, and meeting my language partner for conversation practice. Through thoughtful discussions with my language partner and teachers, and three other classmates, I slowly find myself able to articulate myself better in Chinese. The TISLP program also gave me numerous opportunities to practice voicing my opinion and has enhanced my confidence to do so. The course structure also encouraged us to engage in open dialogue to share our views on numerous topics. Being in this learning environment showed me that we can exchange differing opinions and still advance together while developing good relationships. Meeting with my language partner twice a week over video calls exposed me to cultural aspects in Taiwan as she shared numerous things with me from her life, school, and country.
I was glad that I decided to pursue this program even after it moved to a virtual format because of the pandemic.

I studied abroad with RLASP in Moscow during the Spring 2020 Semester (so right during the time when covid took over). Before covid really hit, I definitely enjoyed all aspects of the program. Mind you, I was pretty much a beginner in Russian prior to leaving and I felt anxious about the academic workload. Most of my peers had over 3-4 semesters of Russian under their belt, so I definitely felt self-conscious about my ability to truly succeed. However, you take a placement test when you arrive and the professors split you up into groups and completely tailor the curriculum according to your needs. I could barely say anything beyond planned phrases prior to leaving the US but left having conversations about Russian poetry and film. Most professors are very patient and push you to do well and speak. The classes themselves are super interesting and, in my group, we more or less directed the conversation. If we wanted to talk about climate change or American politics one day in our Russian Internet class, we did just that. We also had weekly excursions to different museums and landmarks that were held in Russian. The difficulty varied depending on the excursion.

I have no real complaints about housing. My hosts were in their 70s-80s and pretty much kept to themselves most of the time, which was fine with me. However, if you want more "active" hosts, put that in your housing form. And be prepared to travel for at least an hour to get to school. I had to do a lot of walking and train transfers, but it was doable (albeit tiring). Try looking at all possible routes you could take before you start school. I only realized midway into the semester that one bus would take me all the way there (and it was only 3 minutes from my house).

When covid hit, we all had to go back to the US and so we continued with an online format. While it took us about a week or two to work out the kinks, I ended getting a lot of out the online format, if not more, since my concentration was completely focused on lecture and I didn't have the opportunity to really drift off. While programs may be online for the next foreseeable semesters, don't worry about not progressing in your language abilities. In some ways, you might benefit more from an online format than you would originally think.

The American Councils staff and Resident Director are incredibly resourceful and are there to help, while also allowing you that independence. They won't hold your hand throughout the process since living in Russia can be a learning curve, but they will help you along the way when you need it.

Although my study abroad experience was virtual, American Councils adjusted its online language program to create a great and effective language learning experience. I was hesitant at first because I didn't know how they could create an "intensive language learning" experience with students all around the country, but through daily group meetings, one-on-one instruction, challenging homework assignments and weekly meetings with our language learning partners, I felt that my Chinese speaking skills have improved immensely. I communicated in Chinese everyday within the 8 weeks of the program and I felt that I’ve gained a lot of communication skills by speaking to my instructors, classmates and language partner throughout TISLP.

Due to COVID-19 I was unable to travel to Taiwan for the program; however, I still felt like I got to witness some of Taiwanese culture and language through my language learning partner. I got to see various night markets and national parks through my language partner as she showed me around Taiwan on LINE, a popular Taiwan communication app. Despite the program being virtual, I still made friends with fellow classmates and with my language partner. TISLP, overall, has been a great experience.

It was a very immersive program. I stayed with an incredibly nice host mother in a comfortable Moscow apartment. She only spoke Russian and classes were only in Russian, so I was always being steeped in the language. Excursions, classes, and my own adventures taught me a lot about the Russian mentality and language. I made lasting memories and highly recommend the program to anyone learning the language or who is interested in the region. I am now much more confident when it comes to speaking Russian and hope to return one day.

I decided to apply for ERLP because I love Central Asian languages. The program was recommended to me by a friend. The program was excellent. I had one on one classes five days a week for two hours. I talked with my conversation partner for two hours a week and attended cultural activities twice a week. Though I was on Zoom, I felt that I was in Tajikistan. All these activities were held in Tajiki, improving my Tajiki quickly. The teachers will challenge you each lesson. Lessons focus on speaking, allowing you to develop communication skills. I am currently participating in the program this fall, building upon my strong foundation in Tajiki.

I had a fantastic experience on the American Councils RLASP program even with the disruption caused by the COVID pandemic. This program gave me a solid foundation of academic instruction while leaving me the latitude and freedom to explore and interact with the environment and culture in which I was studying.

The course of study was rigorous and fast paced but still gave me plenty of time to actually explore the city where I was studying (Moscow) and concentrate on developing my speech through interactions with locals. I am extremely grateful for their expertise in matching students to extracurricular activities such as internships which I found to be hugely valuable for developing career relevant skills as a researcher and introducing me to colleagues in the Russian historical profession and their approaches to the work of historians.

My hat is off to the support staff both in Moscow and D.C. who did their best to keep us updated with timely information and bent over backwards to move the program into an effective online format when we were recalled to the U.S. during the middle of the Spring term. I would happily study with this program again.

There's no better program for students to learn Indonesian than through the Indonesian Overseas Program at Universitas Negeri Malang. The teachers at the BIPA (Indonesian language program) program at UM are incredibly dedicated and excellent teachers, and made class not only incredibly productive, but also engaging and fun. I came to class every day excited to learn from them, and they were able to challenge me just enough to grow fast without making me feel overwhelmed, despite conducting all instruction in Indonesian from the first day (even though I spoke no Bahasa Indonesia before I started the program). Despite the many disruptions over the course of the semester because of COVID-19 and a few health issues I faced, my teachers worked with me to make my semester enriching, even when it transitioned online. Additionally, my language partner was one of the main reasons that my language skills developed so quickly -- she was *so* patient, especially the first few months when I couldn't talk about a lot of topics, and helped me feel more confident in my speaking abilities and feel at home in Indonesia. Malang is an amazing city and is the perfect balance between a bustling college-town, while way less hectic than Jakarta. The city is also less-hot than other cities in Indonesia and has incredible hiking opportunities. If you're interested in obtaining a high proficiency of Indonesian quickly, this is the best program to do that.

I am so glad that I decided to study abroad with American Councils. This program allowed me to be fully immersed in the Russian language and culture. My language abilities grew immensely due to this program's policies. Living with a host family and taking classes taught in Russian pushed me out of my comfort zone in the best way possible. I also loved living in a city that has so much to offer such as Saint Petersburg. Every time I had free time I would take advantage of all of the amazing museums and restaurants in Saint Petersburg.

This entire adventure changed my life. I have been abroad many times before; however, this program provided a unique opportunity in which I was able to cultivate a deeper understanding for a language and a culture without the typical classroom frustrations/setbacks. From the hilarious and dedicated professors to my incredibly caring host family, everyone was so supportive and patient with us. I truly felt like a Muscovite by the end of August!
But going past my growth as a Russian student, I could easily tell that I had developed certain life skills I definitely had not left the States with. I previously had always felt uncomfortable going anywhere alone. I literally never ate at a restaurant or went to a museum without at least one other person, but while I was in Russia, I noticed that I didn't even really care. All I wanted to do was explore the things that interested me the most, and my passion allowed me to overcome that fear.