Summer institute: Southeast Asian Summer Studies Institute for heritage learners -- FELLOWSHIP DEADLINE 10 FEBRUARY

[Scott G. McGINNIS]

The Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute (SEASSI) will 
offer 8-week intensive summer Heritage language and culture 
classes in Filipino, Khmer, Lao, Hmong and Vietnamese.  The 
classes will take place at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison, from June 19 to August 11, 2006.

These classes are intended for university students of 
Filipino, Hmong, Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese ethnic 
backgrounds who grew up in North America and can 
speak/understand the language of their Southeast Asian 
culture (to at least a minimal degree) and would like to 
learn to read and write their language, as well as learn to 
speak it at a more sophisticated and learned level.  
Students with no aural or spoken command of the language can 
also study at SEASSI, but would be placed in a beginning 
level class with non-native speakers.  Placement will be 
determined on the first day of classes.

Students will have a chance to learn more about the 
traditions of the culture and how to make sense of their 
lives and traditions in America/Canada in an historical 
context.  Independent, project-oriented study opportunities 
will also be available, in the context of modular 
instruction, so students who enter the program already at an 
intermediate literacy level can also have their educational 
needs met and be stimulated and challenged.

The classes are taught by experienced instructors from the 
United States, Canada and Southeast Asia, and make use of 
the latest teaching materials and methods.  All classes 
carry one full year of university language credit.  A 
variety of fellowships and tuition reductions are available.
For more information, please visit the SEASSI Heritage 
Program website:

http://www.seassi.wisc.edu/heritage/index.html
<http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/SEASSI/heritage>

Even if you've visited the above website before, please take 
another look, since new photos, videos and program 
information have recently been added for all five languages.

The specific deadlines for applying for financial aid for 
SEASSI 2006 vary according to type of financial aid sought.  
Note that the Heritage Fellowship application deadline is 
February 10, 2006, and the general SEASSI application 
deadline is April 3, 2006.  Please check the main SEASSI 
website, http://www.seassi.wisc.edu 
<http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/SEASSI%29> for information on 
specific types of financial aid.

Please circulate this information to any potentially 
interested parties.  Thank you.

Frank Smith
Heritage Language Facilitator
Southeast Asian Studies Summer Institute University of 
Wisconsin-Madison