CLI @ Azbukum

[Danko Sipka]

Dear Colleagues:


The Arizona State University Critical Languages Institute (CLI, http://www.asu.edu/cli) in collaboration with Azbukum, Novi Sad, Serbia (http://www.azbukum.org.yu) is pleased to announce CLI @ Azbukum, Serbian Summer Immersion Language Program. This program enables US students wishing to study Serbian language to immerse themselves in Serbian language and culture, while at the same time securing up to eight fully transferable US credit hours. Both the ASU Critical Languages Institute and Azbukum are committed to maintaining the highest standards in language teaching.  Therefore, on an experimental basis, the CLI will accept up to four applications for its CLI @ Azbukum program this summer.

 

The Centre for Serbian Language and Culture, AZBUKUM, was founded in 1995 in Novi Sad and specializes in teaching the Serbian language to foreigners. Since then, they have had more than a thousand course participants from all over the world. By developing successful teaching methods and creating study materials (course books, Serbian language grammars, computer exercises, and online courses for Beginner-Advanced levels) Azbukum has become one of the main venues where the language and culture of the Serbs can be explored.  High standards in work, carefully prepared curricula for each level and program, as well as thoughtful treatment of students gives the Azbukum Centre the flavor of a house of friendship and goodwill. It also enabled students to build strong networks with people that are interested in similar fields of research and are willing to share their experience. 

 

Apart from the language courses, Azbukum offers courses in Serbian culture (arts, literature, mythology, folklore, music, and history).  Ethno camps and the Caravan program are also options for students to be introduced to the language and culture of the Serbs in their original surroundings. In addition to the Novi Sad school, three years ago Azbukum opened a branch in Belgrade.  More information is available at www.azbukum.org.yu.

 

Registration for the CLI @ Azbukum is performed at Arizona State University, which will issue up to eight credit hours upon successful completion of the introductory intensive Serbian language course in Belgrade or Novi Sad (July and August 2003). There is a $300 ASU CLI registration fee for this service. All other arrangements are made through Azbukum and instructional fees are paid directly to them. The instructional fees are as follows:

 

2 weeks / 40 classes        $ 260 US (deposit $ 100)

3 weeks / 60 classes        $ 385 US (deposit $ 150)

4 weeks / 80 classes        $ 485 US (deposit $ 200)

6 weeks / 120 classes      $ 710 US (deposit $ 250)

Registration                       $ 35 US  (other services are available at extra cost)

 

Please contact Susan Edgington at the CLI (cli at asu.edu) to register.

 

The CLI will also offer an eight-credit intensive Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian course at the ASU Main Campus (Tempe, AZ) from June 2 to August 1, 2003. This course comes with a generous tuition waiver, which generates more than a thousand dollars in savings for each enrolling CLI student. CLI students pay only a modest $300 application fee. Both the length and content of our courses enable FLAS, Fulbright, and other fellowships support funds to be used by graduate students pursuing summer language training in the CLI.

 

As a regular feature of its summer session, the CLI also features topical workshops and one-on-one tutorials for those preparing grant proposals for study and research abroad.  For dozens of CLI graduates, these tutorials have yielded remarkable success in NSEP, Fulbright, Marshall, and other fellowship competitions. Other CLI graduates have now joined the U.S. Foreign Service or have taken international positions with major corporations.

 

The following features make CLI summer programming competitive with the finest national centers offering intensive summer language institutes:

 

  1.. Sound methodological background
  2.. Utilization of the state-of-the art instructional technology
  3.. Highly qualified language personnel
  4.. Rich cultural content
  5.. Rigorous and comprehensive oversight and quality control
  6.. Strong ties with institutions in target countries
 

We have been using the Interagency Linguistic Roundtable scale with our introductory courses bringing CLI participants to level 1+ in reading with other skills remaining between 1 and 1+ and our intermediate courses reaching level 2 in reading with other skills remaining between 1+ and 2. 

 

Our Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian course features a strong on-line component (http://www.public.asu.edu/~dsipka/syl1.htm), and its entirely on-line version will be made available to our students as a refresher intended to alleviate the problem of retention in the period between the introductory and the intermediate course. A sample lesson one can be perused at: http://www.asu.edu/clas/reesc/scr101, using the password 'scr1'. The full course is available at http://cli.la.asu.edu/scr101 - a student's social security number is required to log in. All CLI courses will follow suit shortly and we will keep adding new hybrid components for our courses through our server services page: http://cli.la.asu.edu. 

 

CLI faculty are drawn from highly qualified linguists with years of teaching experience and a strong record of publications in the field (see http://www.public.asu.edu/~dsipka as an example). A short introduction to our instructors and their syllabi are available at: http://www.asu.edu/clas/reesc/cli/ltrain.htm.

 

In addition to the cultural content (complementing traditional grammar, vocabulary, communicative skills, and linguistic norms) of CLI courses, CLI summer sessions include an annual lecture series, movie showings, and social events rich in cultural content. Take a look at some pictures of our classes and social events (visiting ethnic restaurants) at: http://www.public.asu.edu/~dsipka/sylpct.htm.

 

Finally, we have established partnerships with key institutions in target countries securing the most favorable summer practicum and study abroad arrangements for our students.

 

If you have any further questions about our courses, please do not hesitate to contact us at cli at asu.edu or by phone at 480-965-7706.

 

Sincerely,

 

Danko Sipka, Associate Director

Critical Languages Institute

http://www.public.asu.edu/~dsipka


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                  http://home.attbi.com/~lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------