The U.S. State Department funds intensive, indigenous study of “critical” languages. Six Brown students will spend a summer studying Russian, Turkish, Korean, Arabic (in Jordan), and Persian (in Tajikistan).

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Six Brown students have been awarded U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) to study critical languages abroad over the summer. The students will spend seven to 10 weeks in intensive language institutes in the countries where these languages are spoken.

The CLS Program provides fully funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences. CLS Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.

The State Department launched the program in 2006 to increase opportunities for American students to study critical-need languages overseas.

The Brown students who will participate in the program are Sabiya Ahamed (Arabic in Jordan); Andrew Linder (Russian in Russia); Carlo Ladd (Russian in Russia); Erin West (Turkish in Turkey); Aliyah Olaniyan (Korean in South Korea); and Rebecca Lullo (Persian in Tajikistan).