Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Language Immersion Institute (APTLII), UW-Madison

The UW-Madison Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Language Immersion Institute (APTLII) is a residential summer language immersion program for undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals. Courses are offered for academic credit at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels (depending on sufficient enrollment). Students commit to using their target language as their only means of communication for the entire summer - in class, in their shared living space on campus, at meals, and at co-curricular activities that combine to create a language immersion experience.

Each 8-week language class is equivalent to two semesters of study, with full academic year credit. Instruction is given in small groups taught by native speakers and experienced language teachers. The classes are intensive, involving a minimum of 4.5 hours contact hours Mondays through Fridays, plus extra hours for homework.

In addition to formal classes, on most afternoons and evenings students participate in co-curricular activities covering a range of topics relating to the history and culture of the region. This combination of formal classes, cultural and language activities, movies, field trips, and language tables provide students with opportunities to expand their vocabulary and practice using the language in different settings.

APTLII IMMERSION PHILOSOPHY

Operating under the principle that language learning occurs best when instruction emphasizes full immersion, UW-Madison's Arabic, Persian, and Turkish Language Immersion Institute employs a communicative approach that entails student-centered, performance-based, and context-oriented language teaching.

To meet the program goals of integrating reading, writing, listening, and speaking with communication strategies and cultural skills, instructors and students agree to use the target language exclusively within and outside the classroom. At the end of each level of instruction, students will demonstrate a) greater facility of communication, b) broader understanding of how to engage in the historical and socio-cultural contexts in which the target language is used, and c) expanded individual capabilities in learning how to adapt language skills for life-long learning.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an international leader in foreign language instruction. APTLII is one of several summer language institutes hosted by UW-Madison. For information on other summer language offerings and institutes, please visit wisli.wisc.edu.