Total Russian Immersion

Developed under the National Critical Languages Initiative
Take the Russian Only Pledge and experience total immersion!
Full academic year of advanced University Russian in 7 weeks
For advanced students only (2 years college Russian and study abroad experience required)

About ACLI

The Advanced Critical Language Institute at Astrakhan State University is a 7-week total immersion program for advanced Russian students. Hosted by Astrakhan State University for the 3rd consecutive year, the Program provides a total immersion atmosphere where students pledge to speak only Russian throughout the duration of the program while living with a local family and studying advanced conversation, phonetics, stylistics and other topics, 4-5 hours daily.

ACLI students cover the equivalent of a full-year of University-level Russian language.
The ACLI methodology was developed under the National Security Language Initiative’s Critical Languages Scholarship Program by a team of Russian pedagogy specialists from Stony Brook, St. Petersburg and Astrakhan State Universities.

ACLI students receive 6-9 transferable credits through Stony Brook University’s Office of International Academic Programs.

DATES: June 17-August 3, 2010

THE PLEDGE:

A Russian-only Language Pledge is strictly enforced for the duration of the Institute. Non-compliant students will be dismissed from the program

HOMESTAYS

All ACLI students live with local Russian-speaking families, where they share breakfast and dinner, spend weekends and participate in all aspects of family life. Host families do not speak English with ACLI participants at any time during the program.

CULTURAL PROGRAM

ACLI includes weekly cultural events in Astrakhan, a Lecture and Film Series, Student Activity Clubs (cooking, video production and others), meetings with local Iranian and other international students, and weekend visits to nearby Volgograd (Stalingrad), and Elista (capital of the Buddhist Republic of Kalmykia)