Monday, November 30, 2015

Atlanta Metropolitan Students Get a Chance to Study Abroad

The Critical Language Scholarship program is now offering enrolled students at Atlanta Metropolitan State College the opportunity to study abroad for the first time.

The CLS program is a fully funded, intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for United States undergraduate and graduate students. This program is offered for eight to ten weeks for college credit each summer.
Photo courtesy of thecampuscareercoach.com illustrating study abroad concept of around the world.
“We believe in the program,” said Vance Gray, dean of the Social Science Division. “We know what it can do, and we’re glad to finally offer the program here at Metro. We’re doing the best interest for the students.”

            The program offers language study in 14 critical languages and does not require applicants to have any experience studying critical languages. CLS has a goal of building relationships between people living in the U.S and other countries.

            Kenja McCray, a staff member at Atlanta Metro, who organized the meeting in the student center for students to attend. During the meeting a recruiter for the CLS program, Marlene Davis, explained to the students how they could discover a study abroad opportunity. At the meeting students were able to get information as well as ask questions concerning the program.

            “This is an excellent program,” said Nita Allen, a junior at Atlanta Metro. “I won’t be applying though because I may not be able to meet the deadlines as well as the requirements. The program is open for everybody so I encourage everyone to apply, there’s no age limit as far as seniors, and it’s all-inclusive. They pay for everything, including orientation so it’s definitely a good program.”

             The CLS program covers about one academic semester of university- level language coursework within those eight to ten weeks. There are formal classroom learning with a minimum of 20 hours per week. There are extracurricular activities available as well as one- on- one meetings with native speaking partners for conversational practice.

            The CLS program is an intensive group based language and cultural enrichment program. It is also a program of the U.S Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The ECA works to build a relationship between American and international people to create peace while giving Americans the chance to learn the history, politics and the culture of another country.

   “I think is a great opportunity for any student a part of it,” Torion Eason, a student at Atlanta Metro who was interested in participating in the program. “It’s a chance for Metro to prove that we, as a school, can compete academically with any other school regardless of size or number. It’s also a good look for students who get this rare chance to do something they’ve never thought could happen coming from where they do, or their background.”

            Applying for this program is open to any undergraduate or graduate student who are U.S citizens. The student has to be at least 18 years old, and must currently be enrolled in the semester where applications are being accepted. Applicants must be in good physical and mental health. Each applicant must provide two letters of recommendation, which must not be from a person related to the applicant. The application will also require copies of coursework, transcripts as well as a few essay questions. These are all used in the determination of the final selection. 

 “I always wanted to study abroad,” said Atlanta Metro freshman Emma Simmons. “That was one of my goals as a college student back when I was in high school. The only thing I’m worried about is the fact that I have to leave my whole life behind. Leaving my family would be extremely hard for me because I’ve never been away from my family that long. If I get accepted into this program I would have to leave the country. This is an exciting opportunity though, and is definitely something I’m going to look into.”

Those applicants chosen to participate in the program will receive a small allowance to cover incidental expenses and meals not provided by the program. After completion of the program, participants also receive a certified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) score.

Studying abroad is an opportunity for students to discover a different language and expand their knowledge, because that can take one so far in life. Atlanta Metro is proud to say that they can finally give this possibility to explore other countries. This program is a program that can provide a good experience and has many benefits that come along with it.

“I study abroad,” Robert Reid, a travel blogger tweeted on his twitter page. “Every time I leave the country #WHTravelBloggers.”                                              

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