World Languages Track

Credit-bearing classes: FREN 2016 and FREN 2026 (3 credits each)

Pedagogy and Philosophy

The World Languages Track in French is an immersive learning journey into the French language and cultures!

In this course, you’ll practice speaking, listening, reading, and writing in dynamic and supportive ways—always with room for play, reflection, and creativity.

Each unit invites you to dive into real-world themes, create projects with your classmates, and take part in “missions” that build your communication skills. Grammar and vocabulary are introduced in context, reinforced through spiral learning, and practiced through integrated oral and written activities.

Emphasis is placed on working in teams, developing communication strategies, and building learner autonomy.

By the end of the course, you will be able to connect with others in French and see the world a little differently.

Credit-bearing classes: GERM 2016 and GERM 2026 (3 credits each)

Pedagogy and Philosophy

Besides learning German vocabulary and grammar and intensely practicing the four language skills -- writing, reading, listening, and speaking -- in daily morning and afternoon sessions, students will also be engaged in German cultural activities such as watching movies and preparing and cooking German dishes.

Unique Features of the Program

The World Languages Track in German features experienced instructors who combine traditional classroom techniques with cultural components to create a stimulating and engaging atmosphere. Classes focus on daily conversation and journal writing, enhancing individual self-expression in German.

Credit-bearing classes: ITAL 2016 and ITAL 2026 (3 credits each)

Pedagogy and Philosophy

The World Languages Track in Italian offers an accelerated and immersive experience in the language of the boot-shaped nation. 

Our courses are student-centered with emphasis on developing the five skills essential for successful communication in a world language: speaking, listening, reading, writing, and cultural competency. Students are encouraged to work in teams to apply the Italian they are learning to real-world situations and tasks, while their instructors guide them toward greater linguistic proficiency and a deeper understanding of Italian culture.  

Since acquiring a new language works best with practice, students will communicate nearly exclusively in the target language. By the end of the program, you will have reached a high intermediate level of proficiency, which will enable you to: 

• Narrate in the present, past, and future tenses. 
• Express opinions and subjective points of view. 
• Give and understand orders. 
• Compare and contrast the products and practices of Italian culture with those of your own culture to gain a deeper understanding of differing perspectives. 
• Master effective strategies for world language learning that enable you to remember new vocabulary and grammar better, communicate clearly with others, and conquer world language anxiety. 

Unique Features of the Program

• Project-Based Learning 
• Experiential Learning Activities on Grounds and in Charlottesville 
• Interactive games and role-play tasks 
• Interaction with authentic cultural materials 

Credit-bearing classes: SPAN 2016 and SPAN 2026 (3 credits each)

Pedagogy and Philosophy  

We believe that language learning occurs most effectively in a student-centered classroom that offers the practice of linguistic and cultural knowledge and fosters the development of the four language skills – speaking, listening, reading, and writing. In this learning model, you’ll be actively engaged daily in learning, practicing, and applying knowledge, while your teachers will be the facilitators of this process. By the end of the program, students will be able to: 

• Communicate via speaking, listening, reading, and writing at an intermediate proficiency level.
• Make comparisons between products and practices to help understand perspectives in the own and other cultures. 
• Develop intercultural skills applicable to other studies and situations you may encounter in any global context.  
• Apply self-directed strategies for learning through reflection. 
• Develop digital literacy skills that effectively use different media forms. 

Unique Features of the Program 

What makes the Spanish Summer Language Institute a unique learning experience? The institute offers an intensive near-immersion program in which all students sign a pledge to speak Spanish only throughout the entire program. All contact and communication among students and instructors, in and outside the classroom, are in Spanish only from the first day of the program. This near-immersion format will help you learn Spanish more effectively while developing cultural and linguistic fluency.