Interested in Studying Abroad in Laos over the Summer? Apply to the Summer Study Abroad in Laos (SAIL) Program Today!

Do you want to learn the Lao language, Lao history, and Lao culture? What better way to do it than to spend your summer fully immersed in Lao society in Laos!

The Center for Lao Studies (CLS), dedicated to promoting and advancing the field of Lao Studies, is sponsoring its annual year Summer Study Abroad in Laos program (SAIL) in the summer of 2012. During the eight-week program, students will partake in language and cultural lessons at the Lao-American College (LAC), the first private college and the only school founded by an American citizen in the Lao PDR. The students will also have the opportunity to study Lao history and culture, augment their academics with cultural trips throughout the area, and experience volunteering with an international nongovernmental organization (NGO).

SAIL students will be participating in a Lao language program tailored specifically to the group’s needs at one of the country’s most acclaimed (and popular) language institutions – the Lao-American College (http://www.lac.edu.la/). Located in the heart of Vientiane, Lao-American College offers a unique instructional and service program in the effective teaching of Lao. Intensive courses combined with individual language tutorials, diversified field trips, and an experienced on-site staff, make Lao-American an incredible place to study Lao and learn cross-cultural skills. SAIL participants spend three to four hours a day in classroom training and pair up with Lao students to further improve their speaking and listening comprehension. Classroom time is split between language lessons and an elective course (in English) on a Lao-specific topic such as Lao history and culture, the environment, philosophy, or world cultures.

For more information, including program costs, a week-by-week itinerary, as well as how to apply, please visit the SAIL website at: http://laostudies.org/sail. Scholarships are available.