Hi Sigur Center and Asia on E Street readers!

This is Selina with a quick update on what the living conditions are like in Seoul. Rather than culture shock, I think I was more shocked by living conditions. The living conditions are quite different from the US. I've recently moved into my own studio apartment closer to Korea University where I will be studying in the Fall. Just some things to note for people coming to South Korea. The biggest difference are the bathrooms. In Korea, there are no separate shower areas! Granted my dormitory at Sogang University had a separate shower, most studios, which are called one rooms, simply have a shower head attached to the sink. The picture below is from the guesthouse I stayed in when I first came to Korea.

For anyone going to study in Korea and interested in living off-campus, there are different room type options. I choose to live in a one room because it offers private bath, kitchen and laundry amenities. Its very comfortable though it is a smaller room compared to my dorm back at GW. As you can see in the picture below, in most one rooms and officetels the washing machine is right under the stove. Most apartments, even houses, do not have ovens.

 It is also incredibly hot and humid in Seoul. Although the temperature may be similar to DC, it is much more humid in Seoul. I don't think I have sweated so much walking down the street before. Many shops, shopping centers, and residences lack central air conditioning as well. So its not uncommon to find stores that only sell fans or portable air conditioners. Which reminds me of the Seoul Metro system. Yes this metro system can take you anywhere! But the stations are very hot and also do not have air conditioning. Yes the lack of cool air makes living tough for me. The trains however are usually pretty cool. Interestingly, there are some train cars with signs saying the temperature is 2 degrees celsius higher. This is because of laws that were passed to conserve energy. And Koreans are strict on adhering to these energy laws despite the heat. In my dormitory, you could not turn the AC lower than 24 celsius, and most days you could not turn the AC on between 1-5 pm because these are peak energy times.

 The last living condition that has shocked me since coming to Korea is how many hills, mountains, and stairs there are here. What I miss about DC metro are the escalators! Unlike DC, Korean metro stops will have multiple exits, and usually only one or two of the exits will have an escalator. Living in DC, and growing up in a beach community, I rarely go uphill, but somehow in this program I've managed to climb three mountains. At the end of my trek I found this pile of stones seen below. The words etched on top means health. Quite appropriate!

But despite some of these shocks in living conditions, Korea still has some pretty fun things! Like the Gangnam style teddy bear I ran into at the Teddy bear museum at Namsan tower!

For my final blog post at the end of my language program, I wanted to give an example of what I’ve learned this summer. I asked a couple other Marathi language students if they would help me film a short dialogue for this project. They gracefully said yes if they got to wear “disguises” and we began with just an outline of how we wanted the conversation to go- that is to say this video was not scripted. We are all still learning and I am also still learning how to translate so I tried to keep the translated subtitles as true to what I understood the dialogue to be as possible.


            This summer I started at next to nothing as a false beginner in Marathi and have progressed to reading and writing in a new alphabet and speaking in short, simple sentences. This is sincerely one of my greatest accomplishments and something I’ve wanted to learn for almost all of my life. I’m extremely happy with my progress although I still have a long way to go.



             This program was beneficial not only because I learned the bare bone basics of Marathi but it also kick started my academic career in South Asia and put me in contact with wonderful scholars. I’m overwhelmingly grateful for the support I received from the Sigur Center and from the department of Anthropology at GWU to pursue these studies this summer and I look forward to returning to Pune and AIIS very soon.



Jessica Chandras, PhD Anthropology
Sigur Center 2013 Summer Language Fellow

American Institute of Indian Studies, Marathi Summer Language Program, Pune, India

Hi Sigur Center :)

This is Selina! I'm currently in Seoul, South Korea studying in the Korean Immersion Program at Sogang University. I'll be continuing my studies at Korea University this fall. I hope to continue to update all the Asia on E Street readers throughout the summer and fall semester.

Here's a short video highlighting the different aspects of my korean language program.

When learning a new language, students are often encouraged to use that language as much as possible. As a beginner to Marathi, the language I’m studying this summer in India, daily I proceed through a slow slog to find the words I want to say in Marathi when the English words are on the tip of my tongue. So, knowing that I should try to speak the new language as much as I can, I’m finding it both a blessing and a curse that English is used so much in Marathi. One example is that the word for “table” in Marathi is “table.” Table is just one of hundreds of English words that have found their way into the daily speech of Marathi speakers.

On the one hand, because there are so many English words is Marathi it makes communication easy. Since I am learning Marathi I am told to use as much Marathi as possible. The Marathi words that I use most are usually conjunctions or connecting words like “and” and “but.” Then, if I do not know a word in Marathi, I can use the English word and most likely the other person will still understand what I am trying to say. The result is that my speech is a mixture of intentionally chosen English and Marathi words that I use to show that I can in fact speak and understand a little Marathi.

On the other hand, speaking so much English in a language is a hindrance because I have become very used to replacing words I may not be certain of in Marathi with their equivalent English words and I may never be corrected as to which of the words are more commonly used- the English word or another word in Marathi. One example of the confusion of how and when to use English in Marathi is my struggle with the word “interesting.” I am one of many Americans who pepper my speech with the word “interesting”: “That’s so interesting!” “I find it interesting that…” I realized that these are phrases I use a lot. I have asked a number of Marathi speakers how to say “interesting” in Marathi and I was told to just use “interesting” in English. I have gleaned that there are words in Marathi that mean something similar to how I use the English word “interesting” in various ways but in these instances Marathi speakers also seem to use the English word.

Another challenge to learning how to use English correctly in Marathi is learning Marathi syntax. Marathi speakers may easily use English words in their speech but their syntax, or word order, is distinctly Marathi while using those words. In what I have been learning, at least in simple sentences, the verb should come at the end of the sentence. Linguistically, Marathi is mostly a subject-object-verb (SOV) language. Simple English sentences place the object at the end of the sentence, so English is a subject-verb-object (SVO) language. So while using English in Marathi, speakers stick to the SOV format and the result is a Marathi sentence with Marathi construction with some English words. This is interesting because it means using words familiar to me in unfamiliar ways for communication in a different language.

Lastly, as I’m becoming more and more familiar with reading Devanagari script I’m finding many English words written in Devanagari. A great deal of what is written on signs was really intimidating to me at first because many words were in Devanagari. However, now that I can slowly read when I begin to sound out a word there is a high probability that the word will actually be an English word. The example below is something commonly seen here- Devanagari script (of English words) with the Roman alphabet translation.

In this picture the blue “State Bank” in the Roman alphabet is exactly the same as the last two words written in blue in Devanagari. And the first word in blue is the word India, but not in English. This mix of multiple languages and multiple scripts makes learning Marathi and Devanagari script an exceptionally challenging but enlightening, and interesting, experience!

Photo credit: http://www.financialexpress.com/news/sbi-may-sell-assets-to-aid-recovery/1125820. June 6, 2013

Jessica Chandras, PhD student, Anthropology
Sigur Center 2013 Summer Language Fellow
AIIS Pune, Marathi Summer Language Program, India

For my second post from India while on a a grant for Asian language study from the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, here is a little taste of my transportation routine. While my Marathi language program continues for a few more weeks, I thought I'd share some videos of my adventures with various modes of transportation in Pune, India from my own perspective. This video includes recordings taken from auto rickshaws, scooter, car, and by foot. All are ways I daily brave the streets of Pune. 

Music- Paule Chalti Pandharichi Vaat by Pralhad Shinde & Madhukar Pathak.

Jessica Chandras, PhD Anthropology
Sigur Center 2013 Summer Language Fellow
AIIS Pune, Marathi Summer Language Program, India

Namaste! I have now been in my home away from home in the city of Pune, India for two weeks.

My name is Jessica Chandras and I’m going into my second year of the PhD program in Anthropology at the George Washington University. I plan to do research on the fascinating intersections of language and identity in the state of Maharashtra, India. To prepare for my future research I am spending the summer learning Marathi in Maharashtra- a state in India where Marathi is spoken. I am acclimating well to the rigorous American Institute of Indian Studies Marathi language program. I am gratefully able to attend this program through a grant for Asian language study in Asia from the Sigur Center for Asian Studies at the GWU’s Elliott School for International Affairs. In just two weeks I am pleased to say I have made progress from almost no knowledge of Marathi to a beginner who can speak, read, and write basic sentences! It is a short time that I have been here so far, but living with a host family and studying the language where it is spoken speeds up the process of learning both the language and also about Punekar* life and culture.

Studying a language is an exceptionally rich way to learn about the people who speak that language. Often the first words learned in a new language tell a great deal about what is important to locals for daily interaction as well as their shared values and beliefs. This may seem like common sense, but I think that recognizing why you learn the first words you do in a new language provides an interesting window into the culture. For example, I notice that much of the vocabulary that I am learning at the beginning of my studies is related to temples and religion. In the US you would not learn this vocabulary in a classroom, let alone in the first weeks of learning English. Yet vocabulary related to temples and religion is extremely important here and the people who live where I am studying. I have also found that knowing some basic words related to these topics, while seemingly random, has come in quite handy!

A day or two before I arrived in Pune the monsoon season began. In my first days here I often got caught outside soaking wet in the heavy, warm, but greatly needed rain. Understanding how important the rain is and how welcome the rainy season is makes it easy to understand why I quickly learned the word for umbrella. I also learned a useful phrase that translates to “a big rain came” and the word for monsoon. However, even after two weeks I do not know the word for “good morning.” I’ve listened to how people greet each other and either people say Namaste or nothing at all. Therefore, it is not extremely important that I know how to say “good morning," although it is a phrase I use daily in the US, since it is not used in the cultural context of morning interactions here. Therefore, it is important when learning a new language to not just try to speak English in the new language, but to speak the language in its cultural context.

I also found that I use the words “here” and “there” quite a bit. These words were not the first words I learned in other languages but I did not need them as much as I need them now. Each morning I take an auto rickshaw to class and this provides an excellent opportunity to try out new words and phrases. Then I realized that I had probably learned these words and phrases specifically because the people I interact with knew I would take rickshaws and they did not want me to get lost. A lot could happen when I put myself in an old, rusty automobile by myself for a relatively great distance and time with a non-English speaker, so I thank my local teachers for arming me with a basic rickshaw themed vocabulary. In addition to “here” and “there,” my vocabulary also includes “stop,” “change,” “left,” “right,” and “thank you.” "Thank you" is difficult for me because locals do not frequently thank one another, and if they do, the English word is used. I incorporate the word for thank you (dhanyavad) into my speech because it is a distinctly American habit to say thank you to everyone for everything. I think this is an excellent example of how hard it can be to speak the culture and not just the language.

Apart from vocabulary, another linguistic concept impressed upon me early as a beginner in Marathi was the honorific tense used to speak respectfully to older individuals and those of higher status. Through this linguistic construction I have come to understand my place in relation to other individuals and that there is a rather rigid social hierarchy in place that one must abide by to avoid offending anyone. These social rules are acted out behaviorally and also through language. For example, just to ask someone how they are feeling I first need to go through a mental checklist to arrive at what is hopefully the correct linguistic expression for the number of people, the gender of those people, and level of respect they deserve.

I know this is still very early to comment profoundly on the new language and culture I am immersed in but this post can serve both as a record of my introduction to life and language in Pune and also assist others who may be beginning a new language abroad. I look forward to continuing to learn and document my adventure learning the Marathi language and culture while in Pune this summer!

* What someone from Pune is called.


Jessica Chandras, PhD Anthropology
Sigur Center 2013 Summer Language Fellow
AIIS Pune, Marathi Summer Language Program, India

The Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) is pleased to announce that ‘Ambassador’ Scholarships are again being offered to U.S. college students during the summer of 2013.

There is no requirement for proficiency in Chinese language... indeed, the program's aim is to provide opportunities to those who have not experienced a study-aboard program either in China or Taiwan, but are eager to pursue some overseas immersion Mandarin and cultural study. Other requirements include full-time student status, minimum 3.0 GPA, and two letters of recommendation from college professors. Accepted students will be enrolled in the Chinese Language Center at the National Cheng Kung University (NCKU,http://www.ncku.edu.tw  ) in Tainan City, Taiwan. The University is recognized as one of the two top institutions of higher education in Taiwan. The application period ends on Feb. 15, 2013 for early acceptance  and  March 31, 2013 for  general acceptance. Applications can be submitted on line at www.taiwanusalliance.com .

The 2013 TUSA program starts July 1 and ends August 23th.  A stipend of NT $25,000 (US $800) per month for two months (July & August) will be awarded to each scholarship recipient. The scholarship is budgeted to cover tuition, dormitory fees, all program-related travel and excursions, and accident/outpatient health insurance. The program is sponsored by  the  Ministry of Education  in Taiwan,  and a total of 36 ‘Ambassador’ students will be accepted for the 2013 class.                                                                          .                                                                              

There were times during the nine months I spent studying in China for my senior year of high school that made me feel I had made a grave mistake in leaving home. Although living in China initially seemed like a dream come true for someone deeply interested in Chinese history and culture like me, the incessant staring and gawking by Chinese people at my 6’ 8” frame made me feel insecure and unwelcome. This insecurity was exacerbated by my unsympathetic AP calculus teacher who, when I came to seek his help one day, yelled: “I am not going to help you anymore because you are not going to understand it!” This day was the lowest of many low points during my time in China. I returned to the US at the end of my senior year with the conviction that my future no longer involved Asia. This was a shame because I had gone to China with the idea that I would pursue a career as a US Foreign Service officer in Asia, and maybe one day become the US ambassador to China. I therefore entered GWU in the fall of 2009 at a loss about what to study and what career path to pursue. The disaster of my China experience also made me hesitate to even think about studying abroad again. During my sophomore year of college, I managed to get a part-time job at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies largely because of my background in Asia. Initially, I did not expect to get much out of this job besides needed cash. At the time, I never would have imagined that I would end up working at the Sigur Center for more than two years, or that my passion for Asia would be revived through it. Supportive Asian studies faculty such as Professor McCord encouraged me to not waste my hard-earned Chinese language skills and to deepen my understanding of China and Asia through courses offered at GWU. As I began to take these courses during my junior year, I realized that my passion was for the international politics of Asia, and that I had to follow my heart in choosing my career in this field despite the fact that I was apprehensive it could force me to live in Asia again. From my work at the Sigur Center, I learned that Sigur Center fellowships were available for GWU students wanting to study Chinese in Taiwan over the summer. Although the Center’s Taiwanese visiting scholars reassured me that Taiwan was a very welcoming place where a tall, yet low-profile American like me could fit in somewhat more inconspicuously than in China, I still vacillated about applying. However, as my interest in Taiwan picked up steam through research papers on Taiwanese politics and cross-Strait relations in Professor Robert Sutter’s US-Asia relations course, I convinced myself that I could at least handle living in Taiwan for six weeks over the summer.I went to Taiwan this past summer and absolutely loved it. This positive experience not only shattered my fear of living in Asia again, it has also motivated me to become a “Taiwan hand” for the US government in the future. As my college years come to close, I realize that I have much to thank the Sigur Center for: a job, a language fellowship to Taiwan, and a vision for my future career. I cannot thank the Sigur Center’s faculty members and staff for an amazing undergraduate experience!

By: Kyle Churchman

(From Top, Left to Right) 

1. A panoramic view of Seoul from Sydni's window

2. Sydni Porter - GWU Junior

3. A Sea of Crimson - Korea University

4. An opposing sea of blue - Yonsei University

Name: Sydni Porter

Grade: Junior, Class of 2014

Major: Asian Studies / Minor: Korean Language and Culture

Hometown: Hinesville, Georgia

Location of Study Abroad: Korea University (Seoul, Korea)

What was your level of Korean before going abroad, and what courses are you taking now at Korea University?

I had finished intermediate II at GWU, and at Korea University, I am enrolled in 1) intermediate Korean I; 2) Beginners Korean Speaking II; 3) Morphology; 4) Environmental Meteorology; and 4) Mass Media and Popular Culture in Korea. 

What is it like to attend Korea University?

There is a lot of school spirit at KU and at Yonsei. The two schools are rivals, and every year there are the GoYon games between the two where they compete in several sports (see picture above). 

Have you experienced any cultural/language barrier issues?
I haven’t experienced too many cultural issues. I've been wanting to go to Korea since the 10th grade, so I've done a lot of research on my own and have learned a lot from my GW classes, so I felt pretty prepared. One thing I wish I had known - well I had heard of it before but completely forgot - was about the squat toilets. Most public toilets are squat toilets, which are essentially holes in the floor that you have to squat over and pee into (but like a western toilet, they are also made of ceramic and have handles to flush). It came as a bit of a shock the first time I asked to use the restroom. 

What are some fun things you have done thus far?
1. Visited the War Memorial
2. Toured traditional Korean village
3. Attended the Korea vs Yonsei (GoYon) games
4. Traveled Hongdae and Gangnam
5. Checked out the US Military Base, Yongsan
6. Learning about issues like homosexuality in the Korean film industry in my Mass Media and Popular Culture in Korea class.

Please share a memorable moment from your study abroad experience:
My most memorable moment was definitely the GoYon games. There was a sea of red against a sea of blue, all yelling out cheers as they “watched” the soccer game. The cheers are each coordinated to a corresponding song and led by cheering officials. GWU pales in comparison to the school spirit here. The vibe is tremendous, and even though the two sides are rivals, it’s not uncommon to hop over to the sea of blue (Yonsei) and learn their cheers too. Even after the games, the two schools take to the streets of KU or Yonsei and cheer all night long. 

Any advice for those studying Korean right now and considering studying abroad in Korea?

The biggest thing I have noticed from observing other study abroad students is making sure that you can respect Korean culture and appreciate the distinct flavors of Korean cuisine. Yes there are Western eateries, but usually these options don't even taste like real Western food, are too expensive, and more difficult to find. Besides, Korean food is very good for you (minus the salt content). As for respecting the culture, Korean people hold a deep sense of respect for the elderly and those above you in status. I have found the people of Korea to be well behaved no matter what situation, and there is a lot of modesty and stylishness in how they dress (much more so for women). Most of all, make sure you visit as many places as you can; make a plan for each weekend. Keep in mind that businesses in Korea are stacked on top of each other, so it is easy to miss out on some interesting restaurants and bars if you don't pay attention.

Would you say that Korea is still a developing country?

Before I came to Korea, I had to call my bank for some technical things and mentioned to the banker that I was going to Korea to study abroad. As we continued our dialogue, the banker said to me, “Maybe you can get a job while you are there, pulling one of those carts that people sit on. I heard they call those taxis there.” Needless to say, his words made me 38 hot! Obviously, he has never been to Korea or cared to learn about this thriving country. (For the record, all the taxis I have ridden in have been very nice. You can even pay with your subway card, which is more high-tech than the United States.)

It confuses me that South Korea is considered a lesser developed country, often mistakenly paired along with Africa and most other southern hemisphere countries. There are many things in Seoul that surpass anything in the United States: the subway system, while a bit complicated, stretches farther than the DC Metro, and the platforms are considerably brighter and better-maintained than the DC metro and NY subway. Seoul is a leader in technology, and in terms of cell phone variety and capabilities, Korea beats the U.S. by a long run. Koreans also receive free healthcare, and the city is steeped in mix of tradition and westernization. Right by my dorm is a large Buddhist temple, and I have seen the monks using the subway and texting on their cells. I can foresee South Korea playing an even larger role in worldwide politics, especially in retaliation to the ever looming “threat” of a North Korean attack. This fast-paced city is full of national pride and a palpable drive for success. The mood is quite contagious, and I cannot help but look forward to my own future with similar anticipation and excitement. 

Substantial scholarships are still available for this summer’s Intensive Chinese course at Portland State University (Oregon).

Dates: June 25 – August 10, 2012.
Credits: 4 Credits

Scholarships:
Substantial tuition aid is available through the ALLEX Foundation. Support from ALLEX will bring tuition for out-of-state students to $749, equal to Oregon residents. In addition, with resident and non-residents can expect substantial additional financial support worth several hundred dollars. Please contact Eriko Akamatsu at allexoffice@allex.org for more information.

Estimated Tuition before Scholarships:
Oregon Residents: $749 (Scholarships available.)
Non-Residents: $2,066 (Scholarships available.)

Details: http://www.allex.org/programs/summerchinese/

Program Overview:
This program is designed to train students to speak and listen to Mandarin Chinese, and to introduce students to reading and writing the language. At the end of the course students will be expected to perform in all four skills—speaking, listening, reading and writing—at a basic level of proficiency. Students will not only learn to speak the language; they will also develop an understanding of Chinese interpersonal behavior. The ultimate goal is to teach students not just to speak Chinese, but to function successfully in Chinese culture using Mandarin—to present yourself as an intelligent person in Chinese culture using the Chinese language. Students will learn to speak and perform correctly in a variety of social situations. In each setting students will learn how to perform in the Chinese language in a culturally appropriate way

Faculty:
Haohsiang Liao, (Director) Ohio State University
Cornelius Kubler, Williams College
Yongfang Zhang, Wufford College
Wan-Chen Chen, Ohio State University

Details: http://www.allex.org/programs/summerchinese/

The TUSA Ambassador Summer Scholarship Program is being offered again this year to U.S. college and university students who are interested in studying the Mandarin Chinese language during the months of July and August. The scholarship covers tuition, dormitory fees, four excursions and incidental insurance. Meals are not included and students must provide their own airfare to and from Taiwan.

This program provides a quality Mandarin Chinese immersion program with emphasis on speaking, but also on listening, reading and writing.

In addition to studying at one of Taiwan's top-ranked universities, students learn about Taiwanese culture and will visit several interesting sites to become more familiar with Taiwan and her people. The program has been created with special focus on students without Chinese/Taiwanese heritage, so prior knowledge or experience with the Mandarin language is not needed. Each U.S. student will work with Taiwanese study partners to assist in the language and cultural study program.

The application period for this class of Ambassadors closes 31 March 2012. All applications will be reviewed and reported on by 10 April 2012. Please apply online at:

www.taiwanusalliance.com.

Substantial scholarships are available for this summer’s Intensive Chinese course at Portland State University (Oregon).

Dates: June 25 – August 10, 2012.
Credits: 4 Credits

Program Overview:
This program is designed to train students to speak and listen to Mandarin Chinese, and to introduce students to reading and writing the language. At the end of the course students will be expected to perform in all four skills—speaking, listening, reading and writing—at a basic level of proficiency. Students will not only learn to speak the language; they will also develop an understanding of Chinese interpersonal behavior. The ultimate goal is to teach students not just to speak Chinese, but to function successfully in Chinese culture using Mandarin—to present yourself as an intelligent person in Chinese culture using the Chinese language. Students will learn to speak and perform correctly in a variety of social situations. In each setting students will learn how to perform in the Chinese language in a culturally appropriate way.

Scholarships:
Substantial tuition aid is available through the ALLEX Foundation. Support from ALLEX will bring tuition for out-of-state students to $749, equal to Oregon residents. In addition, with resident and non-residents can expect substantial additional financial support worth several hundred dollars.

Estimated Tuition before Scholarships:
Oregon Residents: $749 (Scholarships available.)
Non-Residents: $2,066 (Scholarships available.)


For more details and to apply, please click here
You may also contact Eriko Akamatsu at allexoffice@allex.org for more information.

China-STEM (Chinese for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine) opens this summer at Hopkins Nanjing Center with two tracks: engineering and health science. The summer program is designed for undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and researchers who seek to enhance their Chinese language proficiency for scientific, technological, engineering, and medical (STEM) disciplines. Over the course of eight weeks, students are immersed in rigorous language training, coupled with experiential research trips to laboratories, hospitals, and academic institutions in Nanjing and Beijing. Students with 3 years of college level Chinese or equivalent who are interested in developing specialized language skills for careers in medicine, public health, nursing, or engineering should check out and apply through their site.

Important Notice!

If you previously sent an application for a Sigur Center summer grant for language study or field research, then you will need to RESUBMIT all materials to Matt Greiger at mgrieger@gwu.edu. For those that have not submitted their application and plan to do so, please email your application to the new email address.

Again, applications are still due on Friday, February 17 at 5:00PM. Please be sure to submit your application and ALL supporting documents by that time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact asia@gwu.edu.

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.

If you are an undergraduate planning to study abroad this summer, please consider applying to this scholarship! Deadline is March 1st, 2012.

Online Application

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Such international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent world.

International experience is critically important in the educational and career development of American students, but it can also require a substantial financial investment. The Gilman Scholarship Program broadens the student population that studies abroad by supporting undergraduates who might not otherwise participate due to financial constraints. The program aims to encourage students to choose non-traditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe, Australia and New Zealand. The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to support students who have been traditionally under-represented in study abroad, including but not limited to, students with high financial need, community college students, students in under-represented fields such as the sciences and engineering, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, and students with disabilities. The program seeks to assist students from a diverse range of public and private institutions from all 50 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico.

Award recipients are chosen by a competitive selection process and must use the award to defray eligible study abroad costs. These costs include program tuition, room and board, books, local transportation, insurance and international airfare.

This congressionally funded program is sponsored by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State and is administered by the Institute of International Education through its Southern Regional Center in Houston, TX.

---

Award Benefits

Over 2,300 scholarships of up to $5,000 will be awarded this academic year for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study abroad. Award amounts will vary depending on the length of study and student need with the average award being approximately $4,000.

Students who apply for and receive the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad are then eligible to receive an additional $3,000 Critical Need Language Supplement from the Gilman Scholarship Program for a total possible award of up to $8,000. During the 2011-2012 academic year, 50 Critical Need Language Supplements were offered to Gilman Scholarship recipients.

Critical Need Languages include:

Arabic (all dialects); Chinese (all dialects); Bahasa Indonesia Japanese Turkic (Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgz, Turkish, Turkmen, Uzbek); Persian (Farsi, Dari, Kurdish, Pashto, Tajiki); Indic (Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Sinhala, Bengali, Punjabi, Marathi, Gujarati, Sindhi); Korean Russian Swahili

The TUSA Ambassador Summer Scholarship Program is being offered again this year to U.S. college and university students who are interested in studying the Mandarin Chinese language during the months of July and August. The scholarship covers tuition, dormitory fees, four excursions and incidental insurance. Meals are not included and students must provide their own airfare to and from Taiwan.

It provides a quality Mandarin Chinese immersion program with emphasis on speaking... but also on listening, reading and writing.

In addition to studying at a first-rate university, students learn about Taiwanese culture and will visit several interesting sites to become more familiar with Taiwan and her people. The program has been created with special focus on students without Chinese/Taiwanese heritage, so prior knowledge or experience with the Mandarin language is not needed. Each U.S. student is paired with a Taiwanese study partner to assist in the language and cultural study program.

The application period is 1 January 2012 to 31 March 2012. Completed applications received prior to 15 February 2012 will be reviewed for early acceptance and reported to the applicant within 10 days of that date. All remaining applications, including those not awarded early admission, will be reviewed and reported by 10 April 2012. Please apply online
at:

www.taiwanusalliance.com.

Applications and recommendations for the Sigur Center's Summer 2012 Grants are now available on our website. This summer's grants include the following selections:

Sigur Center Grant for Chinese Language Study in Taiwan

Sigur Center Grant for Korean Language Study in Korea

Sigur Center Grant for Asian Language Study in Asia

Sigur Center Summer Grant for Asian Field Research

To see what last year's summer fellows did while they were abroad, check out some of their blog posts.

Applications are due on Friday, February 17 at 5:00PM. Please be sure to submit your application and ALL supporting documents by that time. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Josie Keller at jhkeller@gwu.edu or 202-994-5874.

GWU is in the process of applying for the establishment of a "Confucius Institute" to increase opportunities for Chinese language learning in the DC area. While most of the 60 Confucius Institutes established in the U.S. partner with elementary or secondary schools to achieve this purpose, the GWU Confucius Institute proposes to focus on providing inexpensive Chinese language instruction that would be particularly targeted at graduate students and area professionals (in government, business, the policy community, etc.). These language courses would be non-credit courses with a nominal fee, and would be offered in the evenings or on weekends.

If you might be interested in taking Chinese language classes under this program, we would appreciate it if you would fill out this survey, which attempts to gauge the level of interest in this initiative. Please pass this survey along to anyone else you know who might be interested.

The Taiwan-United States Sister Relations Alliance (TUSA) is pleased to announce that Ambassador Scholarships are again being offered to U.S. college students (graduates and undergraduates) during the summer of 2012.

There is no requirement for proficiency in the Mandarin Chinese language... indeed, the program's aim is to provide opportunities to those who have not experienced a study-abroad program either in China or Taiwan, but are eager to pursue overseas immersion in language and cultural study. Accepted students will study at the National Pingtung University of Education in Taiwan. The application period ends March 31, 2012, and applications can be submitted online at www.taiwanusalliance.com.

The TUSA program starts July 2^nd and ends August 31^st, 2012. A stipend of NT $25,000 (US $800) per month for two months (July & August) will be awarded to each scholarship recipient. The scholarship is budgeted to cover tuition, dormitory fees, four excursions in Taiwan, and incidental insurance. The program is sponsored by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, and a total of 36 Ambassador students will be accepted for the 2012 class.

Please visit www.taiwanusalliance.com for additional information about the 2012 TUSA Summer Ambassador program.