Cultural Facts Language Preview Hear from our students Program Info
The Critical Languages Institute is a national training institute for less commonly taught languages, offering summer intensive courses and study-abroad programs around the world.
Every summer, CLI brings students from across the U.S. together to develop their linguistic and cultural competency rapidly and effectively through intensive immersion programs. Explore the tabs below to learn more about the Armenian course offerings at CLI.
Dive into the Language
Population:
Spoken by over 7,000,000 people
Vibrant Celebrations:
Vardvar (Water Festival): Associated with Astghik, the goddess of water, Vardvar is an Armenian festival where people drench each other with water.
Surb Zatik (Armenian Easter): The Armenian version of the religious holiday.
The Armenian alphabet has:
39 letters
31 consonants
7 vowels
Fruits of the Land
Apricots and pomegranates are deeply symbolic in Armenia. Apricots, grown for millennia, influence the flag's design with their apricot-colored stripe. Pomegranates, used in weddings, symbolize fertility and good fortune when brides scatter their seeds.
The People's Game
Pioneering the integration of chess into school curricula, this nation cultivates essential skills in children. Through chess, students develop advanced logical thinking, visualization abilities, strategic prowess, and strong leadership skills.
Rhythms of Armenia
Armenian dances, like the lively Kochari, have been cherished across generations and are a vibrant expression of the country's cultural heritage, often performed at festive occasions.
Language Preview
"How are you?"
Eenchpess ess?
"Good day"
La vorsch
"Good Morning"
Bari luys
Hear from our students
Location of Language
Yerevan, Armenia's capital, is situated in the west-central region of the country along the Hrazdan River.
It lies roughly 14 miles (23 kilometers) from the Turkish border. The city is set in a scenic landscape, framed by the volcanic peaks of Mount Aragats and Mount Azhdaak to the north and the renowned Mount Ararat to the south, across the Turkish border.
Program Information
Course Options
First-year Armenian provides beginners a solid introduction to Armenian grammar and conversation. Students who complete the course successfully will reach a proficiency of Novice High or Intermediate Low.
Dates: Online: May 27 - July 11, 2025 (May 26, July 4 Holiday)
Students will be able to communicate in day-to-day situations in Armenian, will be able to read and write effectively on familiar topics, and will have a solid foundation for further study or travel.
The program introduces Armenian culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Armenian and structured interactions with Armenian speakers.
First-year Armenian combines 4 hours a day of online classroom instruction(140 contact hours) as well daily informal activities in Armenian led by facilitators representing Armenian-speaking communities from around the world.
Fee: $2,000
Credits: 8
Apply Now
Students of CLI Summer Armenian in Yerevan immerse themselves in Armenian culture while strengthening their mastery of the language through specially designed courses and extramural activities. This small, flexible program is customized to meet the needs of each participant.
Dates: Online: May 27 - July 11, 2025 (May 26, July 4 Holiday)
Yerevan: July 14 - August 8, 2025
Located in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains, with stunning views of Mount Ararat, Yerevan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Armenia. A compact city with a population of roughly one million, Yerevan offers a wide variety of educational and cultural opportunities in a friendly and safe environment. One of the oldest cities of the world, Yerevan is dotted with ancient churches, monuments, and archeological sites.
This program is designed to be customized to each student. Excursion and activity schedules vary year to year, but have included:
- Armenian film showings
- The Pharajanov Art Museum
- Tsistrnakaberd (Genocide Museum)
- Church service at Zvartots
- The Matenadaran literature museum
- Virap monastery
- The Erebouni Museum
- Lake Sevan
- Mashtots Avenue
- Cognac factory
- Oshakan tour & Mashtots grave
- Cascade Museum
- Martiros Saryan Museum
CLI's program in Yerevan is developed in partnership with Yerevan State University.
Program Fee
First Year Armenian synchronous online program fee of $2,000 and 4-week extension in Yerevan, Armenia program fee of $2,100* includes:
- 140 online and 60 abroad hours of performance-based classroom instruction
- 11 academic credits (8 for online sessions, 3 for study abroad session)
- 4 weeks of housing in the YSU dormitory
- pre-departure orientation
- arrival orientation
- excursions and activities
- local phone and SIM card
- transportation to and from Zvartnots International Airport (EVN)
- travel insurance
It does not include:
- cost of travel to Yerevan
- meals
- personal expenses
*All prices and descriptions on this page are based on 2024 estimates and subject to change. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts.
Apply Now
Students will solidify their command of Armenian and raise their listening, speaking, and communicative skills to the Intermediate Low level or better. Graduates will be able to interact in day-to-day life in Armenia comfortably and to read texts on familiar topics with ease.
Dates: Yerevan: June 16 - August 8, 2025
Located in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains, with stunning views of Mount Ararat, Yerevan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Armenia. A compact city with a population of roughly one million, Yerevan offers a wide variety of educational and cultural opportunities in a friendly and safe environment. One of the oldest cities of the world, Yerevan is dotted with ancient churches, monuments, and archeological sites.
This program is designed to be customized to each student. Excursion and activity schedules vary year to year, but have included:
- Armenian film showings
- The Pharajanov Art Museum
- Tsistrnakaberd (Genocide Museum)
- Church service at Zvartots
- The Matenadaran literature museum
- Virap monastery
- The Erebouni Museum
- Lake Sevan
- Mashtots Avenue
- Cognac factory
- Oshakan tour & Mashtots grave
- Cascade Museum
- Martiros Saryan Museum
CLI's program in Yerevan is developed in the ASU Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies.
Program Fee
The CLI Summer in Yerevan program fee of $4,600* covers:
- 160 hours of performance-based classroom instruction
- 8 academic credits
- 8 weeks housing in the YSU dormitory
- excursions and activities
- pre-departure orientation
- arrival orientation
- local phone and SIM card
- transportation to and from Zvartnots International Airport (EVN)
- travel insurance
It does not include:
- cost of travel to Yerevan
- meals
- personal expenses
*All prices and descriptions on this page are based on 2024 estimates and subject to change. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts.
Advanced Armenian in Yerevan is designed to help advanced students and heritage speakers reach professional proficiency. Students will develop the advanced communication skills they need in order to become successful intercultural communicators and to function in a professional capacity.
Dates: Yerevan: June 16 - August 8, 2025
Located in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains, with stunning views of Mount Ararat, Yerevan is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Armenia. A compact city with a population of roughly one million, Yerevan offers a wide variety of educational and cultural opportunities in a friendly and safe environment. One of the oldest cities of the world, Yerevan is dotted with ancient churches, monuments, and archeological sites.
This program is designed to be customized to each student. Excursion and activity schedules vary year to year, but have included:
- Armenian film showings
- The Pharajanov Art Museum
- Tsistrnakaberd (Genocide Museum)
- Church service at Zvartots
- The Matenadaran literature museum
- Virap monastery
- The Erebouni Museum
- Lake Sevan
- Mashtots Avenue
- Cognac factory
- Oshakan tour & Mashtots grave
- Cascade Museum
- Martiros Saryan Museum
CLI's program in Yerevan is developed in the ASU Melikian Center for Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies. It is directed by Dr. Siranush Khandanyan of Yerevan State University.
Program Fee
The CLI Summer in Yerevan program fee of $4,600* covers:
- 160 hours of performance-based classroom instruction
- 8 academic credits
- 8 weeks housing in the YSU dormitory
- excursions and activities
- pre-departure orientation
- arrival orientation
- local phone and SIM card
- transportation to and from Zvartnots International Airport (EVN)
- travel insurance
It does not include:
- cost of travel to Yerevan
- meals
- personal expenses
*All prices and descriptions on this page are based on 2024 estimates and subject to change. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts.
Funding Options
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides allocations of academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies. Eligible students apply for fellowships directly to an institution that has received an allocation of fellowships from the U.S. Department of Education.
The Melikian Center offers both academic year and summer-length FLAS Fellowships. The application for both Academic year and Summer 2025 FLAS Fellowships will close on January 31st, 2025.
The Summer 2025 Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) provides eligible students with a $3,500 stipend and $5,000 in tuition during the Summer 2025 semester for funding intermediate and/or intensive study of Albanian, Armenian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS), Kazakh, Macedonian, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Tatar, Turkish, Ukrainian, or Uzbek domestically or abroad.
Melikian Center Awards Program
Supported by the Melikian Center's endowment and by private donations, the Melikian Center Awards Program provides scholarships of up to $2,000 for superior applicants to study critical languages at CLI's domestic programs and up to $6,000 towards CLI's study abroad offerings.
This funding opportunity is open to all CLI applicants. High school, community college, and non-students are especially encouraged to apply.
An application for this funding is included in every CLI Language Program application.
Need-Based Fee Reduction
The Melikian Center offers up to a $1,000 reduction of the published CLI program fee for qualified Pell Grant eligible students and non-students with an annual family income of $50,000 or less. This $1,000 reduction applies to online, online plus study-abroad, or study-abroad programs. Please note that a limited number of fee reductions are available; not all students who apply will receive a need-based fee reduction.
To qualify for this funding opportunity, please indicate your Pell Grant eligibility on your general CLI program application.
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
The State Department's Gilman Scholarship provides awards of up to $5,000 for students in financial need to study abroad, including in CLI overseas programs. Gilman applications require certification of the program by your institution's study-abroad office. If you apply for Gilman support, please contact cli@asu.edu for assistance in getting the required information to your institution.
Gilman summer study applications are accepted from August to October and January to March. Students interested in this opportunity should apply for the early competition, if possible, since applicants to the later competition will not learn their award status until after the deadline to commit to CLI study. Please contact cli@asu.edu for details on timing your Gilman application.
An external application is required to apply for this funding opportunity.
Title VIII Graduate Awards
The Department of State's Title VIII program funds graduate students with U.S. citizenship to study less commonly taught languages.
Students who apply for an online-only program may receive up to $5,500. Students who apply for an online program with a 4-week abroad extension may receive up to $10,500. Students who apply for an 8-week study abroad program through CLI may receive up to $10,500.
Past CLI Title VIII fellows can be awarded the fellowship up to two more times, for a maximum of up to 3 fellowship awards, as long as they maintain their graduate student eligibility.
