Explore Polish at CLI

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 in-person immersion programs. Students have the opportunity to live on the sprawling Arizona State University campus alongside faculty and staff while speaking, studying, and living in Polish.

Arizona State University is a large, metropolitan university. The main campus, housing over 64,000 students, is located in Tempe, 15 minutes by light rail from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Emblematic of the lively, eclectic atmosphere of Tempe is the city's main street, Mill Avenue.  

Explore the tabs below to learn more about the Polish course offerings at CLI.

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Initial Application Decisions March 1st, 2023

Study abroad applications and admissions are now closed. Domestic program applications and admissions close May 1st. Acceptance is contingent upon space.

Course Options

First-year Polish in Tempe, Arizona

First-year Polish in Tempe, Arizona

First-year Polish provides beginners a solid introduction to Polish grammar and conversation. Students who complete the course successfully will reach a proficiency of Novice High or Intermediate Low.
Students will be able to communicate in day-to-day situations in Polish, 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 Polish culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Polish and structured interactions with Polish speakers.
First-year Polish combines 4 hours a day of classroom instruction as well daily informal activities in Polish led by facilitators representing Polish-speaking communities from around the world.

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First-year Polish Online

First-year Polish Online

First-year Polish provides beginners a solid introduction to Polish grammar and conversation. Students who complete the course successfully will reach a proficiency of Novice High or Intermediate Low.
Students will be able to communicate in day-to-day situations in Polish, 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 Polish culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Polish and structured interactions with Polish speakers.
First-year Polish combines 4 hours a day of classroom instruction delivered virtually alongside in-person students as well daily informal activities in Polish led by facilitators representing Polish-speaking communities from around the world.
Students who choose to enroll in this synchronous online course will have virtual access to all CLI events, speakers, and culture nights as well as any additional resources provided to in-person students.

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Second-year Polish in Tempe, Arizona

Second-year Polish in Tempe, Arizona

Students will solidify their command of Polish and raise their listening, speaking, and communicative skills to the Intermediate Low level or better. Graduates can interact in day-to-day life in Polish comfortably and read texts on familiar topics with ease.
Students will be able to communicate in day-to-day situations in Polish, 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 Polish culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Polish and structured interactions with Polish speakers.
Second-year Polish combines 4 hours a day of classroom instruction as well daily informal activities in Polish led by facilitators representing Polish-speaking communities from around the world.

Second-year Polish Online

Second-year Polish Online

Students will solidify their command of Polish and raise their listening, speaking, and communicative skills to the Intermediate Low level or better. Graduates can interact in day-to-day life in Polish comfortably and read texts on familiar topics with ease.
Students will be able to communicate in day-to-day situations in Polish, 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 Polish culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Polish and structured interactions with Polish speakers.
First-year Polish combines 4 hours a day of classroom instruction delivered virtually alongside in-person students as well as daily informal activities in Polish led by facilitators representing Polish-speaking communities from around the world.
Students who choose to enroll in this synchronous online course will have virtual access to all CLI events, speakers, and culture nights as well as any additional resources provided to in-person students.

Apply Now

Funding Options

Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) 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 the Summer 2023 FLAS Fellowship will close on January 27th, 2023.

The Summer 2023 Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) provides eligible students with a $2,500 stipend and $5,000 in tuition during the Summer 2023 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.

A separate application is required to apply for this funding opportunity.

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Title VIII Graduate Awards

Title VIII Funding

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 Arizona-only program may receive up to $5,000.  Students who apply for an Arizona program with a 4-week abroad extension may receive up to $10,000.  Students who apply for an 8-week study abroad program through CLI may receive up to $10,000.

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.

A separate application is required to apply for this funding opportunity.

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Melikian Center Awards Program

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 $1,750 for superior applicants to study critical languages at CLI.

This funding opportunity is open to all CLI applicants. High school, community college, and non-students are especially encouraged to apply.

A separate application is required to apply for this funding opportunity.

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Need-Based Fee Reduction

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 Tempe-based 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.

A separate application is not required to apply for this funding opportunity.

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Melikian Center Targeted Awards for Polish Language Study

Melikian Center Targeted Awards for Polish Language Study

Through a generous fund created by previous CLI participants, CLI is able to offer a limited number of awards of up to $500 for students of Polish. This award is available to all CLI applicants regardless of citizenship, enrollment status, or level of language proficiency.

No additional application is necessary for this scholarship opportunity, all CLI Polish applicants are automatically considered.

About Critical Languages Institute Language Programs

Costs

Program Costs

Thanks to ASU institutional support, CLI does not charge tuition (in-state or out-of-state) for its credit-bearing courses. Instead of tuition fees, we charge a flat administrative fee of $1,750* for all domestic programs in Tempe. Please note that this fee covers academics only; it does not cover room and board, travel, study abroad program fees, books, or insurance.

This fee is the same regardless of language and number of credits taken. In-country extension programs may have additional fees.

*All prices and descriptions on this page subject to change. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts. For information about our reduced program fees for low income/Pell Grant eligible students, please see the Funding Options tab.

2023 Program

Domestic

Tuition and Fees 

Domestic Tuition and Fees 

+ 4 Week Study Abroad

8 Week

Study Abroad

Housing 

All Domestic Language Programs

$1,7501*

ASU Housing Available

OR Self-arranged off-campus

All ONLINE Domestic

Language Programs

$1,7501*

Albanian in Tirana, Albania

$5,5002*

$8,5003*

Homestays

Armenian in Yerevan, Armenia

$3,7502*

$4,5003*

Campus Housing

BCS in Sarajevo, Bosnia

$4,3502*

$5,9003*

Apartments

Indonesian in Denpasar, Indonesia 

$5,8502*

$7,1003*

Homestay

Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

$5,8502*

$7,9003*

Homestay

Russian in Yerevan, Armenia

$8,7503*

Homestay

Ukrainian in Warsaw, Poland

$8,0004*

Hotel

Uzbek in Tashkent $5,1502* $6,6003*

Hotel

Kazakh ONLINE (taught from

Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan)

$3,000* (international fee)

1:Price does not include books, room, board, ASU student registration, or other incidentals.

2: Price does not include books, room, board, ASU student registration, or other incidentals for the domestic portion. Price does include housing while abroad. Check individual language pages for more information on meals, excursions, and other covered costs. Visa fees and airfare are not included.

3: Check individual language pages for more information on meals, excursions, and other covered costs. Visa fees and airfare are not included. Price does include housing while abroad.

4:Check individual language pages for more information on meals, excursions, and other covered costs. Visa fees and airfare are not included. Price does not include housing while abroad.

* All prices are subject to change.

Dates and Times

Dates and Times

Russian and Indonesian in Tempe, Arizona:
May 22nd - July 14th, 2023
Monday - Friday, 8:30AM - 12:40PM

Language programs in Tempe, Arizona (Excluding Russian and Indonesian):
May 30th - July 14th, 2023
Monday - Friday, 8:30AM - 12:40PM

8-week Language programs abroad (most):
June 19th - August 11th, 2023
Monday - Friday

4-week extension programs abroad:
July 17th - August 11th, 2023
Monday - Friday

Russian program in Yerevan:  June 12 - August 5

Ukrainian in Warsaw:  June 5 - July 28

Kazakh Online program (taught from Kazakhstan): June 5 - July 29

Credit and Syllabi

Credit and Syllabi

Most CLI programs offer 8-10 undergraduate credits, though there are exceptions. All 4-week extension programs offer an additional 3 credits under the SLC 494 course designation.

Please view your program's course syllabus for detailed information.

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Housing and Meals

Housing and Meals

CLI offers language-oriented on-campus housing at one of Arizona State University's Tempe campus dormitories.

Students typically stay in double-occupancy rooms for $40* per day, with bathrooms shared between two double-occupancy rooms. This year ASU has instituted conference pricing at $115* per night which overlaps the beginning of our CLI programs.  With this new 2023 pricing structure, housing costs for our 7-week and 8-week programs are as follows:

7 weeks: May 29-July 15  -  $2105

8 weeks: May 21-July 15  -  $3025

ASU has a very limited supply of single-occupancy rooms. Participants who wish to live in an ASU dormitory and require rooms with ADA accommodations should email cli@asu.edu as soon as possible.

Typical amenities include laundry facilities, kitchen facilities, vending machines, air conditioning, and basic cable.  Kitchens are usually shared among residents of the hall and the CLI language clubs. CLI does not provide supplies for kitchen areas.  Bed linens are available to rent for an additional one-time $50* charge.

CLI students are not required to live in the ASU dorm or to eat on campus. Private summer sublets are available near campus; price and quality vary. CLI does not assist with off campus housing arrangements. 

CLI participants may eat on campus or may make their own meal arrangements. ASU offers a food court in the student union. CLI does not offer a meal plan for any of its on-campus programs. 

*All housing prices and descriptions on this page have been updated to 2023 pricing. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts.

Housing options for study abroad programs may vary.

Depending on program selection, students will live in dormitories, apartment-style housing, or with family home stays for the duration of their program. Further details will be provided to applicants via their application portal.

Placement Testing

Placement Testing

If you are applying for a 2nd-year course or higher, you must take a placement test before the start of your program. Each language test will consists of a short test or writing sample. Placement tests will be calibrated to account for mid-semester progress at the time of testing.

CLI 2023 Information

Stay informed about the latest information on scholarships and application deadlines.

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