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 immersion programs. Explore the tabs below to learn more about the Polish course offerings at CLI.
Course Options
First-year Polish - synchronous 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 online classroom instruction as well daily informal activities in Polish led by facilitators representing Polish-speaking communities from around the world.
First-year Polish - synchronous online + 4-week extension to Warsaw, Poland
Details coming soon!
Second-year Polish in Warsaw, Poland
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.
Warsaw, the capital of Poland, is a city of 1.8 million situated on the banks of the Vistula river. The primary language is Polish, although Ukrainian is also spoken widely. Reduced almost entirely to rubble and ashes in WWII, Warsaw has risen again to become a major regional economic and political center. Warsaw is booming with coffee, foodie havens, and green spaces filled with culture. While still facing many economic, political, international, and demographic challenges, Warsaw is a true case study in resilience. Long a popular destination for Ukrainians seeking work abroad, Warsaw has also been the main destination for the millions of Ukrainians who have sought refuge in Poland, boosting the amount of Ukrainian to be heard in the city.
The second-year Polish program in Warsaw, Poland offers an extensive program of extramural activities. Most are conducted in one-on-one or small group formats with local activity guides. All activities are conducted in Polish.
- Daily conversation practice
- Twice-weekly small-group activities, tied to classroom topics
- Museum visits (small group activity)
- Cooking classes
- Craft classes
CLI's program in Warsaw is managed jointly by Arizona State University and the School of Russian and Asian Studies. Courses are conducted at the SÅOWIANKA Language School in the center of Warsaw.
Program Dates: June 17 - August 9, 2024
Program Fee
The Warsaw program fee is $8,100*. This fee will cover:
- 160 hours of performance-based classroom instruction
- 8 academic credits
- housing in hotel
- Breakfast in hotel
- online talks, excursions, and cultural activities
- insurance
- visa
It does not include:
- international travel
- lunch or dinner
- personal expenses
- phone and phone card
*All prices and descriptions on this page are based on 2023 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 2024 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 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.
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 Arizona-only program may receive up to $5,500. Students who apply for an Arizona 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.
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's domestic programs and up to $4,000 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.
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.
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
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 $2,000* for all online programs. 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 are based on 2024 pricing and are 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.
| 2025 Programs | Tuition and Fees | Cost for additional + 4 Week Study Abroad | 8 Week Study Abroad | Housing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
7-week ONLINE Language Programs | $2,0001* |
|
| |
| Albanian in Tirana, Albania | + $4,1002* | $9,0003* | Homestays | |
| Armenian in Yerevan, Armenia | + $2,1002* | $4,6003* | Campus Housing | |
| BCS in Sarajevo, Bosnia | + $2,7002* | $6,5003* | Apartments | |
Russian - Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan | + $4,1002* | $8,0003* | Homestay | |
Russian - Daugavpils, Latvia | Coming soon | Homestay | ||
Polish in Warsaw, Poland | Coming soon | $8,1003* | Hotel (double-occupancy) | |
| Ukrainian in Warsaw, Poland | Coming soon | $8,1003* | Hotel (double-occupancy) | |
| Uzbek in Tashkent | + $3,5002* | $6,8003* | Hotel |
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 online 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.
* All prices are subject to change.
Dates and Times
7-week synchronous online program (Albanian, Armenian, BCS, Kazakh, Macedonian, Persian, Polish, Russian (100 + 200 level), Tatar, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Uzbek)
May 27 - July 11, 2025
4-week abroad extension programs (Bishkek, Tirana, Sarajevo, Yerevan, Tashkent)
July 14 - August 8, 2025
8-week abroad Intermediate/Advanced language programs (Bishkek, Warsaw, Tirana, Sarajevo, Yerevan, Tashkent)
June 16 - August 8, 2025
9-week Advanced (300+) Russian study abroad in Daugavpils, Latvia
Proposed dates: June 16 - August 15, 2025
**All dates subject to change!
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.
Housing and Meals
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.