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 Uzbek course offerings at CLI.
Dive into the Language
Population:
Spoken by over 25,000,000 people
Vibrant Celebrations:
Every year, Uzbekistan culture celebrates holidays such as New Year, Women’s Day, Independence Day, and Victory Day.
The Uzbek alphabet has:
29 letters
23 consonants
6 vowels
and an apostrophe
Rhythms of Uzbek
The vibrant culture of Uzbekistan is closely linked to its famous dances, such as the centuries-old Khorezm Dance and the elegant Bukhara Dance, admired for its intricate movements. These traditional dances are a testament to Uzbekistan's rich cultural heritage, providing a window into its history and traditions.
Uzbek Symbolism
The national emblem of the Republic features a vibrant scene of a sun rising over a lush valley, where two rivers, representing the Syrdarya and Amudarya, flow. To the right, the emblem is adorned with wheat, while to the left, it is embellished with branches of cotton, complete with open cotton bolls. In the center is the Khumo bird with open wings, which is a symbol of happiness and love of freedom.
Echoes of the East
Unique to Uzbekistan are instruments such as the Uzbek Rubob, a single-piece wood-carved instrument, the Uzbek Dotor, a two-stringed lute with a long neck also found in Iran, and the Uzbek Tanbur, a long-necked instrument with origins in Southern or Central Asia.
Language Preview
"Good Morning"
Assalomu alayku
"How are you?"
Yaxshimisiz?
"Have a nice day"
Kuningiz yaxshi o'tsin
Hear from our students
Location of Language
Uzbek, a Turkic language, is primarily spoken in Uzbekistan, where it holds official status and is the most widely spoken language. It is also spoken by Uzbek communities in the surrounding regions, including Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan.
Program Information
Course Options
First-year Uzbek provides beginners a solid introduction to Uzbek 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 Uzbek, 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 Uzbek culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Uzbek and structured interactions with Uzbek speakers.
First-year Uzbek combines 4 hours a day of online classroom instruction as well as daily informal activities in Uzbek led by facilitators representing Uzbek-speaking communities from around the world.
Number of Credits: 8
Program Fee: $2,000
Apply Now
First-year Uzbek students enrolled in this program introductory course will immerse themselves in Uzbek culture while strengthening their mastery of the language through specially designed courses and extramural activities.
Dates: Online: May 27 - July 11, 2025 (May 26, July 4 Holiday)
Tashkent: July 14 - August 8, 2025
The summer extension program in Tashkent helps students extend and solidify the communicative and cultural skills they develop during intensive classes on the ASU campus. The program provides 3 hours of Uzbek instruction per day, during which students review the material covered in Arizona, with an emphasis on listening and speaking skills. The program offers excursions and extra-curricular activities led by language coaches in the afternoon and on weekends.
A city of over 2 million, Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and the administrative and cultural center for much of Central Asia. It is as famous for its lively bazaars and historical monuments as it is for its arts districts and the monumental architecture of the past two decades. It is also known for its many museums and its mix of modern and Soviet-era architecture. The Amir Timur Museum houses manuscripts, weapons and other relics from the Timurid dynasty. Nearby, the huge State Museum of History of Uzbekistan has centuries-old Buddhist artifacts. The city’s skyline is distinguished by Tashkent Tower.
Excursion and activity schedules vary year to year, but have included:
- Tashkent city bus tour
- Park Navroz
- Ilhom theater
- Chorsu bazaar, Kokaldash mosque
- Memorial complex of victims of repression
- State Museum of Temurids
- Abdulla Qodiriy Park
- Victory Park
- New Uzbekistan complex/Tashkent city
- Master class in Uzbek choreography
- Weekend excursions to Samarkand & Bukhara, mountain region near Tashkent
Program Fee
First-year Uzbek synchronous online program fee of $2,000 and 4-week extension in Tashkent, Uzbekistan program fee of $3,500* includes:
- 140 online and 60 abroad hours of performance-based classroom instruction
- 11 credits (8 for online sessions, 3 for study abroad session)
- 4 weeks in hotel
- excursions
- conversation partners
- local phone and SIM cards
- pre-departure orientation
- arrival orientation
- instructional materials
- visa support
- breakfast in hotel
- transport to and from Taskent International Aiport (TAS)
- traveler's insurance
It does not include:
- international travel
- Student Visa ($175 - single entry; 275 - multiple entry)
- lunch and dinner
- local transportation
- other personal expenses
*All prices and descriptions on this page are subject to change. Participants are responsible for checking current prices and details before signing billing, housing, or meal contracts
Apply Now
Second-year Uzbek students enrolled in this program's introductory course will solidify their command of Uzbek and raise their listening, speaking, and communicative skills to the Intermediate Low level or better. Graduates can interact in day-to-day life in Uzbekistan comfortably and read texts on familiar topics with ease.
Dates: Tashkent: June 16 - August 8, 2025
The second-year Uzbek program in Tashkent helps students extend and solidify the communicative and cultural skills they develop during intensive classes on the ASU campus. The program provides 3 hours of Uzbek instruction per day, during which students review the material covered in Arizona, with an emphasis on listening and speaking skills.The program offers excursions and extra-curricular activities led by language coaches in the afternoon and on weekends.
A city of over 2 million, Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and the administrative and cultural center for much of Central Asia. It is as famous for its lively bazaars and historical monuments as it is for its arts districts and the monumental architecture of the past two decades. It is also known for its many museums and its mix of modern and Soviet-era architecture. The Amir Timur Museum houses manuscripts, weapons and other relics from the Timurid dynasty. Nearby, the huge State Museum of History of Uzbekistan has centuries-old Buddhist artifacts. The city’s skyline is distinguished by Tashkent Tower.
Excursion and activity schedules vary year to year, but have included:
- Tashkent city bus tour
- Park Navroz
- Ilhom theater
- Chorsu bazaar, Kokaldash mosque
- Memorial complex of victims of repression
- State Museum of Temurids
- Abdulla Qodiriy Park
- Victory Park
- New Uzbekistan complex/Tashkent city
- Master class in Uzbek choreography
- Weekend excursions to Samarkand & Bukhara, mountain region near Tashkent
Program Fee
The second-year Uzbek program fee is $6,800*. This program fee will include:
- 160 hours of performance-based classroom instruction
- 8 credits
- excursions
- conversation partners
- local phone and SIM cards
- pre-departure orientation
- arrival orientation
- instructional materials
- visa support
- breakfast in hotel
- transport to and from Taskent International Aiport (TAS)
- traveler's insurance
It does not include:
- international travel
- Student Visa ($175 - single entry; 275 - multiple entry)
- lunch and dinner
- local transportation
- other personal expenses
*All prices and descriptions on this page are 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.
