Three Brigham Young University students are recipients of U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarships (CLS) to study critical needs languages during the coming summer.
Eliza Campbell
political science major, with minors in Arabic and women’s studies, from Seattle
"I will use the scholarship to study Arabic at the AMIDEAST Rabat Arabic Institute in Rabat, Morocco, this summer," said Campbell. "I also speak Bulgarian, and I am excited to pair the two languages to develop a skill set to help work with Arab refugees in Eastern Europe, possibly with USAID or the UNHCR."
Tina Cannon
completing a master's degree in the Second Language Teaching (SLaT) program, from Spanish Fork, UT
Tina Cannon will use the CLS award to study Arabic at the Arab American Institute of Morocco in Tangier.
"I began learning Arabic as a member of the Utah Army National Guard and have since gone on to be instrumental in the establishment of the first elementary Arabic program in Utah," Cannon said. "Currently, I am developing Arabic curriculum for grades 1-5, which is being piloted in New York City public schools."
She also serves as president of the Utah Arabic Teachers Association and leads a task force to establish an Arabic immersion program in Utah in 2015.
"[I hope the CLS Program will] help me improve my Arabic skills, including learning a new dialect, and give me greater insights into the Arab culture," said Cannon. "The knowledge I gain will help in my curriculum development work and in my leadership of the K-12 Arabic teachers in the state."
Christian Curriden
history major, planning to spend this summer studying Chinese at Sun Yat-Sen University in China’s Guangdong Province, from Las Vegas
"I have studied Chinese for two years, but the only way to effectively prepare to interact with the Chinese people on a professional level is to study in-country," Curriden said. "This program will provide me with that essential practice."
When he returns, Curriden will be enrolled in the Chinese Flagship advanced track to prepare for a year of direct enrollment and internship in China during academic year 2015-16 with plans to pursue an advanced degree and a career in academia or government employment.
The CLS Program directly enrolls students in foreign universities as part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. It provides fully funded, group-based intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences.
CLS participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.
