SWAHILI
Swahili is the national language of multiple East African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, as well as being a lingua franca for the East African region. It is spoken by roughly 150 million people, making it the most widely spoken of African-origin languages. Additionally, Swahili is one of the fastest-growing languages in one of the fastest-growing regions in the world, both in terms of population as well as economic growth and foreign investment.
These factors have made Swahili a priority language for the U.S. government, with the State Department adding it to its list of “Critical Languages”, indicating the level of demand in the U.S. for speakers of Swahili.
Our Swahili Language and Cultural Institute places students in stunning Zanzibar, off the coast of East Africa, known as the birthplace of the Swahili language and, for thousands of years, as a crossroads and base of commerce between major civilizations. From the Phoenicians to Indians, Arabs, Persians and more recent European civilizations, Zanzibar has a rich, multicultural history and personality.
Participants will spend a summer based in the historic center of the island (Stone Town), fully immersing in Zanzibari culture and the Swahili language while taking intensive courses at the top university in the country.
ARABIC
Arabic is the native language of over 350 million people, is the official language of 22 countries in the MENA (Middle East & North Africa) region, and is one of the six official languages of the UN.
However, in the United States, Arabic is only spoken by less than 1% of the population, even though it is the fastest-growing language in the US. This, in addition to extensive commercial, diplomatic, and other interests in the MENA region, is among the reasons that Arabic is classified as a “Critical Language” by the State Department. American speakers of Arabic have a wide array of career opportunities, both domestically and internationally.
Our Arabic Language and Cultural Institute takes place in historic medina of Fez, often considered the cultural capital of Morocco, at one of the pre-eminent Arabic language facilities in the MENA region.
Participants will be housed with local Moroccan families to maximize interactions in Arabic as well as to foster deeper cultural understanding and exposure. Students will also have the option of participating in a community engagement project or local internship, which will also assist in the language learning experience.
MANDARIN
Mandarin Chinese is the most widely spoken native language in the world, with roughly a billion native speakers. It is also one of the official languages at the United Nations, as well as being a lingua franca for much of East Asia. In the United States, by contrast, only around 2% of the population can communicate in Mandarin, with the vast majority being native or heritage speakers.
Thus, there is a huge demand for speakers of Mandarin as a second language, particularly in business and foreign affairs. Mandarin is also on the short list of languages classified as “Critical Languages” by the US State Department.
Diversity Global’s Mandarin Language and Cultural Institute places participants in Taipei, the modern, bustling yet charming capital of the Republic of China, for an intensive 12-week program.
Students will have the opportunity to stay with a local Taiwanese family for the duration, and will study at one of Taiwan and East Asia’s premier universities in the center of Taipei. The program is designed to fast-track the language learning process, with particular emphasis on becoming conversationally proficient in the language.
PORTUGUESE
The Portuguese language is the sixth-most spoken language in the world, spoken widely and as an official language in countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Africa. Due to its being spoken in Brazil, the world’s 8th most populous country, and in oil-rich parts of Africa, among other reasons,
Portuguese has been added to the State Department’s list of “Critical Languages”. From the Brazilian Amazon to oil-rich Angola, all the way to Macau in East Asia and back to stunning Lisbon and Porto in Portugal, the Portuguese language opens doors around the world.
Our Portuguese Language and Cultural Institute takes place right at the source in beautiful Porto, Portugal. With its mild climate, ideal location right where the Douro river meets the Atlantic, active university scene, medieval architecture, incredibly safe setting, tasty culinary offering, and diverse population (you’ll encounter people from Brazil, Mozambique, Angola, and all over Europe), Porto is hard to beat as a destination to learn Portuguese.
Our Institute takes place over 8 weeks, and composed of preparatory language courses, an intensive language program,and a private refresher course at the end, as well as cultural contextualization seminars and excursions.
The program is designed to fast-track Portuguese language acquisition, with ample opportunity to study and practice the language in both a formal and informal setting, in classes at one of Europe’s top universities as well as in a homestay setting.
JAPANESE
According to the State Department, Japan has been known for decades as one of the world’s cultural, technological, and economic hubs and has long drawn students fascinated with the country’s combination of millennia old traditions and stunning modern prowess across countless different fields. Learning Japanese offers not only the opportunity to experience firsthand the beautiful culture and people of this island nation, but to build a career around its long-standing social and economic importance worldwide.
The Japanese language will give you a competitive edge among Americans seeking to engage in East Asia’s booming global market. Furthermore, Japanese language proficiency and cultural knowledge will give you the ability to form successful cross-cultural partnerships with Japanese people and in fields of study as diverse as architecture, politics, medicine, and literature.
Diversity Global is offering a Gateway to Japanese Language and Cultural Institute, an annual summer program running from June to August in Osaka, Japan.
Our Institute takes place over the summer, and consists of an intensive Japanese language course in partnership with Osaka University, trips and cultural activities around Japan including the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, mountain temples, and hot spring towns, and our signature Diversity Global Contextualization Workshops.
TURKISH
“Originating in the furthest reaches of Central Asia, the Turkish language crossed continents to become one of Europe and Asia’s most important historical languages with the growth of the Ottoman Empire. Today, Turkish is spoken in the modern republic of Turkey and languages in the Turkic family are spoken across the Middle East and Central Asia. Turkey’s fast growing economy and location as a bridge between Europe and Asia have made it a constant center of interest, investment, and study for students and professionals from a variety of different fields.
If you’re a student of the Middle East looking to learn a language that will open access to one of the region’s key players, a linguist searching for a gateway to an enormous and diverse family of languages, or an aspiring businessperson looking to make deals in thriving metropolises like Istanbul and Ankara, Turkish will open doors and provide a foundation for your long-term goals.” – US State Department
Diversity Global has launched a Turkish Language and Cultural Institute, to be offered in the summer session between June and August. The Institute is hosted in Istanbul, Turkey the city that for millennia has served as the gateway between Europe and Asia, and to the Arab world.
Our Institute takes place over the summer, and consists of an intensive Turkish language course in partnership with a major local university, trips and cultural activities around Turkey including the Anatolia region and Ankara, activities with artisans across the country, and our signature Diversity Global Contextualization Workshops, which will revolve around, among other potential themes, the refugee crisis and its connection to geopolitics, bridging religious and cultural differences in diplomacy, business, and personal endeavors, and the contemporary relevance of the rise and fall of the Ottoman Empire.
