Learn to bridge cultural and linguistic barriers, opening up global career opportunities.
The Middlebury Institute differs from a lot of other institutions in that we’re required to study language here. But also we’re expected to put that language into practice. At the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, I work as a graduate research assistant. And in that role, a lot of my research that I do is conducted in Chinese.
In the field, being able to access documents and media reports in a foreign language, firsthand, directly from sources, is something that’s really important.
We’re learning the language, not just to learn the language, but how to use it in conversations of what we would use in our professional careers.
I haven’t taken a Spanish course since high school. It was intimidating at first, but I was able to catch up. Remember what I needed, just like conversational phrases, and eased right back into it with the grammar and the vocabulary.
There are a lot of great things about being in Monterey and being at the Middlebury Institute. While I’m in school, I’m able to build a portfolio of work using the target language to show to future employers, or if I wanna go to get a PhD. These are real world skills that I’ve put into practice.
Learning language is one step that students who wanna be leaders in this field in the future should take if they have the opportunity. And I definitely felt that going to the Middlebury Institute was my opportunity.
There are just so many benefits and advantages with having a second language, especially in this globalized world. Things are changing, the world is changing. So the Middlebury Institute is taking us on to new approaches, to new methodologies and tools that we can use.
Language and intercultural competence are key elements of our degree programs. You will experience language instruction as a means to connect and facilitate dialogue between different peoples and cultures.
Please refer to your program of interest for specific language requirements for admission and graduation, as they vary from program to program and in some cases within a program.
If you are enrolled in our language services and language teaching programs, advanced language skills are central to your career. Language courses are integrated into your degree program. Our rigorous and comprehensive approach has made our graduates highly sought after by employers around the world.
If you enroll in our policy programs or Translation and Localization Management (taking language studies courses to fulfill the language requirement) you will have the opportunity to take content-based language courses as part of your degree, which opens up a wide range of global employment opportunities and sets you apart from the competition as your career progresses.
Your course work develops linguistic skills and integrates professional as well as academic content and specialized vocabulary based on your fields of study, such as Green Business in China (in Chinese), Sustainable Development in Latin America (in Spanish), Public Health Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa (in French), and Human Security and Development in the Arabic World (Arabic).
In these content-focused courses, all the materials are in your target language. Lectures, discussions, and assignments are all from current and authentic sources, providing you with relevant and timely opportunities to build professional proficiency. Professors frequently invite experts from around the world to participate in classroom conversations and share their firsthand knowledge.
Students in any degree program who want to further develop their professional language expertise can choose to add the Language Studies for Professional Purposes specialization to their degrees. This specialization will expand your global career opportunities.
Ideally, your language of study is one that aligns with your career goals. We require at least a 200-level (intermediate low) proficiency in all skills—reading, writing, speaking, and listening—in your target language, except English, which requires a 300-level (intermediate high) or higher. TLM students pursuing language studies courses to fulfill their language requirement are required to be at the 300-level (intermediate high) or higher.
Proficiency is not determined by years of study but by your ability at the time of enrollment. While many of our students come to the Institute proficient in a second language, others build their second language skills prior to enrollment. We will work with you to help you meet the minimum proficiency level in your chosen language of study. This may include enrollment in one of our summer language programs, for which scholarships may be available.
The focus of 200-level courses is on building skills through basic regional information and familiarizing students with the customs, culture, and current events in the parts of the world where the language of study is spoken. In these courses, students work on developing communication skills to participate in everyday social interactions with ease and confidence. Recent 200-level language courses:
Our 300-level courses solidify language skills so that students can engage in more complex discussions in their professional fields and support their ideas with detailed elaboration. Courses focus on topics of development, sustainability, business, and regional challenges. Recent 300-level language courses:
In 400-level courses, students polish their language skills by participating fully and effectively in discussions on a variety of topics and in varied registers. Students practice structuring arguments, conducting research using firsthand resources, and preparing professional presentations. Recent 400-level language courses:
| by Sierra Abukins
The inaugural fellows created a bilingual booklet to help the community engage - in both English and Spanish - with new sidewalk murals along routes to Salinas schools. The multi-year partnership with the Transportation Agency for Monterey County lets faculty and students put their skills to work on local community projects.
| by Sierra Abukins
Over a two-year period, students, faculty and staff worked to shape a land acknowledgment that they hope will be the start, not the end, of a process of learning and deepening relationships with local Indigenous people and tribal nations.
| by Jason Warburg
Gabe Albright MAEPM ’24 and Alex Christodoulou MAEPM ’24 recently completed fellowships in Taiwan and Ghana, respectively, funded by the Boren Awards program for graduate students pursuing intensive language study overseas.
