A major philosophy of the Trinity Study Abroad Office is that if you have the opportunity learn a language abroad then you should do it.  Speaking another language will help you understand the people and culture of your host country that much more.  Imagine if you only spoke a little of another language?  Roughly 20 to 25 students, every summer will go abroad and enroll in intensive language programs.

Here is a list of Intensive Language Programs students have done in the past. A Trinity Study Abroad Advisor will help you find a program that meets our academic, health and safety standards, so please do not apply for a program until you get the green light from an advisor.

Here are a few important things you need to know about language credits during the summer term.

Language Credits Abroad (Summer/ Short Term)
 

• Credit will not be granted for classes that duplicate a language level already completed.  Occasionally, a class title abroad does not accurately correspond to a class level at Trinity (e.g., Advanced Intermediate). They may be approved as creditable (not a duplication) by the appropriate language faculty. Such approval is based on review of class content.
• To be creditable, intensive language classes must be at least 4 weeks long.
• Students may go abroad during the summer to take language courses.  The courses must be intensive language courses.
• Students cannot take a language course and a content course at the same time.  For Example, the IES Berlin Summer Language and Culture program where students take a language course and an area studies course.
• Students cannot go to Spain for any language programs.  If they go to Spain it must be on our Madrid Summer Language program.
• Who signs off?  The chair of ML&L should sign the Course Approval Form for courses students want to take abroad to have it count for their major, minor or for the Foreign Language requirement for Pathways.
  
  However, please have the following people co-sign:
  • Dr. Nina Ekstein for French
  • Dr. Sullivan for German
  • Drs. Ruiz/ Ardavin for Spanish
  • Dr. Holl for Russian
  • Dr. O'Sullivan for Greek/ Latin
  • Dr. Field for Chinese
     
• Greek and Latin count as a language which fulfills the Pathways FL requirement, but it will not count for the School of Business study abroad/ language requirement.
• Business students must study abroad for at least 6 weeks to fulfill the School of Business study abroad/ language requirement even on a language program.
• If a student takes and passes a pre-approved course abroad that is equivalent to our 2301 or 2401 course, they do not have to take the placement test,  and they place out of the FL requirement.
• During the summer term, if a student goes from zero in language to the intermediate level, the student would need at least 180 contact hours overall.  For Example, Conversa in Costa Rica at the Super Intensive Level is 190+ hours.
• Chinese language courses/ transcripts which have one-on-one or one-on-two tutorials must be vetted by Dr. Field.
• In some cases an intensive language class of less than 4 weeks can receive partial credit provided that language instruction continues throughout the following program term at the appropriate level.
• Language courses must follow the credit hours rubric which was established by ML&L long ago. Rubric is below.

 
Language Placement Tests

• The test cannot be taken off campus - we are required to administer it at Trinity.
• Students can use the test to place out of the Pathways Foreign Language Requirement.
• A student can take it any day between 8:30 AM and 3:00 PM in ML&L.
• Greek and Latin placement tests are offered by the Classics Dept.
• If a student takes and passes a pre-approved course abroad that is equivalent to our 2301 or 2401 course, they do not have to take the placement test, and they place out of the FL requirement.