Welcome to the Center for Talented Youth/Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy Language (MMLA) Immersion Program, a four-week residential summer program for gifted students in grades 7 - 10. The Language Immersion Program provides a rich academic and residential environment where students who love languages and other cultures learn their target language 24/7. The program combines a full-immersion experience with an array of events and activities which set the cultural context for the languages participants are studying. The curriculum is designed by Middlebury-Monterey especially for middle and high school students. Whether students want to study Spanish, French, or Chinese participants who enroll in the Language Immersion Program will gain skills in all five language areas – speaking, listening, writing, reading, and cultural understanding. The Language Immersion Program is a partnership between the Center for Talented Youth and the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy a program of Middlebury College and the Monterey Institute of International Studies, two institutions that have long been recognized as leaders in language education and, in particular, in full-immersion language education. Students in the first two years of the program reported an increase in competency in the five major language areas. The majority of those students who sought accelerated placement in their home schools were able to bypass at least one year of middle or high school language. Some students were accelerated two years. As one participant from the last two years remarked, “My experience at the language immersion was great. I went both in 2008 and 2009, and during both years, I learned a lot more than I would learn just from studying the language at school. Not only that, but I met so many amazing and interesting people that I still stay in touch with today. The teachers were very encouraging and kind during both years, the activities were fun, and projects provided a creative learning environment for each student.” The CTY/Middlebury-Monterey Language Immersion Program is open to all CTY Talent Search participants who will have completed grades seven, eight, nine, or ten by this summer. You may either apply online for this program, or download an application. In addition to the online application, students applying for the language immersion program must write a short essay to submit as an attachment to the online application. Please read the directions below and complete the essay before submitting the online application. Please read the Language Pledge (below). Beginning level students take a modified pledge at the start of the program, and then sign the standard pledge mid-way through the program. Students who are not new to the language sign the standard pledge on the second day of the program. The Language Pledge In signing this Language Pledge, I will do my utmost to follow the letter and spirit of the Pledge as defined by the CTY/MMLA Language Immersion Program. I understand … that [language of study] is the means of communication for me during all four weeks of the program, except for the few times specified by the Language Director as non-immersion moments. I will respect … the Language Pledge taken by other students in my Academy and I will not speak a language other than [language of study] in their presence. I will respect … the Language Pledge taken by all staff members in my Academy and I will not speak a language other than [language of study] in their presence. I understand … that failure to comply with the Language Pledge may result in a call to my parents or guardians and that subsequent infractions may result in my dismissal from the Language Immersion Program without credit or refund. Personal statement to be completed by the student (at least 150 words) The Language Pledge is an integral part of the MMLA program. Immersing yourself in a foreign language is a fun, yet challenging adventure. What drives you to learn a foreign language and make this commitment? Limited financial aid is available to those who qualify. More information on financial aid policies can be found at cty.jhu.edu/financial/policies If you would like more information about this program, consider attending a webinar about the language immersion program. Go to cty.jhu.edu/ts/webinars.html for dates, times, and registration. If you would like more information about the Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy, please visit www.mmla.middlebury.edu | 
