Source: SLI - Hebrew Summer Language Program
The new Hebrew Summer Language Institute at University of VA between June 1 - Aug. 3, 2012 provides students with no previous knowledge of Hebrew with an intensive, highly accelerated language learning environment. Following the Rapid Language Acquisition model of the SLI, students in the Hebrew program cover the equivalent of four semesters of language instruction, receive 12 credits upon graduation, and fulfill the language requirement at the University of Virginia, and many other colleges and universities. By the end of the program, students will have equally developed all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing), and will be prepared to become successful participants in Hebrew-speaking environments both inside and outside an academic setting.
Participants in the Hebrew Program will be given the tools to develop a long-standing relationship with Hebrew as well as the cultures of Israel and the Middle East. We believe that the best way to prepare for an encounter with a foreign culture is through direct exposure to real world linguistic and cultural material.
Program Structure
Students of the Hebrew SLI program meet from Monday to Friday three times a day, for a total of 7-1/2 daily contact hours. The morning session takes place from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, is taught by the program’s primary instructor, and is dedicated to the introduction and practice of vocabulary, grammar, and cultural as well as transcultural literacy. The afternoon practice takes place from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, and is dedicated to the practice of communication, reading, and writing skills. The day then concludes on a high note with the evening session, which takes places from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. The evening session focuses on cultural knowledge and cultural immersion, and thus entails a wide range of activities such as cooking, virtual tours, film-watching as well as filmmaking, karaoke, guest lectures, digital literacy, and much more. In addition, several evening sessions will be dedicated to activities and topics chosen by the program’s participants.
Further information about the Hebrew Summer Language Program is available at the UVA Website.