African Language Summer Institute | Center for African Studies

The 2021 African Language Summer Institute is hosted by the Department of World Languages & Cultures and the Center for African Studies at Howard University. Instruction will be virtual, and students will take their classes synchronously. The program is available to Howard and non-Howard students, both undergraduate and graduate. Because the program is dedicated to increasing students’ proficiency in the target language, classroom instruction and activities will be conducted between 8:30 am and 12:30 pm. The afternoons will be focused on practical activities where students practice their language by being assigned language related tasks. Whenever there are guest speakers, they will take place in the afternoons.

Institute Dates

May 17 - June 25, 2021

Classes will take place 5 days a week, for 4-5 hours a day. Students are reminded that although these classes are virtual, they meet synchronously via Zoom.

Hours Covered

Beginner and Intermediate Classes: 140 hours
Advanced Classes: 120 hours

HU Summer School Registration Deadline for Non-HU Students

April 15, 2021

If you have already been admitted, please register for classes through Bison preferably by Friday May 14 but no later than Monday May 17. Please visit the following page for specific language course registration:
ssb-prod.ec.howard.edu/PROD/bwckschd.p_disp_dyn_sched

Featured Languages

Amharic – Different levels
Arabic – Two levels
Somali – Two levels
Swahili – All levels: Beginners, Intermediate, & Advanced
Wolof – Two levels
Yoruba – Two levels
Zulu – Two levels

Credits

The institute will give up to 6 HU Credits provided the student has paid summer school tuition for 6 credits. 6 credits equivalent to one academic year of language instruction. HU students must register though Bison to get credit and for their tuition to be applied. Non-HU students need to apply as Visiting Students or Students at Large through the following link and follow all the instructions provided: admission.howard.edu/undergraduate/summer

Tuition

$2940 x 2 courses = $5,880

Apply for a FLAS Fellowship to help cover costs.

Instructors

Our instructors are well trained in the pedagogy of African languages. They are seasoned instructors who are very knowledgeable about the languages they teach and the cultures of the target communities. Below are the teachers who will teach, advise, and mentor our Institute participants.

More Information

Department of World Languages and Cultures - find information on languages offered at Howard.

Is the Summer Institute for undergraduate and graduate students?
Yes. It is open to all students.
Can non-Howard students apply?
Yes. It is open to all students.
Can the FLAS Fellowship be used to cover the majority of expenses? Are there any other funding options?
Yes the FLAS Fellowship applies. Howard students may use the Summer Tuition Assistance Grant for Excellence (STAGE) if it will be available. Requests can also be made for funding from their colleges if available.
Can you explain the tuition?
During the Summer Institute the student takes two courses which are worth an entire academic year of language instruction. For undergraduate it is approximately $2940 x 2 courses = $5,880.
What does the program schedule look like? How many hours a day? How many days a week?
It will be 4 to 5 hours a day of courses, for five days a week.