Zachary M.
STARTALK Participant
High School Student

"In my opinion, the greatest strength of the Beloit CLS program is the comprehensive approach they take toward learning languages. The course structure and the total immersion environment offered me an amazing experience I could never have had during the school year. In class, we read and discussed truly phenomenal texts, and the professors were extremely dedicated, making sure everyone was able to keep up. Class was engaging, and not limited to a lecture-style format. We frequently participated in debates, oral current events presentations and studied in small groups. Not only did this aid students of all different learning styles in mastering the content we covered, it kept class dynamic and always interesting. Out of class, professors were always available, and made it possible for students to fully immerse themselves in Chinese. They worked hard to extend learning out of the classroom, and provided us with daily tutoring sessions after class to help us in any way we needed.

Leaving Beloit, I have experienced great improvement in all areas. Not only has my grasp over Chinese, both written and spoken, strengthened enormously, the unique style at Beloit has helped me achieve an intimacy with the Chinese culture and language that a traditional summer college program never could. I walked away with a very expanded vocabulary, which I  could add to both in and out of the classroom, and a familiarity with the intricacies of the language that only comes from close and prolonged contact with native speakers."