Intensive language study and immersion in the foreign environment are hallmarks of the study-abroad experience at Columbia. Your time abroad will give you the opportunity to put into practice the reservoir of linguistic knowledge you’ve built up over the years. Taking courses abroad in the target language gives you a chance to perfect your skills and to push yourself to the next level of competence.

Most programs carry a minimum of four semesters of language study, meaning that you must complete the Intermediate sequence (Intermediate I and II or Comprehensive Intermediate) before studying abroad. Many programs require one or two courses beyond this level, so you should check each program’s requirements.

You must take a language course the semester before studying abroad, no matter your level. Continuing to develop your language skills will ensure that you are maximally prepared to study abroad and will facilitate your immersion into the foreign culture.

There are a few study-abroad programs where the language of instruction is English and where the local language is not commonly taught at Columbia. In these cases, only one semester of the language is required, although more is recommended. This is the case for programs in the Czech Republic and Hungary, along with some others.

For students embarking on study-abroad programs in the English-speaking world, you must complete the Core language requirement prior to studying abroad. This ensures that you achieve a high level of proficiency without a significant break in your progress.

For students destined for African countries, it is recommended to take a regional language like Hausa, Swahili, Wolof, or Zulu. Offerings in the languages of the Asian sub-continent include: Bengali, Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. See the Language Resource Center Web site for full listings and plan to take advantage of this resource.