SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
Summer school for American students wraps up in Azerbaijan University of Languages
Baku, August 5 (AZERTAC). A closing ceremony of the summer school for American students who studied Azerbaijani under the United States Department of State`s Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program was held at the Azerbaijan University of Languages (AUL) on Thursday.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Vice-rector for international relations of AUL Jala Garibova noted the importance of the program and its role in development of international relations at the AUL.
Garibova said that the American students had gone sightseeing in Baku includingmuseums, Botanical Garden, Ateshgah (Fire Temple) and Yanardag (Fire Mountain), Shaki, Ganja and Goygol stressing the 2-month program`s role in gaining new experience.
The group included beginner, intermediate, and advanced learners. The program hosted by the AUL and provided group-based intensive language instruction for a minimum of 20 hours per week and structured cultural enrichment experiences.
Participants developed fluency in the Azerbaijani and learnt more about Azerbaijan`s rich culture by being paired with "language peers" (host-country university students), engaging in volunteer activities in their host communities and living with host families in Baku.
Press secretary of the US embassy in Azerbaijan Keith Bean and Cultural Affairs Attache Christopher John made speeches in the closing ceremony. The speakers emphasized the necessity of mutual program, its role in the students` development and importance of the bilateral programs for the both countries to be realized in the future. They said that the USA State Department worked out in 2006 the CLS to make it possible for the American students to learn foreign languages abroad. The programme of the USA is part of the initiative to increase the number of the Americans to learn other languages of the world including the Azerbaijan language.
The students of this year are among 575 USA bachelors and master`s degree who learn 14 priority languages including Azerbaijan. They were selected from 5200 applicants in the selection process.
Employees of the US embassy thanked the leadership of AUL for organization of the summer school and care and attention to American students.
The event culminated with the performance of Azerbaijani songs, mugham “Mahur” and small scenes by American students.