A Program of the U.S. Department of State
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a summer study abroad opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world.
The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. Students of diverse disciplines and majors are encouraged to apply. Participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship period, and later apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.
Each summer, CLS provides rigorous academic instruction in fifteen languages that are critical to America's national security and economic prosperity. CLS participants are citizen ambassadors, sharing American values and promoting American influence abroad.
Languages Offered
Key Benefits
Develop Key Expertise
The CLS Program provides its scholars intensive language and cultural instruction in an environment designed to maximize their language gains at every level.
Career Ready Skills
Alumni apply their critical language skills in a variety of professional fields in public and private sectors as well as government, helping to support America’s competitiveness across the board.
Citizen Diplomacy
CLS scholars represent the breadth and diversity of the United States. Through personal engagement they help to spread American values and develop mutual understanding with the people of other countries.
Featured Alumni
CLS News and Stories
Alumni Profile: Lauren Chow
Lauren participated in CLS Indonesian in 2018 after teaching with the Fulbright Program in Malaysia for two years. Now an Education Abroad Advisor at Babson College, she uses her experience studying abroad to skillfully guide students.
“As a professional in the study abroad field, I have a...
Posted by Jessica Klink on February 25, 2020
Alumni Profile: Dana Fager
Dana Fager is a two-time CLS Japanese scholar, participating in the program in Kyoto, Japan. After graduating with a degree in International Studies, she went on to study in the Master of Science in Foreign Service program at Georgetown University. She now works at the Department of Commerce as...
Posted by Jessica Klink on February 18, 2020
Alumni Profile: Vincent DeLaurentis
While Vincent was growing up, his family lived close to a Gurdwara—a Sikh temple—which sparked his interest in learning more about the language and culture of the Punjab region. He was awarded the Critical Language Scholarship twice to study Punjabi in 2015 and 2017 in Chandigarh, India....
Posted by Jessica Klink on February 11, 2020
Alumni Profile: Amy Moyer
Amy participated in CLS Bangla in 2009 and 2010 as a graduate student at Lehigh University studying International Education Leadership. Her advisor worked in Bangladesh and sparked her interest in learning Bangla. Amy quickly connected Bangla with her passion for a career in international...
Posted by Jessica Klink on February 04, 2020
CLS in the Press
Student with Aspirations for Foreign Service Spends Year in Indonesia Practicing Foreign Policy
Unable to speak the language, Camille Bismonte (C’21) did not know that when she first travelled to Indonesia for eight weeks in the summer of 2018 that she would end up studying abroad there for the entirety of her junior year. Now a Boren Scholar, she has won a speech competition, represented the United States at the 12th Annual Bali Democracy Forum, and met the President of Indonesia.
Shared from Georgetown University News, February 24, 2020
Michael: Software Consultant Leading with Japanese
Profile of CLS Japanese alumnus Michael Mauer
Shared from Lead With Languages, February 24, 2020
Student with Aspirations for Foreign Service Spends Year in Indonesia Practicing Foreign Policy
Profile of CLS Indonesian alumna Camille Bismonte
Shared from Georgetown College, February 24, 2020