

Congratulations 2023 CLS finalists!
In 2023, we selected approximately 500 competitive American students from 245 institutions as CLS finalists. Read our announcement.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America's engagement with the world.
The CLS Program provides opportunities for American college and university students to study languages and cultures essential to America's engagement with the world.
Each summer, American undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities across the country, spend eight to ten weeks learning one of fourteen languages at an intensive study abroad institute. The CLS Program is designed to promote rapid language gains and essential intercultural fluency in regions that are critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity.
CLS Spark, an initiative of the CLS Program, provides opportunities for American undergraduate college and university students to study Arabic, Chinese and Russian virtually at the beginning level.
Designed to leverage best practices in online language learning, CLS Spark provides students with the opportunity to study critical languages virtually when they may not have access to studying these languages on their campuses.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government. It is supported in its implementation by American Councils for International Education.
The CLS Program provides its scholars intensive language and cultural instruction in an environment designed to maximize their language gains at every level.
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.
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.
March 20, 2023
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Critical Language Scholarship Program provides a cultural immersion experience for students
Shared from UDaily, March 21, 2023
Critical Language Scholarship and CLS Spark Program honorees will study languages with the goal of helping improve U.S. diplomatic relationships.
Shared from VCU News, March 21, 2023
Ellie Penner ’23, a Washington and Lee University senior, has received a Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) to study Bangla this summer in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Shared from The Columns, March 20, 2023