

CLS Spark is a virtual initiative for U.S. undergraduate students to learn languages essential to America’s engagement with the world. Designed to leverage best practices in online language learning developed by the CLS Program during the pandemic, CLS Spark provides American students the opportunity to study critical languages virtually when they may not have access to studying these languages on their campuses. Participants will spend the summer learning either Arabic, Chinese or Russian through online classes and activities facilitated by native speakers at a host institution abroad.
A program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program and CLS Spark are part of a U.S. government initiative to expand the number of Americans studying and mastering foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity.
As a virtual program, CLS Spark allows students to have immersive language and cultural experiences with international communities. With inclusive support provided by CLS Program staff, students will improve their command of all four modalities in these languages (listening, speaking, reading, writing), learn about the culture of their host country, and make connections with members of the host country’s community and their peers across the U.S.
CLS Spark participants spend approximately 8 weeks during the summer learning either Arabic, Chinese or Russian through online classes and activities facilitated by native speakers at a CLS partner institution abroad.
Participants in CLS Spark will receive automatic consideration as semifinalists for the CLS Program’s 2023 overseas summer institutes, if they choose to apply.
Applicants to CLS Spark can choose one of three languages that are critical to America's national security and economic prosperity when submitting their applications:
Applicants may only apply once per application cycle for a single
language. Applicants who submit multiple applications will be considered
ineligible.
Note: Those who completed CLS Spark for Chinese in the summer will be invited to apply for further Chinese study at the Advanced Beginning Level in the academic year. In doing so, CLS Spark will help students meet the prerequisites for the overseas Chinese program.
Participants of CLS Spark will receive:
The following costs will not be covered: