Persian is one of the world's ancient languages, once the lingua franca of an empire that spread across an enormous swathe of the Old World. Persian was the language of ancient cultures across Western and Central Asia, and many of the Islamic intellectuals, such as Avicenna, that later inspired the Renaissance in Europe did all of their writing in Persian. Today, Persian continues to be spoken widely throughout the same region in the form of three main dialects: Farsi in Iran, Dari in Afghanistan (where it is the language of cross-cultural communication), and Tajiki in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Studying Persian is the gateway to this fascinating part of the world. Through the CLS Program, you'll have the unique opportunity to learn both the Farsi and Tajiki dialects and set yourself apart with a rare immersive experience.
Announcing the CLS 2021 Finalists
The CLS Program is pleased to announce the results of its 2021 summer competition. We applaud all applicants for the 2021 CLS Program for their commitment to language learning and congratulate the finalists and alternates selected from this impressive pool of students.
Finalists for the...
Read morePosted March 03, 2021
Here's Why Proud Americans Should Learn Mandarin, Other Languages
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo's op-ed in Newsweek makes the case for Americans to learn critical languages and announces the launch of languages.state.gov.
Posted October 28, 2020
The 2021 Summer Application is Now Available!
We are pleased to announce that the application for the 2021 Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is now open! We welcome your students to apply now to learn a critical foreign language next summer on a fully-funded study abroad program.
The application is now live and available...
Read morePosted August 27, 2020
A Program of the 
