Program Overview

The CLS Punjabi Program in Chandigarh, India is a flexible and learner-oriented language acquisition and cultural immersion program. Students spend 20 hours per week in the classroom, with additional activities, classes and excursions outside of these hours.

Chandigarh is the capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana, and is located near the foothills of the Shivalik range of the Himalayas in North-West India, 245 kilometers north of New Delhi. Chandigarh is a fairly recent city, having been planned and built post-Indian independence in 1966. The hosting organization in Chandigarh is the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS). AIIS is a consortium of 71 American universities with South Asia Studies Centers and is recognized by the Government of India as an institution of higher learning and research. AIIS has been instructing American university students and scholars in Indic languages for over 50 years.

In Chandigarh, students will spend their time in grammar, conversation, pronunciation, journal writing, and dictation language classes in order to hone the four skills of language development – listening, speaking, reading and writing. The CLS Program works with students to set both short and long term learning goals, and the faculty works collectively and individually to help students achieve these goals throughout the summer institute.

Weekly activities supplement formal classroom instruction and include guest lectures, monolingual guests such as shopkeepers or tradespeople, and music and dance performances. Several local group excursions take place over the summer, allowing students to explore the area, gain in-depth knowledge of culture and history, and meet people from different backgrounds. In the past, such cultural excursions have included visits to the local market, Rock Garden, Sukhna Lake, and a local pind (village).