Summer Language Study Through the Critical Language Scholarship

Grinnell College May 2023 graduates Daniel Rosenbloom and Dorota Ziabicka were awarded Critical Language Scholarships for summer 2023 and Pierce Fairbanks and Isabella Maloney participated in summer 2022. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, is an immersive summer opportunity for American college and university students to learn languages essential to America's engagement with the world. 

• Pierce Fairbanks, from Anamosa, Iowa, majored in Russian and political science with a concentration in Latin American studies. He was awarded and participated for study of Russian in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. 
• Isabella Maloney, from West Chester, Pennsylvania, majored in Chinese and sociology. She was awarded and participated for study of Mandarin Chinese through a virtual program offered by Changchun Humanities and Sciences College. 
• Daniel Rosenbloom, from Park City, Utah, majored in Russian and political science with a concentration in linguistics. He was awarded for study of Azerbaijani in Baku, Azerbaijan. 
• Dorota Ziabicka, from Deerfield, Illinois, majored in political science with concentrations in policy studies and Russian, Central European, Eurasian Studies. She was awarded for study of Azerbaijani in Baku, Azerbaijan. 

“The CLS full immersion language study program offers an excellent opportunity to strengthen and deepen language competency and cultural understanding,” said Ann Landstrom, assistant dean and director of global fellowships and awards at Grinnell.  

A summer study in Russian was a natural pursuit for Fairbanks who was a member of the Russian Student Educational Policy Committee, assistant for the Russian Department, and served as a community advisor in the Residence Life Department. He was one of the first CLS groups to return to the standard of in-country, immersive language study following the Covid-19 pandemic. “I was able to focus myself entirely on improving my language skills in a new culture,” said Fairbanks. Alongside Russian he has been learning Spanish, and he participated in another immersive off-campus study fall 2022 in Costa Rica. Fairbanks is working for Iowa AmeriCorps summer 2023 and planning for his future career in agroecology. 

Maloney shared, “I had been studying Mandarin for three years and appreciated the opportunity to continue my language learning journey over the summer.” Soon after her CLS virtual program ended, she immersed herself in an off-campus study in Japan for fall 2022 where she was a global mentor and teacher. Her classroom experiences on all sides of the desk will serve her well as a Fulbright U.S. Student Grantee in Taiwan in the 2023-2024 academic year. While at Grinnell, she was a writing mentor, course grader, representative for the Sociology Student Educational Policy Committee, student ambassador for Development and Alumni Relations, and student worker for Dining Services. 

Rosenbloom received his first Critical Language Scholarship for Russian in summer 2020 which was virtual due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fortunately, he was able to travel to Kyrgyzstan in fall 2022 for an immersive cultural and linguistic experience and will have an immersive CLS in summer 2023. “I will study Azerbaijani in the program and then continue the study of other Turkic languages including Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Uzbek,” said Rosenbloom. He wants to teach English for two years in Central Asia and the Caucusses, and then pursue a PhD studying cultural politics in those regions of the world. 

Ziabicka began learning Azerbaijani while on study abroad in summer 2022 in Tbilisi, Georgia. “I developed an understanding and appreciation for the region”, said Ziabicka. “The CLS opportunity will impact how I navigate the world, as well as create relationships in the region and leave me with skills that I will use in my personal and professional life.” While at Grinnell, Ziabicka was a New Student Orientation ambassador, member and leader of Swing Society, and employee at the Spencer Grill, bookstore, and library. “My goal is to use what I have learned at Grinnell, particularly about international relations and languages, in my future career.” 

Students of all disciplines and varied language levels are encouraged to apply to study and master a critical foreign language through the Critical Language Scholarship program. Ellyonna Glenn and John Moreno Vazquez, class of 2022 graduates, also participated in the CLS program in summer 2022 for Japanese and Mandarin Chinese, respectively. 

Landstrom encourages students to obtain advising for the CLS program, https://clscholarship.org/, through Global Fellowships and Awards and faculty mentors at Grinnell College. The process opens in early fall each year with a November application deadline.