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Language, Literature & Cultural Studies​

Find the Right Language, Literature & Cultural Studies Program for You

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Fast-Forward Your Language Skills Abroad

Develop and advance your language skills by completing a foreign language study abroad program. On CIEE's immersive language programs abroad, you'll immerse yourself in local cultures, learn dialects, and express yourself in one of a dozen languages, including: 

  • Spanish 
  • French 
  • Mandarin 
  • Arabic 
  • Korean 
  • Portuguese 
  • Japanese 
  • And more!

With 130+ foreign language programs across 40+ locations, you'll complete foreign language courses, connect with community members, and experience the local culture firsthand. From advancing your Mandarin language skills in Shanghai to learning to speak like a Parisian in the City of Light, CIEE offers a program every language learner will enjoy!

Whether you're a beginner or a Heritage speaker, study language abroad with CIEE and discover a language program that fits your skill level by exploring beyond the classroom through local engagements, excursions, and more! 

SEARCH ALL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS 

Language, Literature & Cultural Studies​ Study Abroad Programs

7 Programs Found

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kyoto skyline buildings lit up
  • Kyoto, Japan
  • Study Program

Learn Japanese language and culture, further your studies with courses on humanities and social sciences taught in English, and experience all that Kyoto has to offer.

Features
  • Small City
tokyo mountain leaves autumn
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • Study Program

You’ve got one amazing global adventure

Features
  • Big City
  • Host Institution
  • Volunteering
winter kyoto japan snow
  • Kyoto, Japan
  • Study Program

Kyoto is the premier hub of traditional Japanese culture and is filled with palaces, temples, gardens, museums, and theaters.

Features
  • Small City
tokyo night skyline
  • Tokyo, Japan
New for January '25
  • Study Program

Ring in the New Year and spend your winter break in Tokyo, Japan’s vibrant capital city.

Features
  • Big City
yellow temple kyoto japan
  • Kyoto, Japan
  • Study Program
  • Part-Time Internship

...for 1, 2, or 3 term blocks!

Study abroad in Kyoto – one of Japan’s most traditional cities – in CIEE’s Open Campus Block program.

Features
  • ASU Courses
  • Small City
bamboo forest walkway kyoto japan
  • Study Program

Immerse yourself in Japanese culture, further your studies in humanities and social sciences, and experience all that Kyoto has to offer.

Features
  • Small City
sunset tokyo tower japan
  • Study Program

Spend your summer exploring Japanese language and culture

Features
  • ASU Courses
  • Big City

Benefits of Studying Language, Literature & Cultural Studies​ Abroad

Go beyond your textbooks

by engaging with the local community firsthand. 

Fast-track your language skills

by studying your language every day.

Learn slang words and phrases

by integrating with the culture that speaks it. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Language, Literature & Cultural Studies​ Study Abroad

We may be a bit biased, but we think CIEE offers some of the best foreign language learning programs that allow students to travel abroad and learn their desired language firsthand. Our most popular foreign language learning programs include:

  1. Summer Global Internship Language Immersion (Barcelona, Spain)
  2. Summer Accelerated Chinese Language (Shanghai, China)
  3. Russian Language + European Studies (Tallinn, Estonia)
  4. Summer Intensive French Language (Rennes, France)
  5. Chinese Language + Asian Studies (Taipei, Taiwan)
  6. Advanced Arabic Language (Amman, Jordan)
  7. Summer Arabic Language (Rabat, Morocco) 

There are several advantages of studying a foreign language, including:

  • Improving brain and memory health
  • Increasing problem-solving skills  
  • Expanding your ability to connect with more people around the world
  • Increasing empathy toward others
  • Helping with personal and career advancement

Check out this TED Talk on 4 reasons to learn a new language by John McWhorter. 

There are many factors that influence how long it may take you to learn a new language, including your environment, dedication to studying, and your existing and desired language level. Depending on the language you want to learn and the level you’d like to reach, experts estimate that it could take anywhere from eight to 92 weeks or more

While the best foreign language to learn is quite subjective, we can provide you with a list of some of the most popular foreign languages to learn (excluding English), based on the number of native speakers.

  • Chinese
  • Hindi
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Arabic
  • Bengali
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Urdu
  • Indonesian
  • German
  • Japanese

CIEE conveniently offers several language learning programs inclusive of many of the languages listed above. Explore all CIEE’s foreign language programs and apply today

Yes, you can absolutely study abroad without knowing the language. With 130+ language, literature, and cultural studies programs across 40+ locations, CIEE offers foreign language courses for all levels of language learners. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced foreign language speaker, you can study language abroad with CIEE!

CIEE offers study abroad language programs across a dozen languages including:

  1. Spanish  
  2. French  
  3. Mandarin  
  4. Arabic  
  5. Korean  
  6. Portuguese  
  7. Japanese
  8. Russian
  9. German
  10. Italian 

And more!

If you're wondering how to study language abroad, there are several ways to do so with CIEE including:

  • Complete language courses at your CIEE Center or partner university
  • Live with a host family and practice daily conversations
  • Engage with the local community through volunteer work
  • & more!

For more detailed information on learning a language abroad, we recommend that you explore individual program pages for course and language information. 

Ready to Study Abroad?

Search Programs    Find Scholarships    Apply Today!