Summer High School Language Immersion Programs

Choosing a language to study is as tricky as choosing which flavor of gelato to try first when you land in Rome! It’s important to consider the scope of opportunity for you to utilize the skill once you’ve mastered it, and of course, your reason for learning in the first place. There’s no justification for learning French if you want to explore South America or Italian if you want to study in China. 

Spanish is a popular choice, and being spoken by 41 million people around the world, it’s a handy skill to have for making friends, working overseas, and traversing large portions of the globe. Just imagine the possibilities trekking the Andes in Chile, scuba diving in Belize, or exploring the castles in Spain! 

French is the second most studied language in the world, so you’ll be joining many fellow earthlings by learning this language. In some of the French summer immersion programs for high school students, you could even take culinary classes to learn from professional chefs! 

Italian is also another great romantic-based choice and equally useful when it comes to linguistic-focused degrees and globetrotting adventures, not to mention the delicious cuisines available! Authentic Italian pizza or pasta, anyone? Plus, who why not learn the language of famous fashion designers, artists, and musicians?! 

If you fancy a slightly more off-the-beaten-track type of linguistic pursuit, the more unique choices include Chinese, Japanese, Greek, and German. You shouldn’t select a language based solely on the country you wish to visit — but there’s a lot of potential for your bucket list there — and no one would judge if that influenced your choice!