American Councils (ACTR)
Why choose American Councils (ACTR)?
American Councils offers study abroad and research programs to fit numerous academic and professional endeavors. From language immersion and area studies, to the energy and business sectors, American Councils has a program to advance your education and career - in 17 countries and more than 25 languages.
American Councils offers study abroad and research programs to fit numerous academic and professional endeavors. From language immersion and area studies, to the energy and business sectors, American Councils has a program to advance your education and career - in 17 countries and more than 25 languages.
American Councils (ACTR) Reviews
Hear what past participants have to say about the programs
Overall Rating
Total Reviews
Amazing summer through KISLP!
by: Rianna Mattox - United StatesProgram: Korean Intensive Summer Language ProgramKISLP study abroad is a hidden gem of a foreign exchange program. It’s located in the small city of Cheongju at Chungbuk University and has an academic rigor well-suited to those who have already started on their Korean learning journey and wish to accelerate the language acquisition process. I'll go into more detail about specific aspects. Academic life: In my experience this program is best for those who are serious about improving their Korean. When they say Korean Intensive Summer Language Program they’re not lying about intensive! Class is for three hours straight every weekday and there is at least one hour worth of homework and another hour of study if you want to keep up. Through just one summer we go through two semesters of content. Don’t worry though, as long as you study what you need to, the teachers present the content in a very meticulous and methodical way that makes the information stick. There are equal parts vocabulary, speaking, writing, and listening, and I did not feel that any aspect of the language was being neglected in the classroom. Classes are taught in full Korean which was frustrating sometimes, but the textbooks have English explanations of things if needed. Also, you’re given language partners who you study with at least twice a week for an hour. Personally I studied around 2-3 hours each meeting time. Culture events: Every single week we had a cultural event such as Hanbok wearing and traditional tea ceremony, k-pop dance class, taekwondo, japchae cooking at a cooking school, and etc. They’re done in full Korean (but AC/Chungbuk staff will help with English when needed) and are about 2-3 hours in the afternoon. I appreciated the blend of traditional and modern Korean experiences and the new phrases and vocabulary we learned from them. It really brought excitement and diversity to the program experience considering we were in a classroom/studying/homework for several hours every day. Living situation: We were in student dormitories and used the student bathrooms, cafeterias, trash/recycling, etc. There weren’t Korean students living with us, the whole floor was just us Americans. There was air conditioning! However the laundry was frustrating. Win some lose some. The dorm food was not as good as the restaurants but still good! The kitchen staff are careful about allergies. My friend had an allergy and they printed out a daily menu for her and each time she came in explained what was OK/not OK to eat. Value of Cheongju: This program isn’t in Seoul like a lot of programs but rather in the small city of Cheongju. During my time, there were so many people I met who said I was the first foreigner they had ever talked to. At cafes, they always took my order in Korean. At stores, they spoke to me in Korean. Of course I was a foreigner but people didn’t approach me like I was a tourist. Though this program is not in Seoul, we do spend the last week fully in Seoul doing a bunch of activities so you’ll still get those classic Seoul experiences (lotte world, museums, namsan tower, famous markets, etc). In Seoul, everyone always spoke to me in English and it felt like I was a tourist more than a student. One time in Seoul I merely ordered a coffee in Korean and the employee was completely shocked—an experience I never had in Cheongju. I believe the program being in Cheongju enables you to get a more authentic Korean student experience than studying in a large tourist-filled city like Seoul. Community: The best part for me was the community I made there. You get 20 or so peers from all around the United States and are also paired with local students from Chungbuk university as language tutors, so you get a very large social circle. I made great relationships with both Americans and Koreans who I still keep in frequent contact with. Eating out, studying at cafes, karaoke late into the night, board game cafes, big soccer games, workout partners, trips to other cities, and etc—in Cheongju my life was very fulfilling thanks to all of the people the program acquainted me with!
I'll really love to explore the world
by: Desmond Ukpele - NigeriaProgram: Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP)Just got blessed by God through my mom and uncle for telling me about your program and making me apply I wasn't sure neither was I feeling lucky but I kept my hopes up till I see the end of it and I hope it really the best of my life
Making the most of being at home!
by: Keenan Overa - United StatesProgram: Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP)In 2020, the Russian Area Studies and Language Program (RLASP) was held virtually, and despite the challenges of being stuck at home the program was a tremendous opportunity to continue developing my Russian language skills. The program perfectly centered on the right balance of rigor and fun, and I easily bonded with my professors and cohort despite learning virtually. RLASP allowed me to learn more about advanced grammar topics and new vocabulary, while continuing to work on more fundamental aspects like phonetics. The presence of courses in geography, history/politics, culture, and cinema allowed me use my Russian "in practice" while exploring more technical vocabulary. I would highly recommend the program to any learner of Russian, but especially intermediate students who are ready to make the jump to a more advanced level of understanding and proficiency in the language.
American Councils (ACTR) Programs
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Take part in Russian language and culture studies held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Tallinn, Estonia, Tbilisi, Georgia, and Yerevan, Armenia. Programmi...
Based in Taipei, Taiwan, this summer program enables motivated students of Mandarin Chinese to complete a year’s worth of academic study in only ...
To help meet the growing demand for Korean language programming overseas, American Councils is pleased to provide the Korean Intensive Summer Lan...
The American Councils are pleased to offer the Advanced Russian Language and Area Studies Program (RLASP) coursework by way of distance learning....
The American Councils are pleased to offer the Eurasian Regional Language Program (ERLP) coursework by way of distance learning. Students will a...
Join a program designed to cater to students who are of Russian heritage, and are interested in strengthening their Russian language skills. Thes...
Interviews
Read interviews from alumni or staff

Victoria Saadat
Participated in 2014
After learning about the history of Kazakhstan in college, Victoria was hooked and couldn’t learn enough about the country, its language, and the cult...

Victoria Saadat
Participated in 2014
The language I was learning when I applied to American Councils Eurasian Regional Language Program (ERLP) was Kazakh, and before that, Russian. While taking Kazakh classes at Stanford, my professor encouraged me to seek out opportunities to study Kazakh in Kazakhstan. One of my friends who recently graduated from Stanford had also been learning Kazakh and recommended that I check out the ERLP for Kazakh language. The reason I sought an international program was because Kazakh is very rarely taught and spoken in the U.S., and there would be no better opportunity to learn it thoroughly than in Kazakhstan!

Natalie Hall
Participated in 2016
Natalie is a senior at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where she is studying international affairs with a concentration in secur...

Natalie Hall
Participated in 2016
I was first inspired to go abroad because even as a child, I loved traveling overseas. It offered me the ability to see, touch, and understand things that I may have heard or read about before but was unable to really comprehend and appreciate. Furthermore, I wanted to drastically improve my Russian. Everyone who I talked to about the program highly encouraged me to study abroad in a Russian speaking country. They said that my speaking and listening would get even better after being abroad for a few months.