The United States government is encouraging more and more Americans to study and master high-demand languages through efforts like the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program.

The CLS Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and offers fully-funded study abroad opportunities for American undergraduate and graduate students. Students will receive language training and culturally enriching experiences in a group environment.

Four Grand Valley State University students have been selected to participate in the CLS Program for 2015.

“Learning critical languages is advantageous for GVSU students and alumni who will become our next leaders in government, business, global health, education and other industries,” said Amanda Cuevas, former director of the Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships.

In recent years, graduating seniors have received this award, Cuevas said. More students are applying and receiving this award earlier in their time at GVSU.

“I believe this trend is an indicator that GV students are becoming more aware of the CLS, and similar prestigious awards, earlier on as students and are intentionally pursuing them to help them attain their greater academic and career goals,” Cuevas said.

The CLS Program offers programs that last seven to 10 weeks in languages such as Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish and Urdu in 13 countries where these languages are spoken.

Participants are encouraged to continue their language training beyond the program and use their knowledge in their future professional careers.

Irada Chouduri is a sophomore biomedical sciences major at GVSU and will study Bengali in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Chouduri has family in Bangladesh and grew up with the language, though she has never formally studied it.

Showing a strong interest in the language, having a good academic background and being a mature individual are some of the qualities that help students get into the program, Chouduri said.

“You’re going to another country; most of the time it’s not a developed country, so showing that you have the mental strength and fortitude to work through the challenges and reach the ultimate goal of the program is very important,” Chouduri said.

Chouduri hopes to work in epidemiology in the future and noted that there are many institutions in Bangladesh that have American government collaboration.

“I think being able to act as a bridge would be a very unique and fulfilling experience,” Chourduri said.

Three other GVSU students will study Arabic through the CLS Program – including David Leestma, a senior international relations major, who studied in Meknes, Morocco in 2014. Leestma will participate in the CLS Program again this summer at the Noor Majan Training Institute in Ibri, Oman.

“As Arabic is one of, if not the hardest, language in the world to learn, to be given an opportunity to study where the language is actually spoken is the best opportunity to improve one’s ability to speak and understand the language being studied,” said Kyle Meppelink, a senior international relations major who will study in Meknes, Morocco.

Meppelink studied Arabic at GVSU for two years and then again at Birzeit University in Palestine. Currently, Meppelink is studying abroad in Amman, Jordan.

“As I’ve never been to a North African country, I really want to learn more about the culture and history of the region,” Meppelink said. “Living with a host family will definitely help me to see the raw culture that I wouldn’t be able to understand fully by learning it in a classroom.”

Meppelink hopes to work for an organization assisting refugees and human rights in the Middle East.

“English is extremely useful when traveling abroad, but it only reaches a superficial level of understanding another culture,” Meppelink said. “If an American truly wants to understand another culture, they should learn the language culture uses.”

Meagan Roche, a senior anthropology major, will study Arabic in Tangier, Morocco. Roche has visited many Middle Eastern countries and has conducted research on contemporary issues in Western countries with Muslim immigrants and citizens.

“I think that it’s really important to study languages in general,” Roche said. “To be able to understand that the world does not communicate in one single language…there’s so much value that can come from studying different ways of speaking. I think you can gain incredible insight into how people think and interact with the world.”

Roche encouraged students to seek out fellowship opportunities that match their interests, especially by contacting the Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships.

“I think that letting people know that opportunities are out there is really important,” Roche said. “You just have to find them – have the initiative, know that you want something and ask people how you get there. Even if you don’t know the specifics, people can help you find your way.”

Students interested in fellowship opportunities can contact the Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships at [email protected]

For more information on the program, visit www.clscholarship.org