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Health & Fitness

Learning New Languages and Opening New Doors

The Federal Service Language Academy (FSLA) immerses students in a foreign culture through an academic course of classes, personal tutors and guest speakers with actual experience in a particular culture. The language comes alive on The University of North Georgia’s small-scale campus, where students are able to learn a foreign language without leaving the state of Georgia. Students are taught by highly-qualified foreign language teachers who have native or near-native expertise that teach the courses and interact with students.  

            Sequoyah High School seniors Chris Thomas and Yusemi Mondragon had the privilege to attend this 21-day course at The University of North Georgia.

            Thomas, who learned Russian, explained that the class was three weeks long and all students were required to take a final exam at the end.

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            “Although I can’t speak Russian fluently, I learned basic questions, greetings, locations, food, anatomy, and Russian culture,” Thomas said.

            Taking the course is approximately equivalent to taking a first-year, foreign language class in high school and students can receive high school credit for taking the course.

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            “This class was the bomb. I made a lot of friends along with learning not only a language, but a culture,” Thomas explained.

            Yusemi Mondragon learned Mandarin Chinese while attending FSLA.

            Mondragon said she enjoyed her time at FSLA and had fun while learning the new language.

            “I was able to learn the fundamentals of a new language and was so fascinated with Mandarin Chinese that I decided I would love to major in international affairs with a minor in Chinese,” Mondragon explained.

            Not only did Thomas and Mondragon hear lectures about their language, they had competitions to see who was learning the fastest.

            “My classmates and I made various videos to show how much Chinese we knew,” Mondragon stated.

            Along with learning, Mondragon went whitewater rafting, bowling, zip lining, and hiking with her classmates.

Mondragon had such an awesome experience during her stay at The University of North Georgia that she plans to attend the university after high school and continue the process towards learning a new language.

Thomas and Mondragon both agree that FSLA is a great opportunity to be exposed to new cultures and learning a foreign language without leaving the state of Georgia.

Students interested in the FSLA program should visit http://ung.edu/global-engagement/fsla/index.php and find the online application which is available until April 1st of 2014. Because there is a limit of 16 students per language per three-week session, admission is competitive. There is a list of requirements on the FSLA tab on the University’s website.

Some scholarships are offered for those who portray a financial need. For further information, email the Center for Global Engagement global-dah@ung.edu or call (706)-867-2858 to speak with a representative. 

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