Y. offering Arabic, Chinese camps for high school language students

PROVO — For the first time, Brigham Young University will offer Arabic and Chinese language summer camps for high school students in connection with the federal government's STARTALK program, part of the National Security Language Initiative.

Tuition for the summer camps is $500, which includes materials, food and housing at BYU's Foreign Language Student Residence.

The Arabic language camp will run July 23 - Aug. 17, and will immerse high school students in both written and spoken Arabic.

Students accepted into the Arabic language summer camp will participate in daily outdoor activities that use the Arabic language, celebrations that include a Bedouin tent dinner and Ramadan meal and weekly field trips to Middle Eastern restaurants and mosques.

Participation in this camp will earn students 4 credit hours for BYU's Arabic 101 course.

The Chinese language camp will run July 17-Aug. 10 and will help students develop basic proficiency in Chinese through classroom instruction, cultural activities and hands-on learning.

Activities will include a Dayaojin long march, dragon boat races, Chinese movie nights, Gong Fu martial arts and a lantern festival.

Participation in this camp, along with passing a standardized test, will earn students two years of high school language credit.

A primary function of both camps is to supplement a joint effort by the Utah State Office of Education and BYU to increase the number of Arabic and Chinese language programs in high schools, according to BYU professor Kirk Belnap, who is directing the Arabic camp.

Contact BYU Conferences and Workshops at 801-422-4853 for information and registration.