Arkansas Tech University student Lucas Babst is one of several American college and university students selected by the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs to participate in the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Spark program.
According to the State Department, the program is “part of the United States government’s initiative to expand the number of Americans who study and learn foreign languages that are critical to national security and economic prosperity.”
Babst, a sophomore international studies major from Monticello, studies Arabic through the CLS Spark program. By learning about Middle Eastern language and culture, he hopes to be prepared to travel to one or more Arabic-speaking countries in the future.
“CLS Spark is a virtual initiative designed to leverage best practices in online language learning developed by the CLS program during the pandemic, giving US students the opportunity and opportunity to begin their language learning journey even when these critical languages are not offered. Read an article about the program offered by the US State Department. “Participants spend an academic year learning Arabic, Chinese, or Russian through online classes and in their native language at a host institution abroad.”
Learn more about similar opportunities for Arkansas Tech students by visiting the ATU Distinguished Scholarships Office online at www.atu.edu/academics/nifs.php.
