Catch up with MEDLI alumni and hear how MEDLI shaped their professional trajectories.
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Student Voices
“When I heard that [MEDLI] APTLI was going to be online the summer of 2020 I was a little nervous. I had set high goals for myself going into the summer, hoping to improve to an advanced low on my OPIs, and I was worried from other online class experiences that I wouldn’t grow nearly as much as I would in an in-person class. Needless to say, I was fortunate to be wrong. The professor kept attention (and morale) up by keeping the day dynamic, and his enthusiasm definitely helped convince me to stay invested in the class. The class was organized not like an in-person class forced online, but an online class geared for the situation, which helped things from feeling off-beat. In particular, the use of online breakout rooms offered more opportunities for direct peer to peer Arabic practice not possible with in-person instruction. It was also a great way to get to know our classmates better and decompress from more intensive lessons. Some of my favorite highlights from the program were simply getting to talk to students from all over the country in these breakout sessions. What more, whether watching films or cooking Yemeni foods as a class the program still offered a host of cultural activities that took advantage of the unique opportunities afforded by online instruction. While online intensive learning was certainly a change from the sort of instruction I was used to, I was still able to meet my language goal of improving to advanced low while also making some quality friendships.”
Gordon G.
2021 Arabic student and WISLI Student Conference Presenter
“It truly was enriching an eye opening of how much these languages can take you places and connect with more people within my classroom, within my communities and beyond. It was my personal goal to be able to visit Middle Eastern countries and immersed myself in the richness of middle eastern cultures.”
Fatimah A.
2024 Elementary Arabic Student
“MEDLI’s combination of intensive curriculum and cultural activities left me more confident to continue learning Turkish and apply it to my academic and career goals, and Madison truly is a beautiful place to be for the Summer.”
MEDLI 2024 student
“Learning a new language is a difficult task, learning Arabic has taught me the need for discipline, patience, and good humor in navigating challenging situations. Some things I believe will hold me in good stead in different aspects of my life.”
Joanna K.
2024 Advanced Arabic student
“On a personal level, learning a less commonly taught language—in my case, Turkish—has empowered me to recognize the value of being wrong. Learning Turkish without previous Turkish language experience is challenging, particularly in an intensive environment. However, to my surprise, that challenge has often come not from the grammatical and vocabulary content itself but from my fear of being wrong and/or embarrassing myself. When speaking a new language, you are bound to mess up, butcher your pronunciation, and say something unintentionally silly—I certainly have on most days. But the mistakes are also what you learn from, and I have come to appreciate that mantra after learning Turkish.
Sophie B.
2024 Elementary Turkish student
“The MEDLI program is a well-crafted learning experience that allows people to learn language in an engaging and supportive environment. From exceptional teachers, collaborative students and great facilities and resources, language learning and leaning about other cultures happens in a wonderful way”
2024 MEDLI student
“I had an amazing time learning Arabic”
2024 MEDLI student
Academic Excellence at MEDLI
“This summer, I began learning the Turkish language under the instruction of Dr. Chi (Oğuz). Coming in, I had no prior Turkish learning experience, so it was incredible to see how much I gained through this intensive virtual program. In my elementary Turkish classes, my professor immersed us in the target language through increasingly complex role play, listening, and conversation activities. The highlight of my week was integrating the new concepts and words I learned through class into my twice weekly language partner conversation sessions! Next year, I anticipate continuing my Turkish studies through [MEDLI] APTLI, and I likewise hope to put my new language skills into practice in my future work!”
Abigail A.
Elementary Turkish Student
“Everything! I have never had a better teacher. Ever. Anyone who has Salah as a teacher is blessed. I’m not even quite sure I can convey how much I loved having him as an instructor. I have never had a teacher who has cared so much about my well-being and I can’t remember ever meeting anyone so innately talented at putting people at ease. In terms of his teaching “exceedingly stellar” is a gross understatement. Rehire him. That comes from my heart. Salah Algabli is a gift to humanity.”
“I loved my MEDLI experience! My instructor Emre was excellent—one of the best teachers I have had during my college experience. I was very nervous going into learning Turkish, but I am leaving with increased confidence and the support of a great community!”
2024 MEDLI student
“WISLI is more than a language course—it is a rewarding environment that foregrounds cultural enrichment and career development as well as language proficiency. WISLI’s excellent programming provides students the opportunity to learn less commonly taught languages, the cultures, countries, and people being those languages, and how to market their newfound language skills. As a result of that trifecta, I feel that I am not only walking away with elementary proficiency in Turkish but also enhanced cultural awareness and appreciation for how my language-learning experience can be harnessed for my future ambitions. And, of course, I would be remiss if I did not comment on UW-Madison’s excellent faculty, staff, and facilities, which have made such learning possible!”
Sophie B.
2024 Elementary Turkish Student
“I plan to harness my newfound elementary Turkish proficiency for my academic interest in second language acquisition. I entered WISLI fascinated by second language acquisition in the abstract but without having intensively learned a language previously. Thus, learning Turkish at WISLI has enriched my interest in and understanding of second language acquisition.”
Sophie B.
2024 Elementary Turkish student
“I personally believe Fatemeh has a system of teaching with enthusiasm that is transmitted to the students. That is important!”
“WISLI has amazing programs in bringing classrooms materials into day to day activities to enhance those learning experiences into practical use of language learning with language table discussion, visitation to middle eastern communities center, movies, cooking day, and so on.”
Fatimah A.
2024 Elementary Arabic student
“I have been very happy with my choice to spend my summer with the Arabic program at MEDLI.”
“I have found that MEDLI staff and teachers worked hard to build and maintain a sense of community between cohorts learning different languages – this was highly appreciated and very fruitful.”
Joanna K.
2024 Advanced Arabic student
“MEDLI is the best […] program for Farsi/Persian language in the country. I would recommend this experience for those looking to improve their language skills.”
“I thought it was a very helpful classroom experience. I came into this program knowing very little Arabic and I am amazed by how much I learned.”
2024 MEDLI students
Highlights of MEDLI
“Daily classes with my peer group and instructor Salah Algabli have been very enjoyable. It has made learning Arabic seem like a breeze and has kept me motivated through the length of the program! The classroom experience has stood out to me during my time with MEDLI and WISLI:
Joanna K.
2024 Advanced Arabic student
“I enjoyed cooking day making khobz (خُبز bread) and the ability to understand so many Arabic vocabularies and making it into everyday sentences with my classmates on daily basis.”
Fatimah A.
2024 Elementary Arabic student
“Learning Turkish at MEDLI/WISLI over the summer was an absolute delight. The other students are really motivating and it’s so inspirational to be surrounded by so many language students in such a supportive environment. Madison is a really wonderful city in the summer and being able to study Turkish at Memorial Union overlooking the lake eating cheese curds was really the best thing I could have done this summer.”
“The MEDLI program was extremely conducive to my language learning. As a Turkish student, I had many opportunities to practice my languages skills whether it was at a Turkish supermarket, at the language tables, or by listening to guest lecturers. I always felt supported by the staff, instructors, and my peers. I would do this program again in a heartbeat!”
2024 Turkish students
“The Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Language Institute Elementary Arabic class was a welcoming and supportive place where I found that learning was key to replenishing my strength, renewing my commitment to education and rediscovering the joy of experiencing the language, literature, food and culture of people and nations very different from those I am accustomed to in America.”
Ashley W.
2024 Elementary Arabic student
“I especially enjoyed cooking a Türk kahvaltısı. I had not enjoyed a Turkish breakfast previously, and cooking it with my classmates while receiving instruction in Turkish was an educational yet fun introduction. And, of course, enjoying the fruits of our efforts afterward did not disappoint! (See photo attached). I also enjoyed speaking with students from Istanbul’s Sabancı Üniversitesi. I was pretty nervous going into the Zoom, but the two students I chatted with were very gracious and friendly, and we connected over a shared love of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. They also requested me on Instagram afterward, and it was cool to think that I had already began building a community (though small) of Turkish speakers.”
Sophie B.
2024 Elementary Turkish student
“Professor Salah made our class a super fun learning environment and was inspiring with his care for student learning and commitment to playing soccer. Language tables to practice speaking Arabic were super helpful and twice a week! Nice to be exposed to a variety of Arabic language movies, a calligraphy class, a Middle Eastern market, and a Mediterranean cafe. Super nice to be between two beautiful lakes and to have language tables next to a lake. Staff and faculty are super caring and helpful with answering my many questions and providing a textbook for me to use since I was low on funds. Also, nice to have a language library in the Language Program Office. Quite a worthwhile challenge to balance studying and awesome ice skating, rockclimbing, the Madison farmer’s market, the Capitol Building, the Van Hise building with an amazing view, an array of restaurants, food pantries, and so much more! Grateful to the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship affiliates for making this experience financially possible for me.”
2024 MEDLI student
“I enjoyed the trip to the Oriental Institute because after 2 months of learning Arabic and Arabic culture, I was able to see these artifacts in a new perspective.”
MEDLI student
Advice to Future Cohorts
"I would encourage students hoping to study elementary Turkish to embrace being wrong. I have found that learning Turkish involves a different thought than other undergraduate courses; learning a language requires not merely completing readings and homework but a deeper, more nuanced understanding of terms and concepts in order to generalize patterns across disparate examples. As a result, being wrong is inevitable. And that’s ok! Being wrong—and accepting that you are wrong—is a space where much personal growth occurs.
Sophie B.
I would also advise elementary Turkish students to remember their “why.” When coursework gets difficult, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking: What am I doing? If you have an end goal, it makes it easier to ground yourself, put your struggle into perspective, and remember that your language learning is part of a larger process!"
"My only advice would be to be patient and give yourself over to the process of learning a language. It can be frustrating and challenging at times, but I have found that over time it is a deeply rewarding and satisfying experience. All the best!"
Joanna K.
"The hardest week would be when you're towards the end of the course but don't give up, keep pushing yourself and you'll make it and be really proud of yourself when you look back. Yes, you'll learn a lot and you'll treasure and carry this valuable knowledge and skill with you everywhere you go."
Fatimah A.
"Learning a new language is not only about discovering new words, it's about celebrating the people and the culture that the language represents. It gives voice to their experience and helps us to find beauty in what we may not completely understand. In a community of learners, we journey together and discover that each of our unique histories and experiences are valuable and worth sharing."
Ashley W.
"I suggest challenging your professor to provide the kind of teaching and support that will benefit you most. Also, think about balancing how to acknowledge when you don't understand something and considerately not slowing the class down."
2024 MEDLI student
Student blog project by Amanda F.B
I applied to [MEDLI] APTLI because I knew I wanted to give myself the best chance of learning Persian. As a heritage learner, I had spent years dabbling with Rosetta Stone on and off, hopefully searching for classes throughout my undergrad and graduate careers only to see Persian was either not offered, or the classes offered would be cancelled every semester for lack of enrollment. When I finally stumbled across a link to MEDLI, I saw the 8-week summer intensive program offered in Madison as the ideal option, the one I’d been looking for without knowing it.
Though I could tell from the website that the course would be challenging—4 hours a day of class 5 days a week plus homework, extra events, and activities!—I didn’t really know what to expect from the whole experience. I’d never been to Madison before, or even the Midwest, and I didn’t really know what 4 hours of language instruction a day would feel like. I assumed it would be hard, a summer of studying in the library and trying to remember what a past participle is.
And it is hard—4 hours of language instruction is 4 hours of paying close attention. It’s more active learning than I’d ever experienced before. It’s also more rewarding, with more information being absorbed at a quicker pace. Being self-motivated to do the work is important to keep up and not fall behind. It’s exhausting, to be honest—but luckily Madison turned out to be the perfect place to spend a strenuous summer!
After class you can head to the terrace at Memorial Union, sit in a shady spot and watch the lake—full of sailboats, kayaks, and windsurfers—and maybe eat some cheese curds until you feel ready to tackle homework. If the breeze off the lake is too strong for your flash cards, there’s also a seemingly unending number of libraries to study in. Memorial Library is my personal favorite because of the many food carts parked outside for study snacking.
Madison is also an incredibly walkable and bikable city, in addition to having a great public bus system (free to students!), so if you’re feeling restless after a morning of learning, a long walk down State Street and around the Capital (if you want people watching and shopping) or down the lakeshore (if you can’t get enough of staring at that giant lake) is always a great post-class activity.
If you have the energy, [MEDLI] APTLI offers extra events—movie screenings, lectures, dance workshops, etc.—that help fill up your free time and add more opportunities to meet other students and practice your language skills. The student conference is particularly great, as you’ll get to hear about the research interests of your classmates across all for the languages offered during the summer programs.
Madison offers a lot of extra events too, mostly situated around the nearby Capital Square—a Saturday Farmer’s Market, weekly outdoor public concerts, a weekend art fair, a comedy club and multiple venues for more music. If you get tired of everything the Capital has to offer, exploring in any other direction from the campus you’ll find more restaurants, cafés, bookstores, shops, and parks.
While I don’t think there’s any way to fully prepare for how challenging the program is, you should know that 8 weeks in Madison with [MEDLI] APTLI will be full—full of learning, meeting new people, gazing at the lake, attending events, and enjoying a city with way more to offer than you’ll have time to see. Luckily there’s always another level or another language to learn next summer!
Student blog project by an Advanced Turkish student
Pre-Course Thoughts
Whether for academic enrichment or personal growth, I recommend spending a summer consumed with an intensive language course. Yaz dili programları tavsiye ediyorum.
Since this was not my first or even second intensive language experience, I knew what to expect; however, the comfort of that statement was extremely limited before the end of the first day. Each of the last two summers I participated in first-and-second-year intensive Turkish through another university; however, since both of those experiences were entirely online, moving to an in person environment was an adjustment. Since I am not a student year-round, establishing a routine to find success in the classroom was necessary. Sınıfta başarı bulunacaksınız
Prior to the close of the first week, non-beginning level students took an oral proficiency interview (OPI), a one-on-one phone interview with a native speaker to assess your ability. This was my third OPI test and this time I scored an intermediate high level. Take the result with a grain of salt, however since some of the questions are routine and a speaking assessment, it is not a good judge of someone’s overall knowledge of a language.
In the Classroom
Language learning consists of four categories: listening (the hardest for me), speaking (arguably most important), reading and writing (my strength if I had to choose though my classmates would likely cringe at reading this). Dinleme, konuşma, okuma, yazma
Regular activities included watching and listening to video and audio clips to practice and assess listening and conversation skills incorporrating newly learned vocabulary. We also read many articles within (and outside of) our required textbooks (Yeni Ders Kitabı, Yeni Çalışma Kitabı, B2). From these readings and of our own choice came many writing assignments of different styles (argumentative, opinion, comparison, narrative, etc.). Expect most of your in class exercises to be done with a partner or as a whole class. Çok yeni kelimeler birlikte öğrenceksiniz
Extracurricular Activities
For students of all languages in the summer programs, weekly activities are offered. Examples include, cooking, music and/or dance activities. A weekly Turkish film series and conversation hour to practice speaking with other students outside of your normal classroom setting were also popular choices. Dans edeceksiniz, müzik dinleyeceksiniz, filmler izleyeceksiniz ve Türk yemek pişireceksiniz
Other
Unexpectedly, my class had a change of instructor in week six; despite this adjustment, the change of teaching style worked better for me. With a small class unable to always cater to the level of each student made for an often challenging class. I think there is always an opportunity to learn even if you are waiting for others to catch up. The university has a lot of resources and I found the staff to be accommodating and helpful as needed, so speak up with any questions, concerns or the like.
Lastly, while I am glad I decided to spend my last few summers consumed by Turkish, it is important to remember that it is challenging and frustrating at times. It does not take long to feel overwhelmed as the last two years have been difficult to say the least. This summer, with two heritage speakers in a class of only four, I often felt out of place since I had so much trouble understanding much of what they said. I do not think I was ready for this class as my vocabulary and grammatical understanding is simply not high enough. In conclusion, I still recommend taking on the challenge of learning a new language, but believe each student should make an honest self-assessment in advance in order to determine the advantageous level for their ability and potential. Herkes Türkçe öğrenmek hoş geldiniz