2027 CLS Arabic, Persian, and Russian Languages and Cultures

The CLS Program

The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is a U.S. Department of State program funded by the U.S. government and implemented with support from American Councils for International Education. It offers intensive summer study in nine languages considered important to U.S. security, economic competitiveness, and global engagement. Since 2006, it has served more than 10,000 U.S. participants.

The program is open to eligible U.S. students and centers on rapid language learning, cultural understanding, and engagement with communities connected to the language. The 2027 program will run for eight weeks between June and August through overseas and virtual institutes.

Why Study Arabic, Persian, or Russian?

• Arabic: Spoken by more than 300 million people, particularly across North Africa and the Middle East. Arabic skills can support work in fields such as business, medicine, political science, international relations, and communications.
• Persian: Spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Its relative rarity among U.S. language learners and relevance to several strategically important regions can make it useful in diplomacy, intelligence, defense, national security, and regional analysis.
• Russian: Spoken by more than 250 million people as a first or second language and used across Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. It can be applied in diplomacy, national security, intelligence, defense, science, and technology.

What the Summer Involves

Participants complete intensive language instruction and structured cultural activities. Overseas institutes also offer in-person programming through host institutions. The program is demanding and should be treated as a primary summer commitment:

• Overseas participants should plan to set aside outside commitments such as independent travel, research, or internships.
• Virtual participants should expect live weekday classes and regular homework. Other commitments may be possible, but the program requires substantial time and preparation.
• Participants are placed into an appropriate class level through placement testing, which may take place online before the institute or in person after arrival.
• Students are paired with a language partner, typically someone from the host community. Partners provide informal conversation practice and help participants learn about local culture and their surroundings.
• Arabic instruction at all CLS Arabic sites focuses primarily on Modern Standard Arabic, with some dialect instruction.

Past sites included Oman, Jordan, and Morocco for Arabic; Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for Persian; and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and Daugavpils, Latvia, for Russian. 2027 sites will be announced in the spring. Applicants apply for a language, not a specific site, so applications should emphasize interest in the language rather than a preferred location.

Program Costs, Outcomes, and Alumni Benefits

The program covers language instruction, textbooks and class materials, and cultural enrichment activities. Overseas participants also receive round-trip international airfare, applicable visa fees, housing and meals, and program-sponsored cultural programming and group trips. Virtual participants receive a stipend for supplemental equipment and connectivity costs.

In eight weeks, participants complete the equivalent of one year of college-level study and make documented language gains. They receive an official ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview score, and participants who opt in can receive academic credit through Bryn Mawr College.

According to the presentation’s account of the 2025 Long Term Impact Survey:

• 96% of alumni reported stronger language proficiency and cross-cultural communication skills.
• Two-thirds said CLS improved their workforce readiness and career development.
• 66% said they actively use regional knowledge in their jobs.
• 55% said they use their CLS language in their current position.

Alumni also join a nationwide participant cohort and the U.S. Department of State Exchange Alumni Network, which offers professional development, programming, and other resources.

Alumni Experiences

• Isabella Castro, who studied Russian in Daugavpils, Latvia, in summer 2025, described how CLS helped her progress despite early struggles and self-doubt. Small-group study, supportive classmates, tutoring, and regular practice helped her improve. She said she later held a lengthy Russian conversation during a mock proficiency interview. She also highlighted the relationships she built with her host family and cohort. She hopes to pursue a career as a public diplomacy officer and is considering graduate study in Eastern European studies.
• Diana Tran, who studied Arabic in Nizwa, Oman, described entering CLS at an intermediate-high level and benefiting from small classes that allowed detailed work on grammar, vocabulary, and Omani culture. She said she advanced to advanced-mid proficiency. Living with classmates and helping students in lower-level classes reinforced her learning. Her Omani language partner introduced her to family and local life. Diana said the experience helped inspire her to pursue a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Morocco, where she uses Arabic in her work.

Eligibility and Application Guidance

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be U.S. citizens or nationals.
• Be enrolled in a degree-granting program at a U.S.-based institution when applying.
• Be at least 18 by May 15, 2027.
• Have completed one full year of college-level study before the program begins.

Undergraduate and graduate students may apply, including graduating seniors and students in a one-year master’s program. Only undergraduate students may apply to virtual institutes. Students from all majors and academic disciplines are welcome. Prior international or study-abroad experience is not required.

Some language levels have prerequisites. Relevant preparation can include college courses, self-study, tutoring, high-school coursework, or heritage-language experience; it does not have to come from formal college classes. Applicants should explain their background in the application and meet any prerequisite by the beginning of June before the program.

The 2027 application includes three short-answer essays. The presentation says there is no letter-of-recommendation requirement and no personal statement this year:

1. Commitment to language learning: Explain interest in the language and culture, past language-learning experience, readiness for intensive study, how CLS fits into future goals, and plans to continue studying afterward.
2. Citizen diplomacy: Describe how the applicant would adapt to a new cultural environment, what experiences prepare them to represent the United States, and how they would engage with people and communities connected to the language.
3. Goals and national impact: Describe academic and professional goals, how the language supports them, and how the applicant plans to use CLS skills and experience to benefit their communities, field, and the United States.

Applicants are selected based on their commitment to language learning, preparation and fit for program expectations, connection between language and academic or professional goals, and potential contributions to citizen diplomacy and national impact. Preference is given to U.S. Armed Forces veterans in recognition of their service. Applicants are encouraged to read each essay prompt carefully and seek feedback from a CLS campus advisor or other campus resources.

Application Timeline and Contacts

The application was described as open and scheduled to close Tuesday, November 17, at 8 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Pacific. Applicants were encouraged to submit early. Semi-finalist notifications were expected by email in late January 2027; finalists, alternates, and non-recipients were expected to be notified in early March 2027. Selected students would have about two weeks to accept or decline, after which declined awards could be offered to alternates.

The presenters also mentioned weekly application-period office hours and other virtual events. They provided cls@americancouncils.org and 202-833-7522 as contact details.

Speakers and Sources Featured

• Elizabeth Beaton — Senior Program Officer for Arabic, CLS Program at American Councils for International Education.
• Yulia — Program Officer for Persian and Russian, CLS Program.
• Isabella Castro — CLS Russian alumna; studied in Daugavpils, Latvia.
• Diana Tran — CLS Arabic alumna; studied in Nizwa, Oman.

Sources and organizations referenced include the Critical Language Scholarship Program, the U.S. Department of State, American Councils for International Education, the 2025 CLS Long Term Impact Survey, Bryn Mawr College in connection with optional academic credit, and the U.S. Department of State Exchange Alumni Network.