Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Advanced Study of Khmer (ASK) Program_Summer Abroad Program in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Advanced Study of Khmer (ASK) Program_Summer Abroad Program in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Deadline: March 03, 2008)
The Advanced Study of Khmer (ASK) Summer Abroad Program is an intensive eight-week Khmer language-training program held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It aims to fill a void in the US academic community by providing 3rd year level Khmer students with a "one-of-a-kind" opportunity to acquire the linguistic foundation necessary to engage in academic research, professional discourse, and cultural immersion with all segments of Cambodian society.
This program is administered by the College of Languages and Literature at the University of Hawai’i (UH), and sponsored by the UH Center for Southeast Asian Studies and the Royal University of Phnom-Penh (RUPP) in Cambodia. The ASK project will increase the number of linguistically competent Khmer-speaking professionals available for employment in federal agencies, departments responsible for national security, and all non-governmental agencies. Also, it will promote scholarly cooperation, cultural and socio-economic understanding between Cambodia and the US.
The ASK curriculum is intensive, and implements seven instructional modules based on ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Instruction is given to small individualized groups taught by Khmer linguists from the Institute of Foreign Languages (IFL) at RUPP. ASK is a structure academic program consisting of four hours of formal classroom instruction each morning, followed by (a three hours) pre-arranged afternoon site visit and related task-based learning opportunities to observe, analyze, interact, and experience issues introduced in the morning sessions, as well as to practice their language skills. These activities include meetings with governmental offices, local non-governmental organizations, businesses, and encourage student interaction with all segments of Cambodian society. In addition, the curriculum includes one week home-stay with rural families in local villages and day-long weekend field trips to outlying areas of Phnom Penh. In language study, immersion is fluency's best guarantee.
The project director for this program is Dr. Chhany Sak-Humphry. She has taught classes in Khmer language at the University of Hawaii for eighteen years and has developed extensive teaching materials for these classes. She strongly believes that total immersion is the best opportunity for students to learn, grow to enjoy, and understand Khmer language, culture and its people. Proficiency in language provides students with the foundation necessary for academic growth, research skills and future career opportunities. In addition, the ASK project will increase the number of Khmer linguistically competent professionals across the United States to supply its shortage domestically and internationally.
Please see the ASK program website to learn more about the program, programrequirements, or to apply online.http://www.manoa.hawaii.edu/ask
http://khmer.hawaii.edu/ask

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