American Councils: Balkan Language Initiative (BLI) (SPRING deadline)
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
All Day
Online
Students
The Balkan Language Initiative offers intensive, highly-individualized instruction in Albanian, Bosnian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Montenegrin, and Serbian in six different countries. Through homestays, conversation partners, in-class instruction, and a wide range of extracurricular activities, participants enjoy an unprecedented opportunity to immerse themselves in daily local life in a region largely unserved by study abroad programs.
Academics & Courses
Participants receive 15 to 18 hours per week of classroom instruction - either individually or in small groups - designed to strengthen speaking, listening, reading, and writing proficiency in the target language. Course work typically includes classes in phonetics, grammar, and conversation as well as composition, oral comprehension, and reading. Language courses also cover topics in literature, history, politics, culture, and area studies. All classes are conducted in the target language by host-country faculty with extensive experience teaching foreign students.
Participants receive academic credit through Bryn Mawr College, an institutional member of American Councils. Upon successful completion of the program, Bryn Mawr College issues:
8 undergraduate/10 graduate credit hours for the summer program;
16 undergraduate/15 graduate credit hours for the fall or spring semesters;
and 32 undergraduate/30 graduate credit hours for the academic year program.
Languages & Locations
BLI currently offers the following languages:
Albanian in Tirana, Albania
Bosnian in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgarian in Sofia, Bulgaria
Macedonian in Skopje, North Macedonia
Serbian in Belgrade, Serbia
Montenegrin and Serbian in Podgorica, Montenegro
Eligibility / Prerequisites
At least two semesters of college-level instruction or the equivalent in the target language or a related language
Minimum GPA of 2.7
Applicants must be at least 18 years old by the application deadline
Contact Information
For more information, visit Balkan Language Initiative | American Councils.
Tags
international studyabroad cuse fellowships language
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This event was added on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 10:12 a.m.