Institute of Strategic Languages and Cultures

Institute of Strategic Languages and Cultures

Our Programs

Emphasis on Communication

Because all courses emphasize communication (speaking and listening comprehension), more than half the day is devoted to conversational activities. Students also spend considerable time writing and reading. Activities each day include class instruction, listening comprehension exercises, small group conversation, written and oral assignments, and one-on-one assistance between instructors and students.

A Communicative environment emphasizing accuracy
The language learning approach in all ISLC programs and institutes is focused on communication, ensuring that students spend the majority of their time in conversational activities.  Experienced native speakers provide most of the instruction in conversation courses, while Americans fluent in the language provide grammatical instruction designed to promote accurate speech patterns.  Besides courses in conversation and grammar, students also participate in courses such as Learning to Converse; Sharing Your Faith (for Level One or Basic students); Russian Bible and Apologetics (Level Two); or even, when desired, Vocabulary for Businessmen, among others.

Basic, Intermediate and Advanced level language courses are available.

Note: For a description of our Evening course offerings, please see our Evening Course page, which is also found on the main menu bar.

Curriculum

The curriculum used at ISLC has several goals:

To provide missionary candidates with a strong foundation in conversational Russian, Arabic or Chinese, emphasizing communicative skills for life and ministry in discipleship situations.

  • At ISLC we provide missionaries with an intensive learning environment where they develop strong conversational skills in the areas which are most vital for their work and life in their new culture.

For each student to attain a minimum proficiency of level 2 in reading and writing and level 2- in speaking and listening comprehension, regardless of a person’s language-learning aptitude (equivalent to government/foreign service guidelines).

  • The Russian Language Institute’s year-round training program is a unique language-learning environment.  The institute’s courses are designed to allow the student to acquire as much proficiency as possible in the shortest possible time. We endeavor to provide the student with a caring, encouraging, and challenging language-learning environment, where the most effective language-teaching methodology is utilized.
  • It is our desire and hope to develop similar year-round institutes for Arabic and Chinese languages.

To equip students with knowledge of the historical and cultural forces which have shaped the peoples of these regions.

  • The Institute of Strategic Languages & Cultures seeks to address the critical need for missionaries to acquire a keen understanding of these cultures’ worldviews.  We therefore offer additional courses and seminars covering the history, cultural formation, religions and other essential aspects of the cultures of China, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union.  Topics of study also include the critical issues and difficulties associated with church-planting and discipleship within such contexts.

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Instructors and Texts

Instructors include Americans who are fluent in the language as well as native-speaking instructors. It is our goal that all instructors at ISLC hold to the highest standards of classroom instruction, teaching methodology, and personal integrity.

The primary texts include the following:

Russian: Golosa textbook series; Russian for Believers by Marc T. Canner, and the Russian Bible, Synod translation.

A variety of culture and history-related titles are used for our culture seminars, including books covering religion, cultural history, cross-cultural adaptation, etc.  The titles we recommend are helpful for equipping  students with the skills and understanding to disciple new believers within the target culture.

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Intensive Russian Program Description

Russian Language Ministries’ intensive program is designed with the specific needs of the individual in mind.

Each student is first tested to determine their language-learning aptitude profile (defined as an assessment of one’s natural  ability to learn a language such as Russian).  When class sizes permit, students of similar aptitude are grouped together for certain classes to enable each person to develop at a pace more consistent with their aptitude.  No matter the aptitude level of a student special tutoring is often available along with in-class work to promote effective learning.

Each incoming student is recommended to take either our 32-week Fall and Spring course or our 24-week Spring and Summer course (the summer session is a bit more intensive).  The Fall course and the Spring course are 16-weeks each in duration and the Summer course is 8-weeks.  Any of these courses can be taken independant of one another if a student is not able to study for the entire recommended time.  (Our Summer course availability is sometimes dependent on having enough students to run the course.)

The result of this system is effective and speedy language-learning regardless of one’s personal aptitude profile.  Once enrolled, students are provided with a communicative environment in which strong conversation skills are emphasized in Learning-to-Converse and Conversation classes, followed by excellent grammatical instruction designed to enable the student to acquire accurate speech patterns.  Areas covered by the program include vocabulary and expressions related to life and ministry to promote fluency, grammatical accuracy in use of vocabulary, and phonetics for good pronunciation.

Fall, 2012 Program Dates

August 27, 2012 - December 14, 2012 *

Spring,2013 Program Dates

January 21, 2013 - May 10, 2013 *

*Dates and tuition are subject to change

Cost Per Semester

I $2550.00 *

Enrollment deposit $100.00.  The enrollment deposit is non-refundable and will be applied to tuition.

Note: For those wishing to receive undergraduate or graduate credit during a Fall or Spring course, tuition is adjusted for credit and is paid to Columbia International University.

The enrollment deposit is non-refundable and will be applied to tuition. Tuition is due the first day of class. Payment may be made by check or money order. Payment plans are available and may be arranged prior to enrollment. Please contact ISLC/Russian Language Institute for more information. 100% of the tuition is refundable less the enrollment deposit and the cost of materials until the second week of classes - 50% of the tuition is refundable until the end of the fourth week of classes. Tuition is non-refundable following the fourth week.

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Summer Institutes 2012 RLI Dates: May 28 - July 20, 2012*

In the summer our Russian Language Institute is held in conjunction with Columbia International University (CIU).  To receive academic credit for the Summer Institute, apply directly through CIU: Go to www.ciu.edu/summerstudies and click on “General Info.”  Up to  eight hours of undergraduate credit can be earned by taking the entire eight-week program of classes during the summer. RLI Summer Tuition: $2,250 (8 weeks)*

Room & Board in CIU dormitories:  $1,640*
* Dates and prices are subject to change. Please contact us for up-to-date schedules and pricing
(Other housing arrangements are available.  Please call RLI/ISLC at (803) 333-9119 for more information.)
Enrollment deposit $100.00. The enrollment deposit is non-refundable and will be applied to tuition.

2012 RLI Abroad Program:  *May 7 through May 18, 2012*

Our bi-annual Russian Language Institute Abroad will be held in Kiev, Ukraine at the Ukrainian Education Center near Polytechnichnij Institute.  This program is designed for the student who already has a degree of basic-intermediate proficiency in Russian, and would like to take that proficiency to the next level.  Two intensive 2-week courses will be offered:  Biblical Russian for Discipleship and Correct Grammar in Spoken Russian.  We’re raising the amount of contact hours this year, with 4 hrs. of training each day in the grammar course, and 2 contact hours per day in the Bible course.  Students who have studied at RLI during the previous cycle, or who already have the appropriate level of proficiency for this course are welcome to apply.  We will also be serving those who are already living and working in Russian-speaking countries.  To enroll, please first contact our office at 800-799-7976.  More information coming soon.

Summer RLI Abroad Tuition: $750.00 for both courses; $500.00 for the grammar course and $250.00 for the Bible course separately.

Room & Board: TBA

* Dates, tuition and costs are subject to change. Please contact us for up-to-date schedules and pricing

Please call ISLC at (800)799-7976 for more information.

Summer RLI Abroad Tuition (includes tuition and books): $750.00 for entire program

Correct Grammar in Spoken Russian (approximately 4 hours per day) - $500.00

Biblical Russian for Discipleship (approximately 2 hours per day) - $250.00

Room & Board: TBA

* Dates subject to change due to scheduling needs

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History and Culture Studies

In addition to the language curriculum, at our Columbia location all students participate in classes and seminars devoted to the historical and cultural development of the modern Russian state. Vital aspects of Russian culture and history are explored through interesting seminars and special lectures. Students also prepare a regional field study for the specific region they are called to. Included is a survey of Russian history from the origins of Slavic peoples to the present age, various culture topics including orthodoxy, Marxist atheism,  Russian literature, cross-cultural apologetics, music, and many others. Students are given opportunities to make acquaintances and explore contacts with Russian students, émigrés and businessmen living in the Columbia area.

Students also gather together once per week and learn Russian praise and worship songs as well as how to pray in Russian.

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Intensive Program Class Schedules

Classes meet typically from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the summer (a slightly more intensive experience) and 8:30 a.m. till about 1:15 p.m. in the fall or spring, five days per week.  A lunch break occurs before afternoon classes in the Summer, while students take lunch immediately following classes in the Fall and Spring.  On Wednesdays students begin their day at 9:00 a.m. with three hours devoted to Russian history and culture seminars, discussions and learning to pray in Russian.

During the Russian Summer Abroad program both classes will meet for a total of about 6 hours per day, from 8:30 a.m. till 2:45 p.m.

A one-week break is provided midterm during the fall and spring semesters, while a one-month break occurs between Fall and Spring semesters. For those who begin in the Spring, a two-week Field study may be assigned between spring and Summer with a two-week break following.

Up to 12 hours of undergraduate credit is available for each 16 week semester course through Columbia International University. Up to 8 hours of undergraduate credit is available for the Summer Institute.

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*Dates and tuition are subject to change