MIDDLEBURY, Vt., April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA) today announced the opening of its German Academy, a full immersion German program for middle and high school students at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  The program, which will run this summer from June 26 to July 23, will offer students of all levels the opportunity to learn more about German language and culture with other passionate language learners in a college atmosphere.  Spartanburg, South Carolina, home to numerous German-based companies and one of the largest German communities in the U.S., will serve as the ideal setting for the MMLA German Academy.

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The Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy was founded in 2008 as a collaboration between the Language Schools of Middlebury College and the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, Calif., a graduate school of Middlebury College. The program allows students who have completed the 7th grade through high school to make as much as a year's progress in the language of their choice. Currently MMLA is offering courses in German, French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic and Chinese. All students take the Middlebury Language Pledge, promising to speak only their target language for the duration of the four week academy.

"We are very excited about the German Academy at Wofford, as the new location offers students the opportunity to explore and experience the German culture in the U.S., including social events with local German teenagers, visits to a BMW factory, authentic German restaurants, and career presentations in the language given by area professionals," said Michael Geisler, vice president of Language Schools, Schools Abroad and Graduate Program, at Middlebury College.  

"The German Academy will be using a brand-new curriculum this summer that will involve a  wide variety of experiential activities where  students use the German  language to accomplish unique and culturally-relevant tasks," said Michael Brune, the German language director at MMLA.  "Projects may include making music videos based on original or popular German songs, reenacting fairy tales, living through a simulation of the turbulent Weimar years, and cooking spatzle and pretzels. Students will also have a chance to visit the Greenville BMW factory and Helen, Georgia, a small town remade in the image of an alpine village."

Students who enroll in the course will spend more than 240 hours learning and using the language—the equivalent of more than a year in a regular classroom. They will also enjoy a low student-to-teacher ratio of less than 3 to 1; last year, approximately 800 students participated in the program, under the guidance of nearly 300 faculty and staff members.

For more information on MMLA German Academy and how to apply, please visit:

http://mmla.middlebury.edu/

About Middlebury Interactive Languages

Middlebury Interactive Languages is poised to become the premier academic leader in world language instruction for K-12 students as part of 21st century readiness.  Middlebury Interactive Languages (MIL) was formed in spring 2010 as a joint venture between Middlebury College, a top liberal arts college renowned for languages and international studies, and K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation's largest provider of proprietary curriculum and online education programs for K-12 students. All working within rigorous academic teaching methods and ACTFL standards includes Powerspeak, accredited world language online courses for grades 3-12; MiddWorld Online, a virtual academy for high school students offering the most immersive product in the market today; Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy, a full-immersion residency program on college campuses; Avant STAMP assessment; and MIL Professional Development.

SOURCE Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy