CLEA and Additional Language Resources
Fulbrighters’ insights on language acquisition via the Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA)and beyond.
Important Terminology
- Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA) — A component of the Fulbright Program in which researchers can apply and receive funding for 3–6 months of in-country language training prior to starting their formal research grant. Additional information can be found on the Fulbright U.S. Student Program Program webpage.
- Pre-identified Institution — An in-country institution that provides formal, classroom-based learning for researchers. Fulbright vets and recommends specific institutions to Fulbrighters based on their research location and preferred language of study.
- Private Tutorship — An individual with whom a Fulbrighter studies outside of a group-based classroom setting. Private tutors can be associated with pre-identified institutions or, in rarer cases, operate outside of pre-identified institutions. This second circumstance arises when a researcher wants to 1. complete CLEA in a city where no pre-identified institution currently operates and/or 2. supplement classroom learning with additional tailored study. All private tutors utilized for CLEA must be vetted and approved by the Fulbright Commission.
Nineteen (19) of the 39 respondents completed a Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA) during the 2017–2018 Fulbright-Nehru Research Grant period. Of these 19 respondents, 17 completed a CLEA in Hindi, 1 in Gujarati, and 1 in Bengali.
CLEA Host City
Delhi was the most popular city for completing CLEA, with 8 researchers, followed by Jaipur (4). Mumbai, Udaipur, Mussoorie, Landour, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Indore each hosted 1 researcher. Fourteen (14) of the 19 respondents completed CLEA in the city that was also their host city. Of the 5 who completed CLEA in a second location, two researchers selected the CLEA city intentionally because of the programs’ reputations (AIIS, Jaipur for Hindi and AIIS, Ahmedabad for Gujarati). One respondent preferred living in two locations for the learning experience. One respondent did not have structured programs available in her host city and thus completed CLEA elsewhere.
CLEA Program Type — Pre-identified Institutions and Private Tutorships
Twelve (12) respondents completed CLEA with only a pre-identified institution, 8 respondents with only a private tutor, and 4 respondents completed both a pre-identified CLEA institution and worked with a private tutor.
Pre-Identified Institutions
The following is a breakdown of the pre-identified institution participant distribution:
Respondents had varied experiences with their respective pre-identified institutions:
- Respondents provided mixed reviews of Zabaan, noting that the course is good for group classes and for providing a grammatical base, but the quality of instruction varies. Students recommend pro-actively stating your educational needs to instructors to ensure you meet your personal language acquisition goals.
- One respondent studied with both Zabaan and Hindi Guru. The respondent stated that the Hindi Guru instruction was more practical, privileging language application over grammar. However, it was less structured than Zabaan. This researcher recommends students with no language skills begin with group courses at Zabaan and switch to private lessons at Zabaan or Hindi Guru after some time.
- All students who studied at one of AIIS and Landour Language Institute’s campuses recommend those courses.
Private Tutorship
Researchers identified private tutors through a variety of avenues. Five (5) respondents had a personal connection and/or previous experience working with this instructor/tutor. Three (3) respondents received recommendations through either TISS, Fulbright, or a fellow scholar at her host institution, respectively. One respondent identified her tutor online.
The following is a breakdown of the private tutorship participant distribution:
Overall, respondents had positive experiences with their respective tutors. Seven private tutors were recommended for future Fulbrighters. For tutors’ contact information, please email the USIEF team directly.
Additional Language Resources
Post-CLEA, only one respondent continued additional language lessons with her tutor without financial support. She worked with her tutor twice a week for the duration of her 9-month grant. She used part of her research stipend to fund this additional language support.
Respondents also recommended several additional language supports:
But most importantly, get out and talk to people!
Final Tips
- When selecting your CLEA program — whether a pre-identified institution or private tutorship — keep your personal learning style in mind. Teaching styles vary considerably. For example, one respondent noted that, at Landour, “the learning style is largely done through rote memorization and mastering formulas” while, at East West, “the lessons are more like private tutorships, where the student can choose material and progress at her own pace.” Consider what kind of program style works best for you and select your CLEA program accordingly.
- Consider budgeting some of your CLEA funding for the actual grant period or utilizing some of your research stipend for ongoing language support. For example, one respondent worked with a Zabaan instructor to translate archival documents during his grant period.
- Find ways to utilize your CLEA as an additional support for your research. For example, one respondent told his CLEA instructors that he was studying early 20th century India. His instructors used Premchand and other authors from the period as his study texts so that he could learn the Hindi style of the historical period.
