Inspired by his military service and driven by a desire to work internationally, the rising Brown University senior is spending the summer learning Arabic as a U.S. State Department Critical Language Scholar.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] - French and Arabic are two of the most widely spoken languages in the world, used in more than 100 countries. For rising Brown University senior Nigel Evans, who studies both, the languages represent a key that can open doors to connections across the globe.
This summer, Evans is learning Arabic through CLS Spark, a language-immersion course sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's competitive Critical Language Scholarship program. The eight-week online program, which runs from June 16 to Aug. 15, includes daily language instruction and cultural components focused on Egypt, where the host institution is based.
"One week, we learned about traditional coffee making, and another was spent on the history of Alexandria, Egypt," Evans said. "I really enjoy it - it puts our language learning into context and breaks up the traditional structure."
It isn't the first time the 30-year-old has gone all-in on learning a new language. Just last summer, he spent seven weeks speaking only French at an intensive summer language program in at Middlebury College in Vermont.
A U.S. Army reservist who is concentrating in psychology and international and public affairs at Brown, Evans said these deep learning experiences echo his military background, where immersion in unfamiliar places, roles and situations is the norm.
"You get your training, but then you're just thrown into the real world," he said. "I'm used to it, and I want to continue to have those types of experiences. I feel it makes me a better, more knowledgeable person."
