World Languages and Cultures
Study Abroad
Why Study Abroad
Study Abroad is an integral part of learning languages and cultures and our department offers many opportunities for students along with Scholarships designed specifically for study abroad. Study abroad has well-documented academic and personal benefits:
- Academic benefits: students who go abroad have better grades and graduation rates;
- Language & culture learning benefits: immersion learning is proven to boost proficiency;
- Career benefits: hard skills - linguistic and cultural competencies; and soft skills - cross-cultural fluency, cultural humility, adaptability, communication, open-mindedness;
- Personal benefits: confidence and resilience, self-discovery and self-awareness, openness to new experiences, intellectual curiosity, empathy and compassion.
World Languages and Cultures work closely with the Office of International Studies and Programs to ensure the best study abroad experience for our students. We work with third party providers and also have bilateral exchange partners for French, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish study abroad opportunities. These reciprocal exchanges are cost-saving for students and foster robust collaborations with our partners.
World Languages and Cultures benefits from partnerships with the following universities: ESUMER (Medellín, Colombia), l’Université d’Orléans (France), Asia University (Japan), Kwansei Gakuin University (Japan), Kyoto University of Foreign Studies (Japan), Rikkyo University (Japan), Takushoku University (Japan), Tokyo Gakugei University (Japan), Kookmin University (South Korea), Ehwa Womans University (South Korea), Universidad de León (Spain).
Choose your own adventure! You have many options of countries, providers and formats: faculty-led spring break trip, 4-6 week summer session, one semester or even a full year.
And here is what our students have to say...
Danielle Leblanc (Russian Studies, Sociology) went to Riga, Latvia, to study Russian for four-week summer session in 2025.
"Studying in Riga was an unforgettable experience. I didn’t just study Russian – I also learned about Latvian history, culture, and their language, which made the experience even more meaningful. As a single mother and a nontraditional student, I didn’t think studying abroad was possible for me. Thanks to the incredible support from CWU and the study abroad program my dream came true.
"The trip to Colombia was one of the best experiences I've had. I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to go and experience a different culture alongside amazing people. Being there, I not only learned about the culture, the language, and the people, but I also learned a few things about myself." Nydia Pereira (pictured)
"In the end, Medellín was more than I expected and I loved it so much that it's still hard to accept that I am no longer there. It was a place that changed me and I liked it so much just the way it was, and I plan to return. When we went to the Guatapé rock and I couldn't climb to the top, I set a goal for myself. That goal is to improve myself in different ways so that I can return and climb that rock. It also gives me a chance to return to Medellín and discover more than what I discovered on this trip. Medellín, Colombia was an experience I will never forget and it made me realize how much I want to travel more and discover more of the world." Aurora Cuéllar Morales (pictured)
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