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CET Academic Programs

Study abroad programs for college and gap students

Virtual Language Training Programs

Virtual Language Training: At-A-Glance

PROGRAMS
FEES
HOW TO ENROLL
PROGRAMS
FEES
HOW TO ENROLL
Virtual, one-on-one instruction
for personalized learning
Flexible hours and schedule
Experienced language instructors
from CET's on-site programs

Whether you’re a CET alumnus looking to maintain your language gains from abroad, a total beginner interested in a new language, or a working professional aiming to attain a certain level of proficiency, Virtual Language Training delivers what you need, when you need it. Join an experienced instructor for virtual one-on-one lessons tailored to suit your interests and meet your language goals.

ENROLL TODAY

Customize your language training

Choose hourly virtual language training packages or up the ante with a for-credit language course that follows a CET syllabus:

Hourly packages

Choose the amount of language training that best suits yours goals: 

  • 20 hours (approx. 2 hours/week)
  • 40 hours (approx. 4 hours/week)

Hourly Virtual Language Training

Customize your training program to fit your learning goals and schedule. You get live, one-on-one virtual sessions with a CET language instructor, scheduled at a mutually convenient time. 

The pace, content, and even how you learn is up to you. Focus on a specific realm of vocabulary or mode of learning. Need to improve your listening skills? Want to get back to where you were post-study abroad? We can help with that. Or if you’re a total beginner looking to jumpstart your language learning, we can help you get started on the right foot.

Note: The approximated hours per week is based on your total language hours over a 10-week period. You can distribute your total language hours according to your own needs. 

looking to earn college credits?

EXPLORE FOR-CREDIT VIRTUAL LANGUAGE TRAINING

Customize your language training

Choose hourly custom language training packages or up the ante with a for-credit language course that follows a CET syllabus:

Customize your training program to fit your learning goals and schedule. You get live, one-on-one virtual sessions with a CET language instructor, scheduled at a mutually convenient time. 

The pace, content, and even how you learn is up to you. Focus on a specific realm of vocabulary or mode of learning. Need to improve your listening skills? Want to get back to where you were post-study abroad? We can help with that. Or if you’re a total beginner looking to jumpstart your language learning, we can help you get started on the right foot.

Hourly Virtual Language Training

Hourly packages

Choose the amount of language training that best suits yours goals: 

  • 20 hours (approx. 2 hours/week)
  • 40 hours (approx. 4 hours/week)

Note: The approximated hours per week is based on your total language hours over a 10-week period. You can distribute your total language hours according to your own needs. 

For more structured learning with proof of all you’ve accomplished, choose for-credit virtual instruction. This option provides one-on-one virtual sessions with a CET instructor that follows a college-level language syllabus and grants college credits with a transcript from the University of Minnesota.

Access the same textbooks, resources, and assignments as CET students abroad. This option typically requires more hours per week—both in session and out-of-class preparation—as you complete assignments for a grade. Studying Arabic? You also receive an ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Certificate as another objective measure of your Arabic language progress and level.

For-credit Virtual Language Courses

For-credit packages

Choose the language and amount of college credits you would like: 

  • Modern Standard Arabic (MSA): 6 credits
  • MSA + Jordanian Dialect: 9 credits
  • Chinese: 4 or 9 credits

Goal-oriented, one-on-one language training

Whether you’re looking to dust off language skills from previous years, obtain a specific proficiency level, or you’re trying to get ahead of schedule with some college credit, we work with you to help you achieve your language goals. 

Learning on your schedule

Work with your instructor to create a 10-week program that works for you—commit to the same number of weekly hours, front-load your sessions, or even schedule around busy weeks in your calendar. Once your schedule is set, you and your instructor meet regularly to get after your language goals. 

One-on-one flexibility

With one-on-one sessions, we work with you to determine the pace, content, and even how you learn. Choose to have homework assignments or opt for local TV and music to be integrated into your sessions. Focus on a specific realm of vocabulary like business or politics. Or simply get started learning a new language or refresh dormant skills from previous years. Whatever your goal might be, we’re here to help you achieve it.

Experienced instructors

Get the top-tier quality of CET language instruction from the comfort of your home. Our teachers are passionate, invested in your progress, and experienced in effective virtual instruction. And because each of them comes from a study abroad background, you get an unparalleled level of expertise in your one-on-one sessions.

Live, online sessions

No need to factor in commute time—your language training is entirely virtual. All you need is a computer, high-speed internet, a webcam, and headphones with a microphone.

"This was a wonderful experience for me! I really appreciated the opportunity to incorporate more speaking and listening practice into my week to help preserve (and renew!) my baseline Mandarin abilities. Above and beyond that, it was great to have the opportunity to learn (and practice using!) more specialized vocabulary related to family dynamics, user experience research, and cybersecurity."
"I can't recommend this program enough! I loved having an instructor based in China so that we could talk about real-time societal issues in a cultural exchange. I also really can't emphasize how accommodating and encouraging my instructor was. She was strict when she needed to be (ex., correcting my tone and grammar mistakes) but was very open and encouraging of discussion."
"I really appreciated the flexibility of my classes. The content changed when appropriate such as when our classes began to really focus on a particular topic. As a recent graduate from undergrad and preparing for graduate school next fall, this course has been really helpful for me to continue working on my Chinese skills and build up my confidence in a pretty low-stakes environment."
"The entire staff was very eager to help whether it was to answer questions or do some oral language practice. Although the program was virtual, the staff and teachers succeeded in creating a very welcoming, authentically Jordanian environment (in terms of culture)."
"Leading up to the course, I specified that I wanted to only learn about cultural and political issues in China, as opposed to studying more colloquial or day to day topics. Lin Laoshi did not disappoint and provided me with an amazing 11 topics that were all intimate looks into Chinese culture. I also love how she often provided me with 2-3 topic options every time we transitioned topics, allowing me to really choose topics that suited my interests."
"I would not be able to study at this level if it wasn't for this program. It's very rare to find a good program like this that doesn't require you to travel somewhere for a large span of time or to be enrolled in an academic institution."
"My instructor was very understanding of what topics I wanted to discuss and would go above and beyond to accommodate my wishes. For example, despite wanting to focus mostly on cultural topics, I also wanted to learn about sales and marketing in China. So, my instructor created a whole new lesson for one week so that I would be able to learn vocabulary that would be useful to my job."
"I wanted to brush up on my Arabic skills so that I could be on track to return to a similar proficiency level as when I was living and working in Jordan, and I feel that I achieved that. By the final course, I felt totally confident speaking with Aseel and sharing my opinions on various topics that we covered in class."

Program Structure

What kinds of topics and interests do people usually incorporate into their lessons?

Beginners typically follow a structured curriculum designed to build your foundation—but even then you have the freedom to dive deeper into certain chapters or ask for something like a supplemental lesson on something you need more help on. 

For more advanced speakers, there are no “usual” topics—it really depends on you! Some topics, interests, and goals we’ve covered include:
•  Discussing complex social issues in the target language 
•  Being able to comfortably communicate with in-laws
•  Reading local news articles in the target language
•  Preparation for an upcoming trip 
•  HSK exam preparation (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi, the standardized Chinese language proficiency test for non-native speakers)

Within two weeks of your registration, a student services coordinator will reach out to help get things started. After you commit to your program with a deposit, you meet with the Academic Director to assess your language level, discuss your interests and learning goals, and chat about scheduling. After this initial call, we set you up with an instructor that meets your needs and your classes begin shortly after. 

Many learners complete their 20- or 40-hour learning package in 10 weeks, but you set your schedule with your instructor individually. If you have a trip or time conflict mid-program, no problem! You and your instructor will make a plan to work around it. 

Program Fees

Hourly Virtual Language Training

One-on-one language training for either Arabic or Chinese.

For-Credit Virtual Language Classes

One-on-one language training that follows a college-level syllabus and grants academic credit with a transcript from the University of Minnesota.

Take 5% off your program fee when you do more than one VLT term. Plus, have a referral from someone who’s already doing a CET virtual program? List them in your application and you both get a $50 discount! 

How to Enroll

Program Eligibility

•  Must be 16 or older; younger students will be considered on a case-by-case basis
•  Students currently enrolled at a university must have home institution approval
•  Open to language learners of all levels—from total beginners to advanced learners with specific goals.

Fill out a brief registration form within your CET Compass account. We ask for basic information and a few short answer questions about your language goals and current enrollment status, if any. 

ENROLL NOW

Get your questions answered

Have a question? Get in touch!

Celine Okome

Student Services Coordinator
202.315.0216
[email protected]

Meet with Celine
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Have a question? Get in touch!

Tara Strauch

Student Services Coordinator
202.349.7325
[email protected]

Meet with Tara
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Price Subject to Change:

CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.

For-Credit Virtual Language Courses

For more structured learning with proof of all you’ve accomplished, choose for-credit virtual instruction. This option provides one-on-one virtual sessions with a CET instructor that follows a college-level language syllabus and grants college credits with a transcript from the University of Minnesota.

Access the same textbooks, resources, and assignments as CET students abroad. This option typically requires more hours per week—both in session and out-of-class preparation—as you complete assignments for a grade. Studying Arabic? You also receive an ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) Certificate as another objective measure of your Arabic language progress and level.

For-credit learning packages

Choose the language and amount of college credits you would like: 

  • Modern Standard Arabic (MSA): 6 credits
  • Modern Standard Arabic + Jordanian Dialect: 9 credits
  • Chinese: 4 or 9 credits

CET Jordan: Academic Consultation Board

Over the years, we’ve built a strong network of locally-based faculty that we’re proud to call our peers. These faculty make up our Academic Consultation Board—a select group of local voices and thought leaders that help advise and shape components of the CET Jordan program. 

Board members support the program in many ways, including but not limited to:

  • Leveraging topical expertise to help develop courses, including field-based components.
  • Teaching courses or guest lectures for CET Jordan and custom programs
  • Recommending and providing academic resources for research

Academic Consultation Board Members

  • Dr. Bader Al Madi | American University of Madaba, PhD, Sociology, Political Science
  • Dr. Amani El Serhan | University of Jordan, PhD, Women's Studies
  • Dr. Amani Qashmar | University of Jordan, PhD, Education
  • Dr. Areej Alawzi | University of Jordan, PhD, English Literature/Translation
  • Dr. Ahmad Al Khrisha | World Islamic Sciences & Education University, PhD, Arabic Language & Literature

Learn more about studying abroad with CET

Learn more about studying abroad with CET