Interested in what SEASSI alumni have to say about the program? Check out the Quotes from Alumni and Advice for Future Cohorts below!
Questions? Email seassi@lpo.wisc.edu
Quotes from SEASSI Alumni
“I highly recommend SEASSI for the immersive experience.”
“This experience is one of a kind and you will surprise yourself with how much you learn in such a short amount of time.”
“The teachers are the best. I really learned a lot. The program definitely increases my passion for learning about [the target country].”
“SEASSI was immensely beneficial to my language learning. Before I came here, I didn’t know any Indonesian, but now I am pretty comfortable conversing in [the target language], and I am much more confident about my abilities when I go to [the target country].”
“I loved SEASSI. Despite the many mistakes I made during the semester, I could see how much I was improving from week to week. Every day, I encountered something new, whether it was a host of new words, an unfamiliar facet of [the target] culture, or even something about myself as a student and language learner. Being a part of this program was an absolute treat, and I recommend it to anyone interested in learning a language!”
“SEASSI helped me reconnect with my heritage language in an effective use of time and taught by someone with the same heritage.”
“SEASSI is an intense but rewarding experience to learn the language and let the city’s two beautiful lakes add a touch of romance to your journey. SEASSI is the perfect balance of study and adventure!”
“SEASSI is a great way to learn a language and do well. Coming back for my second year of SEASSI, I was able to see the tangible growth and my ability to discuss harder and more abstract topics.”
“The SEASSI program provides a space for systematic, focused, and intensive learning of a language, and I have been able to acclimatize to the program. I made many friends and had many illuminating conversations with people from diverse backgrounds. I also feel like I have blossomed in my confidence toward learning languages under the patient, thoughtful guidance of my instructors. Sure: my [target language] isn’t and cannot be perfect, but SEASSI has equipped me with the skills to teach myself, and to face language-learning challenges with more confidence, patience, and curiosity. And that, I feel, more than anything, has been the key takeaway: being equipped with the confidence to learn how to learn (languages)!”
“The best place to learn a Southeast Asian language, hands down!”
“SEASSI is one of the best opportunities available for Southeast Asian Language Learners to become truly proficient and fluent in their target language. SEASSI was an excellent way for me to go from a beginner language learner to advanced and replicated an immersive environment in the country where my target language was spoken. I would highly recommend SEASSI not only for the exceptional instruction but also for the opportunity to meet students from diverse backgrounds, learn about the host country culture, and fun activities at the beautiful University of Wisconsin-Madison campus!”
“SEASSI is by far the best way to learn [the target language] for a language learner! I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
“If you want to learn [a Southeast Asian language], this is the place to be!”
“I loved coming to SEASSI and getting to know my fellow students and instructors. I felt like I got a really good handle on my language course, and I would definitely come again.”
“SEASSI was intense, transformative, and also a lot of fun! Remember to sleep!”
“The intensity ensures that you don’t come out of the program empty handed. I am grateful for WISLI’s support which has made my enrollment in the SEASSI program possible.”
“I have had such an amazing time here. I made so many new friends and learned so much. I never imagined I could work up to Intermediate High in just 2 months.”
“I’ve never felt like language learning made so much sense before! The teachers here have a foolproof system to slowly build your language proficiency. I felt consistently challenged but never overwhelmed.”
“As an older student who had been interested in doing an SEASSI course for years, I finally decided to take the plunge & “take it off the bucket list.” It was wonderful to be back in school with many interesting young adults & devoted professors. The class certainly challenged me, but I have no regrets & will miss the camaraderie & the beautiful campus I enjoyed surveying.”
“Devoting myself to the SEASSI program this summer was a gift; it is not often one has the time and mental capacity to really focus on a new skill. As a result, it was a very rewarding experience to go from not knowing almost any [of the target language] at the beginning of the summer to then being able to read, speak, and write on the intermediate level by the end of the summer.”
“Immensely worth it. I truly learned as much as I would have in a normal year of study. Plus, everyone I met was so nice!”
“[My instructor] was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had in my college experience and the content of the course seems to me like it will be extremely useful when I travel to [the target country] in the fall.”
“One of the best experiences of my entire life.”
“Great program to learn [the target language] quick.”
“SEASSI is an incredible experience! Anyone wanting to improve their language skills should definitely do it!”
“This intensive experience helped me find a community of amazing people with similar interests and passions for learning, a truly incredible gift.”
“SEASSI is everything you never expected and more! Dedicated instructors, classmates across all language levels and walks of life, learning that extends deep into a culture!”
“SEASSI is well worth the challenge as you will come out of the program with new knowledge and understanding of world cultures!”
“Being a part of SEASSI has been one of the most amazing experiences. The professors, students, faculty, and staff are all so supportive in your language learning experience and are truly some of the most amazing human beings you’ll ever meet. I would recommend this program to anyone looking to advance their language skills or looking to learn a new language!”
“The novice [target language] course was thoughtfully designed, enabling us beginners to progress our language capabilities quickly yet thoroughly. The professors are fantastic. They are nonjudgmental and understanding. Their encouraging character made me want to try my best, but I also feel that I can do what I need to in order to take care of myself. Even on days where I wake up to personal challenges, I know going to class will actually lift my spirits. Faculty and students alike are positive and together we create a class that is genuinely educational and fun.”
“SEASSI is one of the few programs that yields significant gains in language competency in just two months. Both SEASSI and UW-Madison provide extensive resources, funding, cultural activities, networking opportunities, and professional development training for all its students! I could not recommend it more.”
“It is the best place to connect with people from completely different backgrounds who are interested in Southeast Asia.”
“If you want to improve your language skills quickly and are willing to push yourself, SEASSI is the program for you!”
Advice from SEASSI Alumni for Future Cohorts
- “Do your best to enjoy it!!! I believe that SEASSI has a lot of potential to become a significantly different experience in comparison to your more regular college classes. In whatever capacity you can, identify and ground yourself in intrinsic motivation. Not only will this help make the entire experience better, but it will also help you get through moments of burn out and exhaustion that inevitably come with a program this intense. You can do it! <3”
- “Spend the time learning vocabulary and nuances of the language.”
- “Enjoy it.”
- “Having study groups will help more than you think so lean on your classmates for extra help if you need.”
- “Start the session with a strategy for learning the language on a daily basis. Take notes and make time for memorization each day.”
- “Study hard, but also take breaks to meet the people you’re with and make time to relax!”
- “Try not to treat your studies as something you “have” to do, but as something you want to do. One of the wonderful things about SEASSI is that your assignments can be a lot of fun, so long as you approach them as opportunities to learn and improve, as opposed to evaluations of your language ability that you’re obliged to complete. If you choose to make your work fun, it absolutely can be!”
- “Do your [homework] and Pre-class assignments! Seize every opportunity while you’re here. You won’t regret working hard now for the all the benefits you’ll receive by the end of the program.”
- “I think learning how to balance the homework is crucial because there will be a lot so quickly develop and system that works for you and stick to it. Also get to know your classmates, they are going to be your biggest support system throughout the program!”
- “Connect with your peers! It will make the whole experience feel much easier and less stressful.”
- “Don’t be afraid to try new things! Play with the new words and language functions you learn! Go as far as you can with what you have – and then go further!”
- “Definitely try to get enough sleep every night and take advantage of what Madison has to offer.”
- “Wipe as much off your personal calendar as possible. This truly is a full-time commitment. Try to take advantage of all the extra activities to grow & learn from them, as well. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most of us. Make sure to get your sleep & exercise during this intensive study time.”
- “Combine all of your consonants into one page, same with vowels and sub-consonants instead of leaving them in the separate pages you learn on. The separated pages are good for the first 2-3 weeks but after that it is more helpful to see everything in one. Good Luck!”
- “I would advise future cohorts to take advantage of the institutional amenities provided by UW-Madison including the libraries which have large and comprehensive collections of works in Southeast Asian languages.”
- “Do not take on other jobs or obligations during this program. Unless you have a full scholarship, it is almost not worth doing the class if you can’t devote your 40 hours a week of work energy fully to it. The more ambitious you are, the less satisfied you’ll be.”
- “Get a good night’s sleep lol.”
- “Study, it will be worth it.”
- “Make friends, lean into the community, have fun.”
- “Do not have any other outside classes/jobs and you should be good!”
- “Study hard and definitely make friends- it makes studying easier and more fun.”
- “Make friends!”
- “Don’t take SEASSI if you don’t have the drive and heart to learn the language. You make what you want of the program but for me, I felt like I had to engross my life into Thai as I took class in the morning and then I had to go home to again study Thai on my own. I recommend not working too, as the intensity and load of what comes with the program is very heavy.”
- “Always give yourself the benefit of the doubt! You are more than you think you are capable of. Trust me when I say you are making progress even when it doesn’t feel like it.”
- “Plan time wisely and include doing things away from your target language each day so you can get a break.”
- “Stick with it and have fun!”
- “Don’t just limit your language learning to going to class and doing your homework. If you have time, go to the language tables and try to watch TV shows/listen to music in your target language.”
- “Have fun with it, but also study every day it makes the whole thing more effective/worthwhile for both you and your class (students and teacher).”
- “During class, give it your all! When you do more than the bare minimum, you encourage others to also put in effort. And a class full of people giving effort is what can make it something truly special.”
- “If at all possible, I’d really advise not working during SEASSI. I thought I could do it since I’d previously worked full time while attending grad school full time. However, even though I dropped down to half-time at work during SEASSI, I found it hard to balance both. I wish that I’d been able to focus solely on language learning.”
- “Really devote yourself to your SEASSI program as if it is your full-time job because it is a gift to have the time and mental capacity to devote to learning a language. Be patient with yourself as you learn, recognizing that 8 weeks is not a lot of time to gain mastery of a language. Remember that some skills just take longer to internalize and learning these same skills in your native tongue took years to learn!”