- SEASSI is a proficiency-based, 8-week language learning program equivalent to one year’s worth of language study during the academic year (i.e., four weeks equals one semester).
- Instruction is given in small individualized groups taught by a team consisting of a coordinator (usually a linguist specializing in Southeast Asian language pedagogy) and teachers who are native speakers of that language.
- Classes are held 4 hours per day, Monday through Friday, 9am – 2pm (CST), with one hour long break. One class is the equivalent of one week during the academic year, so absences for reasons other than illness are excused only in exceptional circumstances.
- Most students find that they spend an additional two to four hours per day on homework.
- SEASSI participants must complete the two consecutive 4-week sessions and pass the first semester to continue to the second. The program consists of 156-160 contact hours (depending on when the July 4 holiday falls).
- SEASSI offers a variety of social and cultural events for students to take a break and meet others in the program, including Southeast Asian film screenings, study breaks with spring rolls, mixer events, and local excursions.
- The SEASSI Lecture Series, Poetry Cafe, and culminating SEASSI Program Finale featuring class performances are popular events that will take your learning outside of the classroom.
- SEASSI scholars participate in professional development opportunities with fellow language learners from other intensive summer language institutes, including the LCTL Career Fair and WISLI Student Conference.
- Upon completion of the program, students receive 8 UW-Madison credits and two letter grades for each semester. SEASSI alumni can request a UW-Madison transcript.
Prospective students can select among the following languages and levels for summer 2025:
Please note: whether a course runs or not depends on how much interest we receive during the application cycle. We very much hope that we can run all courses/levels but won’t be able to determine that until we have more information about this year’s applicant pool. Scheduling of classes is contingent on sufficient enrollment, especially at the upper levels.
Find archived syllabi available here.
Course instruction is offered in the following languages at the first, second and third year levels (i.e. Elementary, Intermediate, Advanced levels).
All of our online courses will be offered in a synchronous learning format.
Remote Guidelines for Online Courses Here
- Burmese (Online Only)
- Hmong (Online Only)
- Indonesian (In-Person, all levels — PLUS Online offering for 1st year/Elementary)
- Khmer (Online Only)
- Lao (Online Only)
- Filipino (Tagalog) (Online Only)
- Thai (In-Person, all levels — PLUS Online offering for 1st year/Elementary)
- Vietnamese (In-Person, all levels — PLUS Online offering for 1st year/Elementary)
- In previous years, we have also offered Javanese language classes. (Online Only)