Language Institute in Zadar, Croatia
- Spend 6 weeks studying intensive Croatian language at intermediate or advanced levels.
- Live immersed in Croatian culture in a small ancient Dalmatian town along the Adriatic coast.
- Enjoy afternoon and evening lectures, films, and other cultural activities.
- Take day trips and excursions to nearby islands, historical attractions, and national parks.
The Language Institute in Zadar, Croatia provides an excellent opportunity for intermediate and advanced students of Croatian to live and study in a beautiful coastal city with a rich history. The University of Kansas has more than 30 years of involvement in Croatian language programs and offers this program in partnership with the international language institute LinguaCroatica. Class sizes are very small and led by native Croatian speakers, giving students one-on-one interaction with the instructor and significant advancement of language skills.
In addition to intensive intermediate or advanced-level Croatian study, the program offers afternoon and evening programs that include lectures (in Croatian), films, and visits to museums. Guided excursions and cultural and sightseeing trips to local places such as the city of Nin and the Pašman islands are also included.
The ancient city of Zadar sits along the Adriatic Sea and is well-known for both its rich history and its natural beauty. Zadar is a popular tourist and outdoor sports destination due to its proximity to four national parks, a picturesque coastline, and an archipelago of more than 300 islands with sandy beaches and numerous small coves and bays.
In the 9th century B.C., Zadar was known as the settlement of Liburns (Illyrians) and then became a Roman colony. Zadar was under Byzantine rule for a time and then settled by the Croats during the 9th century age of Croatian rulers. A great number of archeological sites, historical, and cultural monuments remain in the area including ancient city walls, the Roman Forum, numerous early Christian churches, various buildings dating from Romantic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods, and a famous collection of sacral silver and gold objects. The first university center on the eastern Adriatic coast was founded in Zadar in 1396.
The old town in Zadar is full of narrow streets with high buildings and a few old churches scattered throughout. Today this city of 70,000 is easy to maneuver and a vibrant coastal hotspot.
Academic Program
This program is offered in partnership with LinguaCroatica. Instructors are professional language-pedagogy specialists under joint contract by Lingua Croatica and University of Zadar. The program is under the direction of LinguaCroatica's director and Unviersity of Zadar Professor, Dr. Mile Mamic.
Students will take intermediate and advanced Croatian language. The program offers 150 contact hours of instruction over a six-week period. The program meets FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) fellowship guidelines for contact hours and duration.
Credit & Courses Offered
Six hours of BCRS 380: Intensive Croatian credit are granted by the University of Kansas upon successful completion of the program.
Students are housed in single rooms on the grounds of the language school conveniently located near city amenities and a 30 minute walk to the seaside. Meals can be found at a reasonable price ($10-15/day) and students have access to a shared kitchen. On day-long excursions, breakfast and lunch are provided.
Students will have the opportunity to attend music, dance, and theater performances as well as participate in organized field trips to sites of historical and cultural interest, including Nin and the islands of Pašman and Ugljan. Students will also have free time to explore Zadar and get to know the local people.
Open to students from any accredited U.S. college or university. A minimum of one year of Croatian language study is required. Minimum 2.5 GPA required (exceptions considered after submission of a petition).
For more information contact:
Dr. Stephen M. Dickey
The University of Kansas
Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures
phone: 785-864-2357
e-mail: smd@ku.edu
Program Director
Stephen M. Dickey is Professor and Chair of Slavic Languages at the University of Kansas. In addition to a book and several articles on Slavic verbal categories, he has extensive experience in the countries of the former Yugoslavia and has published many translations from Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian into English, including Meša Selimovic’s Death and the Dervish and Borislav Pekic’s How to Quiet a Vampire.
Dr. Dickey has served as program director of this study abroad program since its inception. He provides pre-departure guidance and orientation for all accepted students.
