NORMAN – Two University of Oklahoma students are recipients of Critical Language Scholarships, awarded through the U.S. Department of State, to study one of 13 critical-need foreign languages. Recipients are Jeremy Allen of Oklahoma City, a College of Arts and Sciences senior who will study Chinese in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province, China; and Mariel Colbert, also of Oklahoma City, a College of International Area Studies senior who will study Turkish in the city of Bursa, Turkey.

Recipients will spend seven to 10 weeks in intensive language institutes this summer in one of 13 countries to study Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Indonesian, Japanese, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, Turkish or Urdu.

The Critical Language Scholarship program is part of a U.S. government effort to dramatically expand the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. It provides fully funded, group-based summer intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences. Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers.