Accelerated Language Programs (ALPs)
What is ALPs?
Accelerated Language Programs (ALPs), using the Rassias Method®, have been running since the 1980s. They are immersive language programs designed to educate students in a language and culture. People with a passion for languages and limited time join ALPs in order to learn a language by speaking it from day one. Language teachers also attend in an effort to expand their knowledge and cultural awareness of the language they teach.
Our ALPs programs are available in French, Italian, or Spanish and are for students age 18 and over.
Dates: Tuesday, July 7 through Sunday, July 12, 2026
Registration closes Monday, May 18, 2026 (late registration available if space allows, contact us.)
If class is cancelled, we will notify you by Tuesday, May 19, 2026 by 4pm.
Final payments are due Friday, June 5, 2026.
Cost: $2,800 per person tuition
$500 deposit due at time of registration
(Dartmouth employees, contact HR about tuition reimbursement)
$780 (Optional) dormitory housing - includes private room with shared hall bath and breakfast daily.
Location: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
REGISTER FOR FRENCH, Italian, or Spanish
Registration Note: When registering please select your level based on the CEFR Global Scale.
Why the Rassias Method:
Developed for training Peace Corps volunteers in the early 1960s and adapted to college level instruction in 1967, the Rassias Method is a combination of dramatic techniques, rhythmic drills, and energetic reinforcement strategies that make learning an engaging experience, while eliminating inhibitions. The Rassias Method is widely used in colleges and schools throughout the country and abroad.
Our goal is to make you feel comfortable and natural with the language immediately in an error tolerant atmosphere. Each day of ALPs increases your oral proficiency and features practical applications of the language. You will be in the company of motivated people for whom language is culture and culture is language.
What to Expect at ALPs:
The ALPs Program is comprised of rewarding, intense, memorable, and exhausting days of language learning. On arrival day students sign a language pledge to only speak the new language during the program. Class schedules remain fixed with a mix of lead class, reinforcement drills, and cultural activities that change daily to highlight different aspects of the culture. Class sizes are typically 10-15 students.
Lead classes are taught by lead Teachers who are trained in the Rassias Method. These are typically one-hour sessions that introduce vocabulary and grammar.
Reinforcement drill sessions are taught by Assistant Teachers, many of whom are Dartmouth undergraduates. Drill sessions are oral repetition and training to stimulate memory development of points taught in the lead class.
Meals are taken with your language class, in the language, at the Class of 1953 Commons.
Sample Daily Schedule:
Day 1: Students arrive mid-morning, have a group lunch, and begin classes in the afternoon through evening.
Days 2-5: Classes (lead class, reinforcement drill, and diagnostic sessionss) typically take place from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm followed by dinner and cultural sessions that wrap up around 9:00 pm.
Day 6: Morning class followed by graduation. Classes are dismissed before lunch time.
What is included:
- All instruction and materials
- Lunch and Dinner (in language with your teachers)
- Parking Pass (in designated Dartmouth parking lot)
Optional:
- $780.00 Dormitory Housing (private room with shared hall bath) and breakfast
REGISTER FOR FRENCH, Italian, or Spanish
Registration Note: When registering please select your level based on the CEFR Global Scale.