New Application - Alexander Arguelles

Thank you for your interest in participating in our discussion circles and seminars.

For a detailed description of the offerings, please visit the Academy page.

Personal Details

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Your contact details will be used only to communicate information relevant to the Academy. Under no circumstances will they be provided to third parties or used for any other purpose.

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Which circle are you applying for?

If you plan to enroll for more than one offering, please fill out a separate application form for each.

Select a class below(Required)

Arabic – Classic Tales

French - Learn As I Would

French Literature

German Literature

Great Books of the West

Greek - Diachronic

Italian - Learn As I Would

Italian Literature

Latin - Learn With Me

Latin - Spoken

Middle High German

Persian - Literary Reading

Polish - Learn As I Would

Principles of Polyliteracy

Sanskrit - Guided Self-Study

Spanish Literature

East Asian Classics

East Asian Classics is a special course taught by Wang Xing Hao, called “This Culture of Ours”: East Asian Civilization in the World. For more information and to sign up for this course, click here.

Arabic – Classic Tales

Students will work through and discuss classic tales using fully vowelized texts, with homework focused on preparing for and reviewing each lesson. The aim is to build a cohort dedicated to reading and discussing works such as Kalila wa Dimna.

Class Text

Classic Tales: أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ

Class Time

Sunday, 14:00 - 15:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Arabic circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

French - Learn As I Would

This three-month course meets five days a week for short, focused sessions: 5 minutes of discussion followed by 15 minutes of guided study.

It aims to teach both the content and the method of using an Assimil manual effectively. Students are expected to participate actively by shadowing, emulating, and reading aloud throughout each session.

Please note that although this circle began in late 2025, we welcome and encourage anyone who is motivated to learn French to join. If you have any questions, please reach out to the academy administrator, Xing Hao at xinghao.wang@alexanderarguelles.com

Expectation

As this is a full quarter (3-month) course, rather than a monthly subscription, we ask that you pay in full in advance and understand that there are no refunds once the course begins. If you sign up for this, you are making a commitment to yourself to learn French. Keep that promise to yourself.

This policy will hopefully encourage continued participation even if you should go through a “dry spell” when you are tempted to quit, and it will also enable the course to continue even if some must abandon the effort.

I have read the outlined course expectation above and accept its terms(Required)

I agree

Class Text

Assimil – New French With Ease by Anthony Bulgur, 591 pages

Class Time

Wednesday - Sunday, 15:10 - 15:30

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this French learners' course, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

French Literature

This course, designed for intermediate and advanced students, focuses on reading and enjoying literature in French. Students will read aloud, summarize, and discuss texts entirely in the target language, with weekly homework of about 15 pages.

Prerequisite

This reading and discussion circle is conducted entirely in French and is intended for intermediate and above learners. It is therefore not suitable for beginners.(Required)

I understand

Class Text

Guy de Maupassant – Contes et Nouvelles

Class Time

Wednesday, 14:00 - 15:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this French reading circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

German Literature

This course, designed for intermediate and advanced students, focuses on reading and enjoying literature in German. Students will read aloud, summarize, and discuss texts entirely in the target language, with weekly homework of about 15 pages.

Prerequisite

This reading and discussion circle is conducted entirely in German and is intended for intermediate and above learners. It is therefore not suitable for beginners.(Required)

I understand

Class Text

Kafka – Erzählungen I

Class Time

Saturday, 12:00 - 13:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this German reading circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Great Books of the West

This course follows Mortimer Adler’s Great Books of the Western World series, offering lifelong learning through conversation and Socratic dialogue. Students engage with challenging and important texts to deepen understanding and critical thought. Homework consists of reading about 30 pages per week.

Class Text

Aristotle – On Generation and Corruption

Class Time

Sunday, 13:00 - 14:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Great Books reading circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Greek - Diachronic

This course offers an intensive study of the Greek language across its historical stages, building familiarity with Hellenistic literature, history, and culture.

Homework includes lesson preparation and review.

Class Text

Λόγος. Ἑλληνικὴ γλῶσσα αὐτοεικονογραφημένη

Class Time

Wednesday, 12:00 - 13:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Greek learners' circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Italian - Learn As I Would

This quarterly-based course meets five days a week for short, focused sessions: 5 minutes of discussion followed by 15 minutes of guided study.

It aims to teach both the content and the method of using an Assimil manual effectively. Students are expected to participate actively by shadowing, emulating, and reading aloud throughout each session.

Please note that although this circle began in early 2026, we welcome and encourage anyone who is motivated to learn Italian to join. If you have any questions, please reach out to the academy administrator, Xing Hao at xinghao.wang@alexanderarguelles.com

Expectation

As this is a full quarter (3-month) subscription, rather than a monthly subscription, we ask that you pay in full in advance and understand that there are no refunds once the course begins. If you sign up for this, you are making a commitment to yourself to learn Italian. Keep that promise to yourself.

This policy will hopefully encourage continued participation even if you should go through a “dry spell” when you are tempted to quit, and it will also enable the course to continue even if some must abandon the effort.

I have read the outlined course expectation above and accept its terms(Required)

I agree

Class Text

Assimil – Italian With Ease by Giovanna Galdo & Ena Marchi, adapted by Adrien Hilal, 422 pages

Class Time

Wednesday - Sunday, 09:00 - 09:20

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Italian learners' circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Italian Literature

This course is designed for intermediate and advanced students of Italian and focuses on reading and enjoying works of literature the original Italian.

Students read aloud, summarize, and discuss texts entirely in Italian, with weekly homework of about 15 pages.

Prerequisite

This reading and discussion circle is conducted entirely in Italian and is intended for intermediate and above learners. It is therefore not suitable for beginners.(Required)

I understand

Class Text

Boccaccio – Decameron

Class Time

Saturday, 10:00 - 11:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Italian reading circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Latin - Learn With Me

This quarterly-based course meets five days a week for short, focused sessions: 5 minutes of discussion followed by 15 minutes of guided study.

Expectation

As this is a full quarter (3-month) subscription, rather than a monthly subscription, we ask that you pay in full in advance and understand that there are no refunds once the course begins. If you sign up for this, you are making a commitment to yourself to improve your Latin. Keep that promise to yourself.

This policy will hopefully encourage continued participation even if you should go through a “dry spell” when you are tempted to quit, and it will also enable the course to continue even if some must abandon the effort.

I have read the outlined course expectation above and accept its terms(Required)

I agree

Class Text

George Adler – Practical Grammar Of The Latin Language

Class Time

Wednesday - Sunday, 09:30 - 09:50

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Latin learners' circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Middle High German

This course is designed for intermediate and advanced students of German and explores Mittelhochdeutsch, the language of medieval literature and poetry, using bilingual texts with modern German translations.

Students take turns reading the original text aloud, using the translation where necessary, and discuss both the themes and any unfamiliar vocabulary or structures.

Prerequisite

This reading and discussion circle is conducted entirely in German and is intended for intermediate and above learners. It is therefore not suitable for beginners.(Required)

I understand

Class Text

Wolfram von Eschenbach – Parzival: Mittelhochdeutsch / Neuhochdeutsch (Reclam)

Class Time

Friday, 14:00 - 15:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Middle High German reading circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Persian - Literary Reading

This intensive course offers an introduction to reading literary Persian through a time-tested technique: learning the language via the literature itself.

Students work with interlinear and bilingual texts, reading, translating, and discussing to build understanding. The focus is on reading Persian literature, though speaking the language may naturally follow.

Class Text

Dunwoody Persian Fiction Reader

Class Time

Friday, 10:00 - 11:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Persian learners' circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Polish - Learn As I Would

Expectation

As this is a full quarter (3-month) subscription, rather than a monthly subscription, we ask that you pay in full in advance and understand that there are no refunds once the course begins. If you sign up for this, you are making a commitment to yourself to learn Polish. Keep that promise to yourself.

This policy will hopefully encourage continued participation even if you should go through a “dry spell” when you are tempted to quit, and it will also enable the course to continue even if some must abandon the effort.

I have read the outlined course expectation above and accept its terms(Required)

I agree

Class Text

Mówimy po polsku A Beginners’ Course of Polish by W. Bisko, S. Karolak, D. Wasilewska, S. Krynski (1979)

Class Time

Wednesday - Sunday, 15:40 - 16:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Polish learners' circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Principles of Polyliteracy

This lecture course offers a comprehensive overview of systematic language learning. Topics include selection of languages, study sequences, maintenance strategies, learning language families, memory training, and more.

Participants may request specific topics in advance, and the course provides both a theoretical framework and interactive guidance for planning a lifelong journey in literary language learning.

Class Time

Saturday, 14:00 - 15:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this lecture circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Sanskrit - Guided Self-Study

This course offers guided self-study in Sanskrit using Le Sanskrit (Assimil). Homework includes lesson preparation and review, with the goal of forming a cohort to read and discuss texts such as the Panchatantra.

Class Text

Assimil’s Le Sanskrit

Class Time

Friday, 12:00 - 13:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Sanskrit learners' circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Spanish Literature

This course is designed for intermediate and advanced students of Spanish and focuses on reading and enjoying works of literature in the original Spanish.

Students read aloud, summarize, and discuss texts entirely in the language studied, with weekly homework of about 15 pages.

Prerequisite

This reading and discussion circle is conducted entirely in Spanish and is intended for intermediate and above learners. It is therefore not suitable for beginners.(Required)

I understand

Class Text

Julio Cortázar – Cuentos Completos

Class Time

Thursday, 12:00 - 13:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this Spanish reading circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Spoken Latin

This advanced spoken Latin course is for students who can read and analyze Latin proficiently. It focuses on developing the ability to speak, think, and debate in the language, particularly in a scholastic style.

Class Text

Urbis Romae viri illustres

Class Time

Wednesday, 10:00 - 11:00

Time Zone Confirmation

All classes are scheduled according to Chicago time. Please use a time zone converter to calculate the corresponding time for your area.

For this spoken Latin circle, have you compared your time zone to U.S. Central / Chicago time zone to make sure that the scheduled time works for you?(Required)

Yes, I have

Pricing, Cancellation, and Refund Policies

For classes that meet once a week, the Academy operates on a monthly subscription-based model at a current price of $150 per month.

If the academy cancels a circle for which you have paid, and that circle has not yet begun, you will be issued a refund in full.

If you wish to cancel / withdraw your enrollment from a circle for which you have paid, before the upcoming session begins, you may request a refund minus a $25 processing fee.

Refunds can no longer be issued once the upcoming session has already begun.

Time zone confusion is not grounds for cancellation or refund. Please double check the correspondence of Chicago Time to your time zone before enrollment.

For classes that meet several times a week, the Academy operates on a quarterly subscription-based model at a current price of $600 per quarter.

If the academy cancels a circle for which you have paid, and that circle has not yet begun, you will be issued a refund in full.

If you wish to cancel / withdraw your enrollment from a circle for which you have paid, before the upcoming session begins, you may request a refund minus a $25 processing fee.

Refunds can no longer be issued once the upcoming session has already begun.

Time zone confusion is not grounds for cancellation or refund. Please double check the correspondence of Chicago Time to your time zone before enrollment.

Acknowledgement of Policies

I have carefully read, understand, and agree to the above cancellation and refund policies.(Required)

Yes

Subscription Confirmation

Monthly subscription, recurring(Required)

$0.50

Quarterly subscription, recurring(Required)

$1.00

Once you submit this form, you will be taken to a secure payment page to complete your enrollment.