Stories

The NSLI-Y program languages include Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Indonesian, Hindi, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian and Turkish. Listed below are all multimedia stories written, and shared by NSLI-Y students, alumni, partners, and supporters. These stories include all NSLI-Y program languages and are ordered chronologically from the most recent post.

Alumni and current students, join the conversation by submitting your own story.

Click on a language below to see stories and media related to a specific NSLI-Y program language:

Displaying Chinese (Mandarin) stories from .

Tasmin with her dumplings before cooking

Chinese (Mandarin)

Making 馄饨汤

Tasmin is from Huntington Beach, CA and an alumna of the Chinese 2020 Virtual Summer Intensive program. Last summer, I was fortunate enough to participate in the NSLI-Y Mandarin Virtual Summer Intensive. Our classes were conducted online, with a small group of NSLI-Y students...
Header image with title "NSLI-Y VSI 2020 Highlights: Networking Activities" with two slightly transparent images in the background: one with a map of Taiwan and Taiwanese dishes, the other of a man in from of a sign that says "American Chamber of Commerce."

Global

NSLI-Y VSI Highlights: Students Virtually Connect and Network

NSLI-Y's Virtual Summer Intensive offered students the opportunity to connect and network with locals and guests of program countries.
A banner image with the text "NSLI-Y VSI 2020 Highlights: Cultural activities." The image has the NSLI-Y logo in the top left corner and shows food and crafts from cultural activities with a blue overlay.

Global

NSLI-Y VSI Highlights: Students Virtually Participate in Cultural Activities

To ensure the safety of students, teachers, and staff amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) chose to...
This photo shows goods sold at the Huimin Jie market. There is a table with a red table cloth, on top of it sits various figurines, mugs, and toys to be sold.

Chinese (Mandarin)

Huimin Jie Market

Aparna is from Madison, AL and an alumna of the 2019 Chinese summer program in Xi'an, China. Huimin Jie's labyrinthine avenues are studded on either side wit...
A photo of Aurelia sitting on a green bench in China. She is surrounded by snow and intricate architecture.

Chinese (Mandarin)

The Lessons of the Wenwan Walnut

Anna is from Waxhaw, NC and an alumna of the 2019-2020 Chinese academic year program in Beijing, China. Melodious music flooded the area as the fountain flared...
image of a plate full of dumplings

Chinese (Mandarin)

When in Rome, Do as the Romans Do

Ekaterina is from New York, NY and an alumna of the Chinese AY 2019-20 program in Beijing, China & Taipei, Taiwan. I glanced at my watch. 11 pm. December ...
Stacy posing with friends in China

Chinese (Mandarin)

The Quintessential Chinese New Year

Stacy is from Pleasanton, CA and an alumna of the Chinese AY 2018-19 program in Beijing, China. My host family's hometown Pengshui is the quintessen...
An image of Ben Marcus-Willers in the mountains

Chinese (Mandarin)

‘The Chai Guy’: An Alum’s Passion for Tea and Chinese Comes to a Crossroad

By Ben Marcus-Willers, Academic Year 2012-13, Kaohsiung, Taiwan It all started with a high school social studies project on the tea growing culture of East Asia...
An image of the NSLI-Y Alumni Reps posing with a NSLI-Y banner

Global

Learning How to ‘Rep’: The 2020 NSLI-Y Alumni Representative Workshop

Hello! My name is Halden, and I am the NSLI-Y Alumni Representative for Chapel Hill, NC in the Southeast region. Traveling to Chengdu, China in 2018 through NSL...