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 stories from .

Grace standing in front of Petra

Arabic

Potatoes and Tahini

Grace is from Meridian, ID and an alumna of the 2019 Arabic summer program in Amman, Jordan. I grew up in Meridian, Idaho, where I had limited exposure to othe...
A photo of Zachary in front of a snowy landscape in South Korea

Korean

Historical Perspectives and Studying Abroad

Zachary is from Portland, OR and an alumnus of the Korean AY 2019-20 program in Seoul, South Korea.
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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 ...
Sam and his NSLI-Y cohort

Indonesian

Alumni Spotlight: An Alum’s Welcomed Return to Indonesia

Sam O'Brien is an alumnus of the 2018 Indonesian Summer program in Jakarta, Indonesia. Sam O'Brien was a participant on the inaugural NSLI-Y Indonesian prog...
Emma poses in front of a sunset in Morocco

Arabic

Unexpected Bonding with my Host Family

Emma is from Lakewood, CO and an alumna of the Arabic AY 2019-20 program in Rabat, Morocco. Integrating into a new family can be difficult. I remember the fir...
Brooklyn poses with her NSLI-Y certificate

Arabic

Virtual NSLI-Y: An Innovative Approach to Language Learning

Brooklyn is from Los Angeles, CA and an alumna of the Arabic Virtual NSLI-Y Winter Cohort from January-March 2020. This past winter I was fortunate enough to p...
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...
Elizabeth poses with a sign in Russia in Moldova

Russian

Chocolate Chip Cookies in Chisinau: Making American Recipes for my Host Family

Elizabeth is from Bethany, CT and participated in the 2018-19 Russian AY program in Moldova. It was mid-January and I decided to make my host mother some Ameri...
An image of Korean vocabulary on a laptop

Korean

Learning Korean: A Virtual NSLI-Y Experience

Jennifer is an alumna of the Korean Virtual NSLI-Y Winter Cohort from January-March 2020. "Is it possible to become immersed in a language and culture online ju...