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 .

Karim displaying the Pajeon he made

Korean

Learning Korean Virtually: A Reflection

Karim is from Tampa, FL and an alumnus of the Korean 2020 Virtual Summer Intensive program. Throughout the months of July and August, Karim took on the adventure
a picture of Xenia holding up her OPI score

Arabic

Morocco through Microsoft

Xenia is from Carlisle, PA and an alumna of the Arabic 2020 Virtual Summer Intensive program. I was recently in a meeting with the president of my college and ...
An image of Sawyer holding a sign that reads "çok teşekkürler" or thank you so much. The sign is yellow and has the Turkish flag on it.

Turkish

Expectations Exceeded: Learning Virtually During a Pandemic

Sawyer is from Kensington, NH and an alumnus of the Turkish 2020 Virtual Summer Intensive program. Participating in the Virtual NSLI-Y Turkish Summer 2020 Prog...
a video call between Zoey and a member of her Indonesian program

Indonesian

A Virtual Bridge Between Cultures

Zoey is from Rochester, MN and an alumna of the Indonesian 2020 Virtual Summer Intensive program. The NSLI-Y Virtual Summer Intensive speaks true to its name: ...
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...
A photo from a video call where Caine and his NSLI-Y cohort are all smiling and posing for a photo

Hindi

I Am Become Death: An Essay on Sanskrit Literature

Caine is from Noblesville, IN and an alumnus of the Hindi 2020 Virtual Summer Intensive program. Over the past five weeks, I have been learning Hindi with the ...
Elias stands in front of a Buddhist temple in Korea. He stands in front of a building with red light and intricate architecture.

Korean

Buddhism in Korea

Elias is from Asheville, NC and an alumnus of the Korean AY 2019-20 program in Seoul, South Korea. After a temple stay cultural excursion with our implementing...
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...