#nsliy

[adventuresofyifen]

I’m here again to let you know that applications for the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program are open! If you or someone you know is a US citizen high school student who is passionate about language learning and interested in studying abroad, NSLI-Y is an excellent opportunity!

NSLI-Y is a full scholarship program sponsored by the US Department of State. Students study abroad for either a summer or academic year with an intensive focus on one of the following critical-need languages:

Arabic

Chinese (Mandarin)

Hindi

Indonesian

Korean

Persian (Tajik)

Russian

Turkish

Keep reading for more information about some frequently asked questions!

How do I apply for NSLI-Y? Just head over to the website and look for the “How to Apply” section! It’ll walk you through all of the steps and requirements. There is NO application fee, so if you’re interested, you have nothing to lose by giving it a shot! This year’s deadline is Thursday, November 5, 2020 at 4PM Eastern.

What if I’ve never studied any of these languages before? That’s fine! NSLI-Y does not have any language prerequisites! Apply for the language that calls to you!

Is one language easier to get accepted for than another? No! NSLI-Y rarely releases exact data, but the number of finalist spots for each language tends to be roughly proportional to the number of applicants for that language. Regardless, you should apply for what you’re most passionate about. That’s the best way to write honest, convincing essays. Also remember that studying abroad is a challenge, and you’ll be living that language and culture for an entire summer or year - You’ll want to be where you’ll be happy!

What costs does NSLI-Y cover? Once you’re accepted as a finalist, it covers everything! If you become a semi-finalist, the costs of your medical form and getting a passport (if you don’t already have one) will not be covered. But finalists have their visa fees, domestic and international travel, food, lodging, and medical insurance all covered!

If accepted, would I be traveling alone or with a group? You would be with a group. The size of the group may vary based on a number of factors, but you will be traveling and studying with other NSLI-Y students.

Is NSLI-Y a safe program? Safety is a huge priority for NSLI-Y. Students have at least one English-speaking adult on-call 24/7 and are issued local cell phones upon arrival in the host country. There is always a pre-departure orientation during which the program rules and expectations are clearly explained, and teachers and host families are very caring toward their students. If any sort of emergency situation arises (extreme weather, political unrest, disease outbreaks, etc.), program staff will monitor the situation closely to make sure they can implement a proper response. NSLI-Y students are super well taken care of!

What about COVID-19? I’ve asked NSLI-Y about this, and they say that they are keeping an eye on things and hoping that students will be able to travel by next summer. However, if this is not the case, they have the experience and infrastructure available to make the program virtual again as they did this year.

I’m interested in this program, but I’m already in college. Is there anything out there for me? There sure is! Check out the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) at https://clscholarship.org/.

[softhandedgay]

How/when did you learn Russian? Your language skills are incredible! I love your blog!!!

Люблю. 💌

I am proficient at the novice high level based on my recent OPI. (That really just means that I’m a beginner basically. I should probably make that more clear in my bio.) I have been self-studying Russian on and off for a year. I applied to the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) in 2019. I got accepted into the Russian program and was going to study Russian in Moscow for a month, but unfortunately covid happened. Instead, I got to do the NSLI-Y Virtual Summer Intensive* where I studied Russian with Moldovan instructors for five weeks with students from all over the country via... you guessed it! Zoom. I am so grateful for that experience. I highly recommend the NSLI-Y program. The application for 2020/2021 is due very soon, but I highly encourage you to look into it if that’s something you’re interested in! If you have any favorite Russian language resources feel free to share them with me! I also have some that I would love to share with anyone if they’re interested!

*“The U.S. Department of State’s NSLI-Y is part of a U.S. government initiative to foster international cooperation by ensuring that Americans have the necessary linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to effectively communicate globally. NSLI-Y provides overseas critical language study opportunities to American youth through merit-based scholarships to spark a lifetime interest in critical foreign languages and cultures.” -NSLIY Website

[maebimhere]

Hi All,

So I’m working on my applications this thanksgiving break, and aside from a break I will be taking today to go see the Crimes of Grindelwald and visit the newly opened Muji in Portland, I’ve been slaving away on apps. I have a few categories of applications.

Gap Year Programs (these are all free/full scholarship!!):

NSLI-Y -> I’ve already submitted the application for this, to study either Korean (in Korea) for a year, or Arabic (in Morocco or Jordan) for a year. Its for 15-18.5 year olds, and I know all these programs are pretty popular for sophomores and juniors, so I would definitely be the oldest on the program.

YES Abroad -> I’m working on this now. Its a program where I would be doing cultural immersion for a year in a country with a high muslim population. I had to rank countries, so here’s what I’ve got:

Bulgaria

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Macedonia

India

Turkey

Jordan

Indonesia

Philippenes

Thailand

Malaysia

Ghana

Morocco (I’m not actually eligible for here because I haven’t taken french, otherwise it would be higher)

Senegal (Ditto about the ineligibility)

CBYX -> Germany? I don’t know as much about this, but I’m pretty sure I have a higher chance of getting in here. Haven’t started the app, even though it’s due in 3 weeks. It sounds pretty cool.

Au Pair

So I’m working on these, but they’re second two the programs, so I’m only going to get really serious if I get nos from all of the other stuff. I’m mostly looking in Spain and China, but I’m open to other places. I’ll update more on this once I start hearing back from the programs.

College

Right, so I’m applying to schools in the USA, but also the UK and Spain, and maybe somewhere else? I don’t really know yet, but I should. In the US, I have a working list of the 6 schools I’m applying to:

Western Washington University

Cornish College of the the Arts

Columbia College Chicago

Boston University

Columbia University

St. Louis University: Madrid Campus

I’ve visited the first two, and liked them both, and my dad did a masters course at Columbia so I’ve been around the campus while visiting him. I’m still looking at University of Oregon, University of Chicago, Haverford College, Guilford College, and Vassar College. My app for SLU Madrid is basically finished, I just have to submit it, and I just have to finish my Common app essay, then I can apply to Western.

I’m also applying to schools in the UK. I’m looking at scenography/set design courses, and still trying to figure out where I want to go, so I don’t really have a good list, I just have pretty much every school that offers the course. This is exciting, but I’m not very far into the apps, so I do need to work on these a bunch.

Finally, I’m looking at Spain. I haven’t really decided anything about this, other than I’d probably want to study languages/linguistics. But who knows? Maybe I’ll look at art schools. I’m more excited about this than any other college opportunity (except maybe SLU Madrid), so hopefully I’ll have more updates soon.

[zhongwenstudieren]

If you’re a high school student and United States citizen with an interest in foreign languages (or you know someone who fits that description), definitely take the time to look into the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)! (If you’re a US citizen with an interest in foreign language but you’re an undergrad or graduate student, check out CLS instead!) NSLI-Y is a State Department-sponsored scholarship program that sends high school students abroad for a summer or academic year to study a critical-need language. It is FULLY FUNDED, which means the scholarship covers all tuition, travel expenses, visa fees, accommodations, and even medical insurance. The languages offered for NSLI-Y’s 2019-20 programs are as follows:

Arabic (summer and academic year offered)

Chinese - Mandarin (summer and academic year offered)

Hindi (summer and academic year offered)

Indonesian (summer only)

Korean (summer and academic year offered)

Persian - Tajiki (summer only)

Russian (summer and academic year offered)

Turkish (summer only)

(If you’re a student of German, you might consider CBYX.)

NSLI-Y students participate in intensive language classes, as well as cultural classes/activities and excursions. They may live with host families, in dorms, or a combination of both. Participants are sent as part of a group of other accepted students to one of a number of pre-determined host locations, so NSLI-Y is also an amazing opportunity to meet peers from around the country who share your passion for languages! NO PREVIOUS LANGUAGE OR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE IS REQUIRED! Applications opened today (August 22, 2018) and are due October 30, 2018 in order to be considered for the 2019 summer or 2019-20 academic year programs.

As an alumna of NSLI-Y’s Chinese summer program, I’m more than happy to try and answer any questions you might have! (You can send your questions to either of my blogs: @adventuresofyifen or @zhongwenstudieren.) You can also head over to my Wordpress blog for a compilation of past NSLI-Y blogs from all languages to get an idea of past program locations and participants’ experiences!

[nsliyjeonju2018-blog]

July 2 [7월 2일]

“I almost missed the bus today. It was pulling into the stop as I was crossing the road. I barely made it. 

“With 강선생님 we sang an introduction song, played 3.6.9. and made little ID cards. [They were more like stickers. I still have mine, it’s on the folder I got in Korea.] After lunch, we had music class and started 아리랑 [a traditional song] on the 소금 [a traditional korean instrument, it’s kind of like a flute] It’s like a flute and a recorder combined. That was fun, but Gilda and I couldn’t stop making jokes. After that, our tutors took us to 객사. We went to Gongcha and then to Artbox, a little stationary store. It had more than just stationary though. I’ll probably get little gifts from there.

“On the way home, an 아주마 and I were standing by the exit door for our stop but the bus driver just,,,,, kept going. I learned that you gotta press the stop button no matter what, just to be on the safe side. One day, I’ll be able to get off on the right stop. 

“우정언니 helped me with homework. But my head hurtsssss. I still have to review numbers but I think I’ll ask another 언니 for that. Both 다정언니 and 진언니 are tutoring right now. So I’m just chilling, writing this. Today was actually the first time eating with all five of the family. Fun. That sounds sarcastic, but it’s not. It was good. 

“Oh yeah, Fatima met with my host mom today and they talked about me. Apparently, they want me to talk more. Plus, 이모 said I’m too polite. Did Ammi raise me wrong? I mean, I don’t know how to interact with them. Like, when I meet people, I need them to talk to me. me + initiating conversation = massive N O P E. never. Fatima said they like the cutsey type thing, so maybe I should lean against 언니? UGH this is hard. I wanna go home, come home, whatever. HOMESICK. That is me. 

So basically, I think it’s really important to pay attention to your host family and what they say in the beginning. I do have regrets yet, I do think I should have tried harder to get close with my host family, but what happened, happened, ya know?

[rosewhiskey]

return from hiatus!

hello everyone! so I know I haven’t been very active lately; ive been settling into life in china and haven’t had much time to post, but I’m planning to get back at it! i’ll be posting updates and creating mandarin vocab and grammar posts, as well as documenting the struggle of applying to universities while on gap year! if there’s any specific mandarin content you’d like to see, or if anyone has general questions about life in china, feel free to drop them in my ask box!

[teawithstress]

Did I mention I am back from Korea?

If not, I am

[schrodingers-lion]

8/7/18

Today was a day of lasts.

My last class at Tamkang University, my last walk around Danshui’s laojie, my last visit to the bakery near the school, so many lasts. Before today, I was sad knowing that my time here was coming to an end but I had been using today as a kind of barrier, thinking “I don’t really have to be sad yet, because I haven’t reached any lasts”. Well, today was my first day of lasts and I’m not sure how I feel about it quite yet.

The best word I’ve come up with so far is “heavy”. I feel heavy. I already miss the people I’ve met here despite spending all day with them. I miss and worry about the people back home, and feel heavy knowing that I only get to be back for two short days before flying halfway around the world - again. I know I’ve been in Taiwan for six weeks, but it feels so alien to put a number on the time I’ve spent here. I’ve truly grown to love this place and the people I’ve met here and am incredibly sad to have to leave. I can’t wait to be home, but I’ll be leaving home again in less than a week. 

That being said, today was incredible. I met up with my classmates early this morning to eat breakfast at a local breakfast joint, where I ordered a scallion pancake and soymilk. 

Later, between breakfast, I went with a friend to grab bubble tea and decided to get a really fancy one seeing as it would be my last bubble tea on campus. The drink I ordered (more of a milkshake, really) was red-bean flavor topped with taro and vanilla ice cream.

My last day of class was bittersweet; I was so happy to look back through our textbook and realize how much Chinese I’ve learned here, but at the same time I wished that I didn’t have to end classes so soon. I gave my last in-class presentation today, and was overjoyed to hear my teacher tell our class that she’s seen a lot of improvement since our first presentations six weeks ago.

For dinner, a friend and I went to Mos Burger where I got this sandwich where the bun was rice and the inside was tofu skin and vegetables. 

Afterwards, we headed to the laojie to get some ice cream. Both my body and my skin hate me for eating so much dairy on this trip, but it’s whatever. I got this huge matcha ice cream cone that turned into a melty mess quite quickly, but not before I got a picture.

I’m home now, and getting ready to start packing up my things. I’m not ready to leave, I’m not ready to start college in a whole new country, and I’m not ready to say goodbye to everyone. I’ve loved every bit of my experience here, and feel incredibly fortunate to have this opportunity. I only wish I had more time here. Luckily for me, I have another last day tomorrow, so I can slowly start to say goodbye to this whole experience instead of leaving all at once. 

So I don’t have to be sad until tomorrow ends.

Until next time!

[chasingsoundwaves]

why i decided to take a gap year

For most of my life, I was raised on the belief that the fast track to success was studying hard in high school, getting into a good college, graduating, and subsequently entering the working world. This life plan I’d laid out for myself did not allow any time for a gap year; if asked, I would have told you that gap years were too expensive (in time and money) to be feasible for me.

All that was before I participated in NSLI-Y’s Korean summer program. During that summer, I became a braver, more confident person. I learned about Korean culture and, to some extent, American culture by comparison. My Korean language skills went from non-existent to conversational (on a good day ;) ). Applying to Academic Year (AY) was hardly a thought in my mind, but after I came home from Seoul, I knew that Korean language and culture was a passion of mine I wanted to pursue as far as it would take me. NSLI-Y provides full scholarships to accepted high school students to study critical languages in various countries for either a summer (6-8 weeks) or an academic year (8-10 months). No other program would allow me to fully immerse myself in Korean in South Korea for that duration of time; elsewhere, I would have to balance Korean language studies with other classes and obligations. I’m taking a gap year to improve my Korean and to go to college with the independence gained from a year abroad. 

There’s a chance I’ll regret not starting college this fall, but I have faith in myself and my ability to make the right choices about my education. Despite the rigid schedule that’s drilled into us, there’s nothing wrong with taking a non-traditional route through education or through life, whether that means taking time off to save money for university, community college, trade school, or joining the work force right after high school. Don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing your passions!! NSLI-Y is truly the experience of a lifetime and despite the numerous challenges I’m sure I’ll face on program, when I look back on this coming year, I want to do so as a stronger, more worldly person!! <3 

(just a side note: I was lucky to grow up in a fairly privileged community where college is an expectation, not a dream! I’m incredibly grateful for all the support and resources I’ve always been surrounded with, but I do know that my sheltered suburban lifestyle is not akin to the one much of the population experiences. One of my biggest goals for the NSLI-Y program is to challenge myself to broaden my worldview and appreciate all the blessings my parents and town have given me, and I sincerely hope that desire comes through in my writing!!) 

[x-honey-x]

Entre más años tienes, más te das cuenta que ya no necesitas a un pinché novio que te haga dramas, te trate de la chingada y te de conflictos exhaustivos. Solo deseas un lugar donde haya paz 🤷🏻‍♀️

[librariesandlanguages]

Guess who just got her host family placement for NSLI-Y’s Summer Hindi program!!!

[sik-911]

NSLI-Y Interview

i just had my interview a few days ago and i’m making this post to hopefully help fellow NSLI-Y semi-finalist and future hopefuls! 

I received my semi-finalist notification on December 1 around 4:00 pm, a week later an email listing 3 interview events that were being held in my area, and January 6 (a week before the interview) the exact time and location of the event.

i wore a black sweater, a dark plaid skirt, sheer tights, and heeled booties. i never saw any other girls at my event, but i did notice most of the guys were wearing a button up, tie, blazer/jacket, khakis, and dress shoes. 

so! the actual event happened in the lobby of a hotel and there were only about 10 people being interviewed the entire day so it was only me and one other person during my scheduled time. a super sweet volunteer who was helping conduct the event explained to me that my interviewer was stuck in her home due to icy roads and my backup came down with the flu SO i was assigned the one interviewer already at the event lol. i wasn’t given a questionnaire or had my mom speak to the interview like i had read on other blogs, i just began the interview immediately. 

first, my interviewer introduced herself and told me a bit about her experience abroad with AFS. the interview began with some pretty basic questions like “Tell me a bit about yourself”, “What country and duration are you applying for?” and “What are your college and career goals?”. then, they got a bit deeper like: 

What are the advantages and disadvantages you foresee of this program?

What qualities do you possess that will help you while abroad?

Describe your ideal host family. How would you react if your host family was the opposite of your ideal?

What do you spend your free time doing? While living abroad, you might not be able to do everything you’re used to at home. How would you react?

What do you expect to learn about yourself during this program?

Describe a time that you disagreed with someone. How did you react?

How do you plan to use the experience you gain?

What kind of role do you play in your friend group?

Why do you want to participate?

Describe a time you were in a group that you completely felt out of place. How did you react?

most of the questions had multiple parts within them. also, none of these were based off of my application, she was reading from a sheet and choosing questions to ask. my interviewer was very patient with me and would try to give me some examples if i was having a hard time with one. with every question i would try to cover multiple topics in order to strengthen my overall point - telling stories and pulling from experience is a great way to do this!! i have a good bit of experience with working in tough environments abroad (mission work) so i believe this helped make my statements more concrete. the actual interview probably only lasted 25 minutes tops, but i had a lottt of questions for her. we talked for about another 30-40 minutes about her experience living in Thailand for a year, what she was studying in college, how gap years work, and a whole bunch more! i highly recommend talking to your interviewer after the interview portion because, for me, i really became more comfortable with her as we talked and my genuine personality began to shine - and she actually wrote down a lot of what i was saying!! i definitely believe this tremendously helped my overall interview since i was able to cover a lot more than just the basics. she even gave me some advice that i would have never even thought of!! i’m so thankful to have had her as my interviewer ❤️ 

overall, it was a pleasant, laid-back experience. i would say that my biggest tips would be: 

make sure to have a few stories up your sleeve 

be as nice and pleasant as possible - first impressions are important (i.e. shake their hand, smile, be/sound optimistic)

try to talk to others and your interviewer as much as possible (when else are you going to be surrounded by people who share the same passion or goals as you?)

try to have fun with it and don’t stress too much! being comfortable will come across in how you hold yourself and overall makes things more pleasant 

also, i applied for the summer program in South Korea! if you have any further questions feel free to DM me!! good luck to everyone! ~~ 

[sleep-sarcasm-youtube]

Hey guys, I know I’ve been absent her for a while, but I was recent granted a scholarship to study in South Korea, so I started a blog. If anyone wants to check it out, I’ve included the link here!

[muarza]

NSLIY

For the past year I’ve been applying to NSLIY, a language immersion program headed by the State Department. Today was the final step of that process, a 30-45 minute long in-person interview. I drove an hour and a half to the city they were holding my region’s interviews in, and I was in the interview for almost double the time. I’m pretty sure I aced it; the AFS volunteer who interviewed me seemed to really like me, and said she’d do her best to help me. But in the end, the notes she took about me and the interview will be what determine whether I’m accepted into the program or not. I applied for the Summer program for South Korea, and I’ve been working on learning Korean throughout the application process. I really hope I’m accepted, as I’ve put a lot of time and effort into it and it’s something I’m really passionate about. If I get accepted, it will mean I’ll be going to South Korea this summer for 6-8 weeks to study Korean- all on a scholarship. Now that the interview is over, it’s completely out of my hands. All I can do is wait until around April, when I’ll get my results. I can’t wait!

[nsliyjeonju2018-blog]

Here’s a bit about me

I’m a massive h e c c i n nerd. I doubled up in the only languages my school offers (French and Spanish), I took Latin at my old middle school, my mom taught me how to read Arabic, and I speak a mix of English and Urdu at home. [Ever since I got home, my Urdu has been w a c k] 

Language and literature is my passion. I write fantasy often and we get a bit of romance every now and then. But anyway, I love east asian culture, but none of those languages are offered as classes anywhere near where I am. So when I heard about NSLI-Y, I hopped on that train so hard. 

Applying for NSLI-Y was a huge risk for me. It was kind of just a gut thing [I did my application in the five days before it was due; I do not recommend, causes a shit load of stress] and I didn’t even know if my parents would let me go. Hell, my dad was still iffy even five months later, when I got my finalist email. 

Anyway, for my future; I def want to do something abroad, I’d love that. I got distracted by Stray Kids which is why I dont know what else to say. But yeah. Abroad stuff. D I P L O M A C Y that’s the word. 

[teawithstress]

IM A NSLIY SEMIFINALIST!!!

This means I have like a 50/50 chance of going to study korean over the summer IN KOREA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!