With summer program departure dates around the corner, and many students getting ready for an adventure of a lifetime, I wanted to share a compilation of experiences, anecdotes, and advice from NSLI-Y alumni who immersed themselves in different languages in various parts of the world. Whether you are a NSLI-Y finalist, a prospective applicant, an alum, or just someone stopping by, I hope you will find these Q&As insightful and fun!

What is one thing you wish you knew before program?

Arabic:

• As a darker-skinned woman going to the Middle East, I didn’t realize the everyday effects of colorism (on both light/dark-skinned girls). Wish I could have braced for this issue a little bit, like we did about religion and cat calling. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I wish I knew how important amiyya (colloquial Arabic) was before going–Going in, I focused mostly on Modern Standard Arabic, but learned when I got there that amiyya is way more important for forming personal connections with host families/other community members. When I started learning/using amiyya I felt much more accepted by community members than when I just used MSA. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I wish that I had realized just how different FusHa and Darija are. I definitely thought they would be more similar, and I think I may have tried harder to learn Darija if I had known that they were very different. -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• I wish I had known more about how to broach cultural and/or political conversations with Moroccans, especially around topics that are important for cross-cultural learning, but still somewhat sensitive. It’s critical to have these conversations, but can be difficult to know where to start. -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)

Chinese:

• Don’t have too many expectations and go in as open minded as possible! -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• I wish I had known how much I could grow and change in 6 weeks. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• There’s a good chance you won’t progress in the language as much as you anticipate; we tend to be ambitious in our goals. But don’t be discouraged. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• How quickly 7 weeks will go by. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• To know that my host brother loved basketball -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• School coordinators are there to support you (not just local coordinators)! Go talk to them if you have any problems! -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• I wish I knew how to budget money before my program… nonetheless, it was a good learning experience! -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• I honestly wish I had more experience with the language before going… Despite being very extraverted and confident around my Korean classmates, it took a few weeks for me to break the language barrier enough to be able to hang out with my Korean friends outside of school, and I wish that I could have had those few weeks back. -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Russian:

• I wish I had known how dedicated your NSLI-Y teachers are. This is for the purpose of appreciating them, but also to ~actually~ do the pre-departure work! -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)

What is one thing you wished you had packed?

Arabic:

• Nail clippers -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Skinny jeans–I thought they’d be too tight to fit dress code, but skinny jeans and loose long sleeve shirts were very popular among locals -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• RAINBOOTS! I ended up buying them anyways, and I wish I had just packed them in the first place. Rabat has a very wet rainy season… -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Warm clothes. So many warm clothes. There’s no heat in houses here, and winter is long. -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• Extra socks and underwear -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)

Chinese:

• More shorts! -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• An umbrella!!! ( but my host family lent me one) -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Umbrella -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Lots of bug spray -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)
• Boston Celtics stuff -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• Nicer shirts that aren’t considered “house clothes” (meaning blouse-type shirts, not just t-shirts) -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• A bigger reusable water bottle! -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• More deodorant (Koreans don’t use it and I ran out before week 4 was through) -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• Imodium!! -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• A bathing suit! -Russian Summer Alum (Chisinau, Moldova)
• Sundresses -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)

What is one host family gift that your family loved?

Arabic:

• …Pocky sticks and other Indian/American candies for my host siblings… -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Pancake Mix -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• A book of scenic things from my city -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I brought some magnets with my city on it and also a wooden thing with a pretty carving of North Dakota on it! -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Oven mitts! -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• Candy for the kids and handmade mugs for my host parents -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• I brought my host sister some of my favorite books in English and she got so excited and it pushed her to ask so much about English so she would able to understand more and communicate better with me… -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• T-shirt with my home state written on it -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• A small photo album of places in my community and my family -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Pottery from my state -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)
• Boston Red Sox cap -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• California t-shirts -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• Warhead Candy! Sour candy sorta lacks in South Korea, so I brought the sourest candy I could find! My two host brothers loved them! -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• Pop rocks -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• American candy -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• A mug with my home state on it -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• A coffee book about the national parks -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)
• I bought moon sand for my host brother! -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)
• My host sister absolutely LOVED the jelly beans that I brought with me. As soon as I arrived, we spent one hour in my bedroom tasting all of the flavors and (trying to) talk about them in Russian. -Russian Summer Alum (Chisinau, Moldova)

What is one host family gift that didn’t work out?

Arabic:

• Mac and cheese… I brought some boxes to share but most of the people I shared with ended up not liking it, and I just ate it by myself.  -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Caramel popcorn. As it turns out, sweet popcorn is an acquired taste, and my host siblings didn’t enjoy it. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• A clock for my host dad, I figured out too late that it was a bad thing to give. – Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Prickly pear cactus jam -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)

Hindi:

• Anything that had an American price on it because then my family asked me to convert it to rupees and then asked me why I spent so much money buying gifts for them -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• I misread my host family assignment and thought that my younger host brother was 5 years old but he was 15… -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• A puzzle- Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• I brought peanuts from my hometown with me, but I don’t think they ever really got eaten (most likely because peanuts aren’t really a popular food in Moldova). -Russian Summer Alum (Chisinau, Moldova)

What was the biggest culture shock that you encountered?

Arabic:

• I didn’t expect to be considered just Indian vs Indian American and found myself explaining this a lot. On the bright side, it was a good conversation starter and I got to practice more Arabic. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I think that food was definitely the biggest source of culture shock for me! In the US, I was a vegan who cooked all of my own food, and now all of a sudden someone was cooking all of my meals for me and constantly telling me to eat more. It was definitely hard to adjust to. -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• I had a really tough time adjusting to polychronic “Moroccan time” and street harassment. I like to plan everything I possibly can in advance, but in Morocco, flexibility and spontaneity are the name of the game. I had to learn how to adapt to the fact that punctuality is simply not as important here…  -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• The call to prayer that wakes you up at 4 AM. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• During the summer, Jordanians are still adjusting from Ramadan schedule, meaning that they are practically nocturnal. As someone who goes to bed very early, it took me some time to adjust to the strange schedule, and it was probably the biggest lifestyle difference that affected me. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• No cold drinks! Anywhere!!!! -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Kids going to the bathroom on the streets. – Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Bluntness (no southern hospitality!) -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)

Hindi:

• Having to get approval from many different people… in order to do what would seem trivial in the U.S. (going to a friend’s house, walking to the neighborhood store, etc.). -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• Squat Toilets -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• I can’t really remember anything major to be completely honest, although I did have to learn about Dokdo pretty quickly lol. -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• I had a tendency at the beginning of the program to sort of walk on eggshells around my host family… and this made my host family a little uncomfortable. Tajiks are (generally speaking) the most welcoming and hospital people in the world. Making myself relax and feel comfortable in this other home was the hardest transition I had to make. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• How independent young children are. You’ll probably see 5 year olds riding buses alone.  -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• People, even strangers, really worry about your health -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)

What was the biggest stereotype that broke for you while on program?

Arabic:

• My biggest stereotype was that Jordanian culture would be totally different/foreign to me, but I found it very similar to Indian culture, and I found myself bonding with my host family over this a lot. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Due to our country’s past and current relationship with countries in the Middle East, I didn’t know how Americans would be perceived in Morocco… Every single person that I met in Morocco was incredibly kind and welcoming to me, and all of my friends… The cross-cultural interactions that NSLI-Y helps to create help with breaking down barriers and stereotypes which lead to so much misunderstanding and misconceptions, including those that I once held.  -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Moroccans are easy to make friends with. Yes, it’s absolutely true that Moroccan culture is extraordinarily friendly, hospitable, and open, but making friends and gaining the real trust that is required to have an honest, deep relationship takes a lot of time and effort. I use the peach metaphor—getting through the outer layers is easy because most Moroccans are so friendly, but once you hit the pit, making a friendship that really matters and sticks is a lot of hard work.  -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• Basically everything portrayed in media and pop culture about Arabic-speaking people. They are wonderful. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Although I have several Arab friends in the US, living with an Arab, Muslim family really gave me a new perspective, and I was given a chance to develop cultural understandings about a group of people that are often misrepresented in the media. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• The idea that Chinese students work really hard and aren’t creative/interested in creative outlets.  -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• The idea that everything in China is super restricted and government-controlled. It was not too different from life here actually. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)

Korean:

• Koreans are not meek, quiet, or cold people, especially in Jeonju. If you reach out first and establish that you are comfortable in their cultural context and with their language, they can be quite welcoming and extroverted and friendly. -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Russian:

• Russians are cold and unfriendly -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)
• How friendly Russians really are, especially teens! -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)
• Coming from a small, homogenous town, the reigning stereotype about Eastern Europeans revolves around the fact that they are a cold, rude people. However, upon arriving in Moldova, it was obvious that, just like any other population, it really depended on the personality of each individual person. I found that most people were rather enthusiastic about the fact that I was from America, and were always ready to give me tips about the language. -Russian Summer Alum (Chisinau, Moldova)

If you could do it over, what is one thing you would have done differently?

Arabic:

• It’s definitely tricky finding a balance of spending time with host family, your peers, and studying. I wish I had spent more time studying technical grammar concepts, but then I wouldn’t have been able to practice conversation as much – you have to decide what that look likes for you. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I wish I had prepared more in terms of the language aspect of the program. For Arabic (and most of the NSLI-Y languages) you have to learn a completely new alphabet or writing system. I was still struggling with remembering the letters at Pre-Departure Orientation so when I got in country, I was already behind others in my program. Because of my lack of preparation, I feel like I didn’t learn as much as I could have… -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• I would definitely try and hang out with my Moroccan friends more. I spent a LOT of time with the other Americans on my program. I love them all and want to see them, but I just wish that I had spent more time with my Moroccan friends. -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Spent more time focusing on Darija -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• I would have been more spontaneous. Check out new parts of the city. Don’t be so regimented but also be safe. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• I would have spent more time with my host cousins. I became extremely close to my immediate family, but I had many host cousins who were teenage girls like me, and I feel like I could have tried harder to take out the time to get to know them better. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• Held my host sister’s hand more often. – Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• I would have tried to take the moments I spent relaxing and done more with my host family and in my city -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Speak Mandarin more frequently and use English less. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Tried more of the foods -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)
• Try out more foods that were not familiar to me -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• Get in classes with more Indian peers (I was mostly in classes with other NSLI-Y students) -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• I wish I connected with more NSLI-Y students on my program (outside of my class). 50 students was a lot! I wish I got to know more of those amazing kids on my program. -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• STUDIED HARDER PRE-PROGRAM, and used more of my practice time in authentic contexts rather than being constantly grinding vocab during my time there -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• I would have tried to write each night about what happened that day in a journal. Every day was so unique and memorable and I didn’t take enough pictures to remember each one. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• Gotten out of the American bubble more -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)
• I would have spent more time and fostered a better relationship with my host parents. They were ultimately the ones who said yes to allowing me to stay with them and I wish I had gotten to know them better! -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)

What is one your number one tip for making advances in the target language?

Arabic:

• Talk to people! Ask questions, so you can get better at the listening. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Don’t be afraid to talk with people–making mistakes is okay and they’ll understand that you’re learning! -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Speak it! This can be hard when you’re studying Arabic since you learn FusHa but darija is the spoken language, but you can find people who will speak it with you. If you want to learn darija, insist that people speak it with you and watch all of the soap operas on 2M (سامحيني is the BEST).  -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Work at it. Work hard and work constantly. You will have 3 hours of work per night—do it all and invest in it. Come to class ready every day, bring energy every day, and remember that language is the reason you’re here. You’ll get so much more of your experience if you love what you’re doing. -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• Really practice pronunciation early on. That will improve everything else. Also, don’t transliterate! -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Come in with some basic vocabulary, grammar, and phrases under your belt so that you don’t have to spend time acquiring them while in country. During program, study hard and SPEAK! If people speak to you in English, respond in Arabic. If people laugh at your accent, laugh with them and try harder. You are in this country for six weeks. Don’t miss a chance to USE THE LANGUAGE. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• Don’t be shy to speak aloud and mess up. If anything, search for those opportunities so you can learn from them. – Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Talk to your host family!!! They are the first point of contact, and just talking over dinner or hanging out on weekends is SO important. Even though it’s not a formal class, there is so much to be learned from those conversations. -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Talk to strangers! -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)
• Study and do the assigned homework. Don’t have the mindset that they are pointless because it definitely encourages repetition and helps you recall vocab later on. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Speak and practice regularly -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• Watch movies and learn song lyrics! Talk to your Dadi Ji! -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• Learn to be comfortable with making mistakes! Mistakes are not a representation of your failure but of your learning journey! -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• N A T I V E  S P E A K E R S. Using the language in as many authentic contexts as possible and engaging with the colloquial speech made my spoken Korean flow so much more naturally. (Spoken/Listening are also the most important skills to develop to score well on the OPI) -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• Talk as much as you can with your host family. Talk even before you know any words, just point to stuff and say “What’s that?” -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• Flashcards were so helpful for me! -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• Make local friends -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)
• Make friends with your host siblings friends! Speak with your host siblings, especially if they are young: you’re basically on the same level, if not less. -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)
• BARGAIN AT THE MARKETS! When I was in Chisinau, I went to the Central Market almost every day and bargained with the merchants there-whether I ended up buying anything or not…This daily practiced worked wonders on my ability to comprehend and respond quickly in Russian and because of it, I found myself improving more rapidly than some of my peers. -Russian Summer Alum (Chisinau, Moldova)

What is one thing you did to deal with homesickness?

Arabic:

• I realized I was homesick because I talked to my parents each day (per their wishes), and when I realized that I needed to thrust myself into school and NSLI-Y peers, I told them and it got a lot better over time. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I made sure to keep a journal and write what I did day to day as well as write down anything that I felt. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• In the beginning, I talked to my family a lot because it helped me with my homesickness. Around March, it stopped helping and I needed to distance myself from people back at home and focus on where I was… -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Reading English novels. -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• Completely immerse yourself in the city you are in. Go explore, stay active and don’t let your mind be idle. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• I talked to my host mom about how I was feeling, and really opened up to her about any adjustment difficulties. This made me feel better and brought us closer. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• Realize that this program is getting shorter by the second. I’m going to miss out on so much if I surround my thoughts around home instead of making the most out of every day. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Hung out with other students on program -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Take time to completely unplug. It is tempting to check in on friends, but enjoy your time rather than worrying about things at home. And I only talked to my family twice. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Make the place your home, if not with your host family but with your friends -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)

Hindi:

• Listened to Jack Johnson and other mellow homey songs, talked to my fellow NSLI-Y friends, watched my favorite movies, made lists. -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• Long walks throughout my neighborhood/local parks to think. -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)

Persian:

• I called my parents no more than once a week and I felt like it was a pretty good balance. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• Limited my calls home -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)
• Remind yourself that this only happens once. -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)

What did you do to get closer to your host family?

Arabic:

• I found common ground through food – cooking American pancakes and Indian tandoori chicken. My host mom and I bonded over food; she would teach me Arabic names for ingredients and steps while I helped her in the kitchen. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I tried to eat dinner as much as I could with my host family… In addition to enjoying my host mom’s amazing cooking, I got to spend time just getting to know them. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• My host family had small children, so before I was good enough to communicate well, I’d play with the kids, which would give the whole family something to talk/laugh about at a low enough level for me to understand/respond. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• I had an AMAZING host brother who was my best friend. I got closer to him by sitting in the living room with him for hours watching TV. If you just sit in the same room as your family, you’ll naturally start to talk and get closer. -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Just being in the same spaces at the same time naturally made us closer. And taking your time… -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• I made sure to eat dinner at home most nights. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• I ran around and played a lot with my little host siblings, took out time to chat with my host parents about food, music, and the news, and always did my homework in the living room. Oh, and I asked my host mom for homework help. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• If I wasn’t doing homework, I made sure I was doing something with them. Whether it was helping, talking, or just sitting with them. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• I participated in regular sort of activities like going grocery shopping or going for a walk in the neighborhood or going to painting class, so I could spend more time with them. -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Engage in any activities they suggest, even if they are unfamiliar or you worry you won’t like them. I became VERY good at badminton because my host brother loved to play! -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• I never sat in my room by myself, except for before bed and after waking up. Spend the whole day with them on weekends if you have no other plans! -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)I used my interest in soccer to get close to my host brother -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• Cooked with my host mom, celebrated “Ice Cream Sundays” with my younger host sister every week. -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• I did my homework in the kitchen rather than the desk in my room. I also ate dinner with my family as much as I could. -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• Went to church, ate breakfast together everyday and talked about the previous day’s events, sang in the church choir, played on a rec soccer team with my host brother. -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• I hung out with my host siblings every single night and I made that and them my priority. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• My host sisters were all around my age, so we went shopping for clothes and makeup a lot. I like playing sports so I would play soccer with my host brothers after dinner sometimes. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• Clean the dishes after dinner, ask about their lives. -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)
• Cook with them and ask questions often!-Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)
• …I played with my host sister almost every day, and actually got introduced to quite a few of her friends! In addition, my host great grandmother and I grew quite close, as I would always update her on my language progress, and she would listen to me read short excerpts from Russian textbooks quite often in order to critique my pronunciation of certain words. -Russian Summer Alum (Chisinau, Moldova)

What is one food that you feel everyone should try on your program?

Arabic:

• Kanafeh is ooey gooey cheesy goodness, ya allah shu zaki is the appropriate Jordanian response. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Msmen! (also known as Melloui) -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• falafel, pita, and hummus–it’s super common, but the best you’ll ever find! -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• HARCHA. Everyone raves about msmen but y’all, harcha is the best. -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Mechoui goat ribs in any rural souk you can find, and if you can’t, le7m bil bar9ou9 tagine! -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• Shawarma!!!!! Get kanafeh at Habiba (a famous restaurant), and make sure to eat a ton of zayt w zaatar on khobz! Also, don’t miss the roadside slushies! -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• Hot pot!!!!! -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Dumplings! Every kind of dumpling you can possibly have, eat it! -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• 包子(Baozi). My mouth is literally watering right now. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Baozi are what sustained me. -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)
• Beijing duck -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• Pani puri!!!! Try it twice because it’s very weird the first time. -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• 물냉면 (Cold Water Noodles) -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• 산낙지. I’m totally serious. Go as deep as you can into the markets and engage with the people around you, and you will find some of the most amazing home-cooked food you will ever eat. -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• Tajik fruit is undoubtedly the best fruit in the entire world. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• Курутоб (“kortob”): It will destroy your stomach about an hour after you eat it but it was so good that it was worth it. Also when you miss fried foods go to “Southern Fried Chicken” near this place called Merve (you’ll know what I’m talking about about a week in). -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• Mamaliga -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)
• Bastilla -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Borscht! -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)

What is the biggest reverse culture shock that you had?

Arabic:

• I had two years of high school to go through after. NSLI-Y made me really excited for college, so it was a little frustrating going back to my hometown after a life-changing experience like NSLI-Y. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• For my first few weeks back, I could not step on carpets with shoes on. In Morocco, rugs are seen as symbols of wealth so if you are to step on one, you must take your shoes off to show respect and not bring dirt onto the carpet… The first time I stepped on them with shoes was extremely weird but I eventually got over it.  -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Hearing people’s uninformed and often prejudiced thoughts on the Middle East–having to explain to people that Jordan had electricity, and that I was never expected to wear a hijab, and that it’s a peaceful and safe country really made me angry after meeting people that those prejudices affect  -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Getting readjusted to the minutiae of home life was not fun. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• It was really hard being away from my host family and program friends, but we have made sure to stay in close contact since then. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• Boba/bubble tea costing way more than $1.20 -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Getting used to eating American food again, especially not eating savory things for breakfast. And not going to bed until late again. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)

Hindi:

• Missing my NSLI-Y family and not being able to speak in Hindi with strangers. -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• Being surrounded by people that truly didn’t understand my experiences and personal growth. It was hard to not have people to talk to about NSLI-Y. -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• When on program, I was more intellectually stimulated than I ever had been in my entire life. Everyone around me was incredibly supportive and self-motivated, and upon returning to the suburbs, a lot of my friends seemed really one-dimensional, immature, and unmotivated. -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• I honestly missed the language so much. I still do. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• I kept saying “раҳмат” instead of thank you for weeks after I got back.  -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• Hearing English everywhere -Russian Summer and Year Alum (Kirov, Russia and Chisinau, Moldova)

What is your most important tip for future NSLI-Y students?

Arabic:

• NSLI-Y was an epochal moment for me in my life. However, if I had remained closed off, wallowed in my homesickness, etc. then I wouldn’t have reaped the benefits. It’s those tough moments that speaking in another language force you to reckon with that make NSLI-Y life-changing. You must embrace those moments. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)
• Enjoy your time in the country! There were so many things that I wanted to do before I left but I just ran out of time. If there’s some place you want to see, some food you want to eat, even some activity you want to try, do it. You never know if you will be able to go back so do anything you want to do! -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• Keep an open mind and be flexible. It sounds cliche but it is so true. -Arabic Year Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• WORK HARD AT YOUR LANGUAGE! Seriously, work incredibly hard at your language. Arabic is tough, and you won’t get better unless you give 110%. And be humble, constantly. You don’t know as much as you think you do—we never know as much as we think we do—so listen more than you speak when it comes to cultural conversations. -Arabic Summer and Year Alum (Rabat and Marrakech, Morocco)
• NSLI-Y opens so many doors. Stick with your language, even when it gets hard. -Arabic Summer Alum (Rabat, Morocco)
• You are here to learn the language. Always remember that, and when things are rough or not going as planned, go back to the reason you arrived and look at how much you have learned. -Arabic Summer Alum (Amman, Jordan)

Chinese:

• Make the most out of everything. When you get home, all you’re going to do is miss it. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• Go in with an open and flexible mind. You’ll get the most out of the experience if you go with the flow and enjoy the differences! -Chinese Summer Alum (Nanjing, China)
• Enjoy every minute. NSLI-Y was such a liberating experience for me because I got to focus on learning something I love without worrying and stressing about things at home. -Chinese Summer Alum (Chengdu, China)
• You will likely only do this once. If you ever feel down, always remember that. -Chinese Summer Alum (Suzhou, China)
• If you get homesick, don’t worry – you will get over it very quickly. -Chinese Summer Alum (Xiamen, China)

Hindi:

• Don’t take yourself too seriously and have fun! -Hindi Year Alum (Indore, India)

Korean:

• Don’t compare your experiences with anyone else! Everyone’s language journey, host family, in-country relationships, etc are different. As long as your experience is rewarding for you, it does not matter what other are doing! -Korean Summer Alum (Seoul, South Korea)
• Do what you love, Love what you do. The possibilities on this program are endless. Chances are, you won’t regret much of anything that you do on program, but never do nothing. You will remember that for the rest of your life. This isn’t the kind of opportunity offered to you every day, so make the most of it. -Korean Summer Alum (Jeonju, South Korea)

Persian:

• Delve in completely. I seriously believe Persian is the most beautiful language in the world. Take advantage of this opportunity. Enjoy yourself and study hard! -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)
• Enjoy every minute! Even the times when you’re sick or you miss something about the US, 7 weeks goes by so quickly and you will cherish the memories you make for the rest of your life. Also, go out and explore Dushanbe with your friends after class! There are so many cool hidden places that I would’ve never discovered if I had just gone home everyday after class. -Persian Summer Alum (Dushanbe, Tajikistan)

Russian:

• Stay involved and afford others the opportunity to go by speaking about the program! -Russian Summer Alum (Kirov, Russia)
• Embrace every last second of your NSLI-Y experience. Whether or not you end up falling in love with your target language, whether or not you like the culture of your host country, and whether or not you get along with your host family, make sure you relish in what an amazing opportunity NSLI-Y is…  -Russian Summer Alum (Chisinau, Moldova)

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to this post!

• Jasmine
• James
• Sara
• Myra
• William
• Lili
• Dana
• Sullivan
• Rahul
• Kyle
• Lynn
• Caroline
• Megan
• Emma
• Dean
• Mason
• And others who chose to remain anonymous