AFS-USA 2008 Summer Language Institute participants engaging Egyptians in an Arabic conversation.

NSLI-Y Mission Statement
NSLI-Y is about American youth speaking international languages to establish ties with people from other cultures. It is an early, formative program providing American teens – ages 15 to 18 - with opportunities they need to achieve language fluency and deepen their cultural understanding of the countries where these languages are spoken. The NSLI-Y program aims to guide American youth toward using language in their university and professional careers. It hopes to encourage young Americans to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of learning languages, and inspire future generations to be active participants in the international community by pursuing active roles in the private, academic, and government sectors. Ultimately, NSLI-Y is about people and language – young Americans speaking the languages of other cultures to advance the security of the United States and the global community through person-to-person relationships.

NSLI-Y Goals
1. Improve the ability of Americans to engage with the people of Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Turkish-speaking countries through shared language;

2. Develop a cadre of Americans with advanced linguistic skills and related cultural understanding who are able to advance international dialogue, promote the security of the United States, and compete effectively in the global economy;

3. Provide a tangible incentive for the learning and use of foreign language by developing additional overseas language study opportunities for U.S. high school students;

4. Spark a lifetime interest in foreign cultures among American youth.