Archer Students Return From Taiwan Immersion Program
Belén H. ’26 and Dakota T. ’26 were awarded scholarships by the US Department of State to study Chinese in an immersion program in Taiwan for seven weeks this past summer. According to the website, the U.S. Department of State National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) program is part of an interagency initiative to ensure that Americans are learning and mastering critical languages to foster international cooperation, build mutual understanding, strengthen national security, and bolster the economy.
Belén completed her Chinese language courses at Archer in 9th grade and has since been taking the Chinese Immersion Intensives class with Ms. Gosselin. Dakota is currently in the Advanced Study Chinese class with Ms. Chen. Both students applied to the NSLI-Y program last spring and were selected to attend based on their application answers about their purpose for participating and their performances in an interview. Once selected, the students were given an oral exam to test their language proficiency and determine which level they would be placed within the program.
After attending an orientation in Washington DC, both students flew to Taiwan. Belén stayed with a host family in Taipei City. Meanwhile, Dakota was placed in Hsinchu City and lived in a university dorm during the week and with host families during the weekends. Both students attended program-specific classes at local universities, where they were challenged to speak only in Chinese. In between classes and 2 - 3 hours of homework a night, Belén and Dakota had the freedom to explore their cities, meet up with new friends, and spend their stipends provided by NSLI-Y.
By the end of the seven weeks, Belén and Dakota retook their oral exams and were pleased to see that their speaking skills had improved tremendously. In addition to developing their language skills, both students gained immense value from the immersive nature of the program.
Dakota said, “This [experience] has opened up my passion for traveling… Being able to travel really gives you an idea of what’s out there [beyond the culture we experience at home].”
Belén shared that “being immersed in a new environment has opened up new opportunities in terms of careers.” She is grateful for this opportunity to be a global citizen.
Both students say they look forward to pursuing study abroad opportunities in college.
The Archer School for Girls admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin, sexual orientation or other legally protected status in its hiring or in the administration of its educational policies and programs, admissions policies, financial aid programs or other school-administered programs.
The Archer School for Girls’ mission is to educate students in an environment specifically designed for girls. As such, the school will consider any candidate for admission who identifies as a girl. Once admitted to Archer, all students in good academic standing who abide by Archer’s code of conduct and who meet requirements for graduation will be eligible to receive an Archer diploma, regardless of any change in sexual identity or other legally protected status.
