Junior Zoë Sprott will study abroad this summer with the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) that works in conjunction with the American Field Services (formerly AFS-USA) to implement language study programs.
Sponsored by the US Department of State, NSLI-Y is a program that awards merit-based scholarships for recently graduated high school students as well as current high school students. Students have the opportunity to learn different languages in the summer or during the academic year through overseas immersion programs.
NSLI-Y exists as a component of a government initiative dedicated to the preparation of American leaders as leaders on the global scale.
According to nsliforyouth.org, “Now more than ever, it is important that Americans have the necessary linguistic skills and cultural knowledge to promote international dialogue and support American engagement abroad. NSLI-Y aims to provide opportunities to American youth that will spark a lifetime interest in language learning.”
Sprott will first travel to New York for an orientation before flying to Kirov, Russia, on June 21. Formerly known as Vyatka, the city of Kirov is the administrative center of Kirov Oblast, Russia. It is known throughout Russia for its clay statuettes and whistles. The city is also famous for its theaters and museums, notably the Vyatka Museum of Art, one of the oldest museums in Russia.
“While I’m there, I’ll be completely immersed in the Russian language in order to learn it. I’ll be in classes 4-5 hours Monday to Friday, giving me a total of 120 hours of Russian language classes,” said Sprott. “Later, there will be cultural excursions and lessons and time to roam around the city!”
During Sprott’s first three weeks in the language immersion program, she will live in a dormitory with other NSLI-Y students and Russian students. For the last three weeks, Sprott will live with a host family and spend time with her family in between studies.
“Throughout my life, I had seen bits about its culture and language, which made me more and more interested in the possibility of studying in Russia, and that’s what made me decide to study Russian,” said Sprott.
The culture and language of Russia sparked her interest as a child when she watched her father, a Russian linguist in the army.
“I saw my acceptance letter to the program in the first few minutes before the last class of the day began. I nearly began hyperventilating! I was ecstatic.I think that even though it’s been nearly a month, I’ve still not really begun to believe that I’m actually in the program. The odds were so slim. Last year 3,000 people applied and only 600 of those got scholarships. Needless to say, I’m still in shock, but definitely stoked for the trip!”
After attending the study abroad program, Sprott plans to continue study of the Russian language and culture.
“I hope that I not only pick up the basics of Russian over the summer, but that I also learn more about the culture. Most people don’t really know much about day-to-day life in Russia and I’d like to know more,” said Sprott. “When I return, I hope to continue studying Russian though a bit more casually with my father and probably the Rosetta Stone program. When I go to college, if I’m still interested in the language, I think I’ll continue studying it.”
