Alec Gatewood, a senior at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts, has been selected to study Mandarin Chinese in the Virtual NSLI-Y program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affair’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth.
Virtual NSLI-Y is a 10-week, beginner-level foreign language and culture experience, in line with the ACTFL World Readiness Standards, that will also introduce participants to the people and culture of places where the target language is spoken. It is the second year of the virtual program. NSLI-Y is part of a U.S. government initiative that prepares American citizens to be leaders in a global world by developing necessary linguistic skills and cultural knowledge.
Gatewood, a senior from Smackover, said he became interested in learning to speak Chinese while working on an Advanced Research in Entrepreneurship project during his junior year. His team developed a business plan for the Arkansas Governor’s Cup competition to create long-term-use face masks with replaceable filters. Owners would also be provided templates to allow them to personalize their masks. Their goal was to supply the masks to Asian countries, including China.
The team conducted thorough research on the economies and markets of various Asian countries to develop their business plan. It was during that stage of the project that Gatewood decided he wanted to study Mandarin Chinese.
“After performing hours of research, I realized that China is a culturally vibrant, economically advanced and rapidly growing nation,” Gatewood said. “My interest in learning Mandarin Chinese was grown immensely!”
Gatewood said that Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, is one of his “dream” institutions to attend. The university is located in Beijing. To attend, students must have an HSK Level Four language proficiency. HSK levels are determined by an exam. It assesses non-native Chinese speakers’ abilities in using the Chinese language in their daily, academic and professional lives.
“I hope the 10-week fall virtual NSLI-Y program gives me the ability to get a boost on my current level of Mandarin Chinese so that I will have the option to study at Tsinghua,” he said.
Gatewood will attend virtual sessions twice a week for 10 weeks. In addition to learning the language, the program will also provide cultural lessons. NSLI-Y also traditionally conducts a summer immersion program, in which participants often live with a host family and attend daily classes over a two-month period. He is hopeful that he will qualify for that program as well should it be re-established. The global study program was not held this past summer because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information on the NSLI-Y Virtual program, visit https://www.nsliforyouth.org/languages-and-program-experience/virtual.