SV-2008-0006 National Strategic Language Institute Youth Follow-up Su

Hello! It has been some time since your exchange experience. We would like to ask you some questions about your participation in the National Strategic Language Institute last summer, and its impact on your life since your return home.

Your responses will be strictly confidential. The information you provide will help us design programs that better meet the needs of participants in educational programs similar to NSLI.

Please feel free to give us your honest opinions. This survey is not a test; there are no right or wrong answers. Thank you for your participation in this survey.

Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Statements:

The information solicited on this survey is requested pursuant to the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-62) and the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961, as amended, also known as the Fulbright-Hays Act (22 U.S.C. 2451, et seq.). In order to ensure that the U.S. Department of State’s international exchange programs meet statutory program requirements (22 U.S.C. 2460(c)), the Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) regularly monitors the programs, gathers data about program accomplishments, and evaluates selected ones. ECA uses the information collected to inform program design, management, and funding. All personal information that is collected through surveys is considered confidential. All responses are coded to ensure the confidentiality of individual responses. Data collected under this study will not be shared, sold, or used for fundraising purposes. Survey data and findings will be used only in an aggregate form for the express purposes of fulfilling the data needs of the outcome assessment. Responses to this survey are voluntary.

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average twenty (20) minutes to respond to this survey, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and respondents are not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. Please send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to: A/ISS/DIR, U.S. Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520.

1. Exchange programs provide participants with many important opportunities for learning and engaging people from other countries. In the table below, please select the three most important accomplishments that have had the most impact on your life, since your return home.

	
Learned and practiced colloquial (conversational) [Insert language]
[Only for Arabic Groups] Learned Modern Standard Arabic
Represented the United States abroad
Learned about [Chinese culture/Arabic world]
Shared my culture with others
Made friends with [Insert country] students and their families
Increased my understanding of contemporary [Insert country] and [Insert country] society, people, and culture
Learned more about [Insert country] history—ancient to modern
Other (Please write in):

2. Please elaborate on the most important accomplishment that can be linked to your exchange experience.

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3. Which program did you attend? (Drop down List: China Institute Beijing, University of Denver, Chicago Public Schools) [Question Only for Chinese Language Group]

4. Please rate your current [Insert language] language skill level. Please check one box in each row.

	None	Beginner	Advanced Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
[Insert language]: Reading comprehension [Only for Chinese Group] (pinyin Romanization and character recognition)
[Only for Arabic Groups] Colloquial Arabic (conversational)
[Only for Arabic Groups] Modern Standard Arabic: Composition
[Insert language]: Grammar and vocabulary
[Only for Chinese Group] Mandarin: Writing (pinyin Romanization and character writing)
[Only for Chinese Group] Mandarin: Speaking
[Only for Chinese Group] Mandarin: Listening comprehension

5. Looking back, to what extent did the NSLI program help you improve your [Insert language] skill levels? Please check one box in each row.

	Not At All	To A Small Extent	To A Good Extent	To A Great Extent
[Insert language]: Reading comprehension [Only for Chinese Group] (pinyin Romanization and character recognition)
[Only for Arabic Groups] Colloquial Arabic (conversational)
[Only for Arabic Groups] Modern Standard Arabic: Composition
[Insert language]: Grammar and vocabulary
[Only for Chinese Group] Mandarin: Writing (pinyin Romanization and character writing)
[Only for Chinese Group] Mandarin: Speaking
[Only for Chinese Group] Mandarin: Listening comprehension

6. Which of the following statements accurately reflects your actions to study [Insert language]? Please check one box in each row.

	Yes	No
I am currently enrolled in a course for [Insert language] at my high school, university or other academic institution.
In the past year I completed at least one [Insert language] language course at my high school, university or another academic institution
In the past year I continued my [Insert language] language studies through private lessons or a tutor
In the past year, I have used self-tutoring guides, videos, books to continue studying the [Insert language] language
In the past six months, I have used various media outlets (for example: radio, television, movies, music, internet) to reinforce my [Insert language] language skills
In the past six months, I have read newspapers, books and/or magazines in [Insert language]
In the past six months, I have been in contact with people from [Insert country] who I met while participating in the NSLI program
In the past six months, I had conversations in [Insert language] with friends, instructors and/or colleagues
In the past year, I have engaged in academic or work-related research in [Insert language]
In the past year, I have returned to [Insert country]and/or have traveled to another country where [Insert language] is spoken to attend a language program, intern or work

7. Are there any suggestions you could recommend for programming to further promote students’ studies in [Insert language] once they return from the program?

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8. Looking back, how influential was your participation in NSLI to you pursuing your study of [Insert language]? Please check one box.

	
Not At All Influential
Somewhat Influential
Influential
Very Influential
I am not studying [Insert language] at this time

9. Did your plans to continue [Insert language] language studies change once you returned home? Please check one box

	
Yes
No

10. If you answered “yes” to question #9 listed previously, please elaborate on how your plans to study [Insert language] changed.

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11. Are you enrolled in a course this summer to study the same language you studied in NSLI? Please check one box.

	
Yes
No

12. Do you think your participation in NSLI influenced your decision about your future career? Please check one box.

	
Yes
No

13. If you answered “yes” to question #12, please elaborate on changes to your future career plans.

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14. As a direct result of your participation in the exchange program, have you done or received any of the following at school or university? Please check one box in each row.

	Yes	No
Higher level of responsibilities or leadership at school/university
Organized or initiate new activities or projects at school/university
Established a new organization at school/university

15. As a direct result of your participation in the exchange program, have you done or received any of the following in your community? Please check one box in each row.

	Yes	No
Assumed a leadership role or position in your community
Organized or initiate new activities or projects in your community
Established a new organization in your community

16. Which of these fields are you considering studying or working in when you graduate? Please check all boxes that apply.

	
Agriculture
Arts and Humanities (history, languages, literature, art, theater)
Athletics
Business Administration, Finance
Computer Science, Information Technology
Education
Engineering
Environment
Government
Humanitarian Affairs, Development Assistance, Conflict Resolution
International Relations
Labor, Trade Unions
Law, Judicial, Law Enforcement
Library and Information Science
Media, Mass Communications, Journalism, Communication Technology, Advertising, Graphics
Medicine
Military Service
Public Administration
Public Health
Religion
Science (physics, math, chemistry, biology, astronomy, geography, agronomy)
Social Sciences (sociology, economics, psychology, political science)
Social Work
Teaching English, English language instructions
Not Sure
Other (Please write in):

17. Have you shared your program experience or the knowledge you gained during your exchange visit in any of the following ways? Please check one box in each row.

	Yes	No
Participated in media interviews (newspaper, television, radio, Internet)
Gave presentations to community, neighborhood, school or university groups
Wrote newspapers articles, including editorials and opinion pieces.
Wrote academic books
Wrote non-academic books
Wrote academic articles—for journals or academic publications
Other (Please write in):

18. How often have you had a discussion with your family and friends about your experience in [Insert country] in the past year? Please check one box.

	
Never
1-5 times
6-10 times
More than 10 times

19. How do you view the [Insert country] government and its relationship with the United States? Please check one box.

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neither Agree Nor Disagree	Agree	Strongly Agree
The [Insert country] government is a trustworthy partner for my country

20. How do you view the [Insert country] government and the [Insert country] people? Please check one box in each row.

	Strongly Unfavorable	Generally Unfavorable	Neither Favorable Nor Unfavorable	Generally Favorable	Strongly Favorable
[Insert country] government
[Insert country] people

21. Have you remained in remain in contact with people you met during your exchange program?

	
Yes
No

22. In the past year, have you encouraged friends to travel or study abroad?

	
Yes
No

23. Home state: [Drop-down list]

24. Which best describes the geographic location where you live? Please check one box.

	
A major city
A suburb of a major city
A small city or town
A rural area

25. Age: [Drop Down List 15-19]

26. Gender:

	
Female
Male

27. Which religion do you most closely identify with? Please check one box.

			
Baha’ism		Judaism
Buddhism		Shintoism
Christianity (for example: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant)		Sikhism
Confucianism		Taoism
Hinduism		Zoroastrianism
Islam		None
Jainism		Other (please write in):

28. Do you know about the State Department Alumni website, https://alumni.state.gov? Please check one box.

	
Yes
No

29. Have you registered for the State Department Alumni website, https://alumni.state.gov? Please check one box.

	
I have registered
I have not yet registered
I do not plan to register

We encourage you to visit the website!

30. Thank you for completing this survey! If you have additional comments you would like to make, please do so here.

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31. How long did it take you to complete this survey? ______minutes