By joining the Foreign Language Residence Program (FLRP), you'll experience immersion in world languages, increase your fluency and earn one credit hour per semester. You'll enjoy interacting with native speakers of Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish at dinners, weekly language nights and cultural events. You also may be eligible to apply for the FLRP Study Abroad Fund.
The FLRP community lives in Neptune West, though it's not necessary to live there in order to participate. Join us to improve your language skills and become a more competitive job candidate while building lifelong friendships.
Twice a year, we travel to Oregon, Illinois, for a language retreat at NIU's scenic Lorado Taft field campus. You'll benefit from leadership training, exposure to possible research topics, cultural investigation and more.
Each year, we have an international dinner where the language groups perform skits, songs and other entertainment for parents, faculty and staff. You'll also go on two or three field trips each semester to learn about different cultures.
After being part of FLRP for a year, you'll be able to go on our end-of-the-year trip to Chongqing, China. All expenses are paid except for the flight. You'll be immersed in Mandarin Chinese and the Chinese culture and go on several memorable excursions.
For more information, contact Concepcion Gliesman at 815-753-6452 or cgliesma@niu.edu.
I joined FLRP because I wanted to practice my Spanish. Throughout high school, I learned about how to formulate sentences in Spanish, but I never had the opportunity to speak it and become proficient in communicating. FLRP gave me the chance to do this. I continued to participate in FLRP after my first semester because of the fun that I had while learning the language. I loved the people, the daily activities, and the trips that deepened my interests in learning languages.
I would strongly encourage all prospective students to join us during our meetings! It is one of the most open and fun-loving groups I have encountered on campus, and if you're interested in applying the skills that you already have (or if you're interested in learning a language for the first time), FLRP is the right place for you. It's more than just a club!
Devonte Fuller
Being part of FLRP has really been beneficial for me. I started FLRP for the practice, I study French and without it, I would have another place to practice my language; we do activities, discussions, games, sometimes we even sing to make the language starting to flow. Yet, not all is about the language, I started FLRP for it, yes, but I would choose it again for the friends I have made thank to it. Transferring from another college I did not know anybody at this school, as if I were a freshman, I had to go through the "getting to know people," and since we share a lot of time in this course, which feels more like a club, it was easier to make friendships that I know will last.
Carlos Avina Soto
This is the best language program NIU has to offer. If you truly want to improve your conversation skills in one (or more) of the offered languages, this is the best way to do it. FLRP is also a great way to learn about world cultures, whether that be from going on field trips, from talking to the native speakers who come from another country, or from talking to other students about their travel experiences.
Emily Williams
FLRP gave me life-long friendships and an in-depth knowledge of other languages and cultures," she said, adding that she frequently used the skills she acquired in FLRP during her 35-year career with the U.S. Defense Department.
Susan (Kisiel) Pratt, '79, M.A. '81.