Overview of the Program

The Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages (IUHPFL) has been providing language-intensive summer study abroad programs for Indiana high school students since 1962.

Participants have the opportunity to further their language studies through total immersion programs in French, German, and Spanish. Students spend four to five weeks in their respective host countries during the summer after their sophomore, junior, or senior year of high school.

Participants make significant strides toward mastering their target languages and gain exceptional knowledge and understanding of their host cultures and communities. In addition to daily academic instruction, students participate in cultural and community-based activities and enjoy excursions to destinations of historical significance.

1. Language Commitment

As part of the IUHPFL Honor Code, students commit to speaking only the target language for the entire program. The Language Commitment enables students to increase their fluency and is the key to achieving optimal linguistic gains. In addition to speaking only the target language, students also give up their smart devices and limit communication with friends and family back home.

2. Academic Instruction

A focal point of IUHPFL is intensive study conducted entirely in the target language. Students participate in weekday classes in Culture, Grammar, Literature, Communication, and Linguistics, which are taught by skilled instructors who travel with the students to and from the host country. Coursework is designed to enhance the students' interactions with their hosts and communities. Classes are small to allow for individualized instruction.

3. Host Family Experience

Participants are matched with a carefully selected host family. Through these homestays, participants become members of their host families and their communities. The daily conversations, meals, activities, and weekend outings that students experience with their families result in memories and lifelong bonds. Host families provide students with a home away from home and are vital teachers of the language and culture. All program host families are vetted and selected by IUHPFL onsite coordinators, who are residents of the host communities.

4. Cultural and Community Engagement

Each program site will participate in activities to engage with the culture and community. Some days, these activities could include sports, games, dance, choir, theater, and art. Other days, students may visit local museums, sites of interest, participate in workshops, or volunteer with community groups.