Since its inception in 1962, IUHPFL has offered Indiana high school students not only a meaningful immersion experience in their language and culture of study, but also the opportunity to experience life in another country and gain confidence, strength of character, and a greater sense of self.
IUHPFL recognizes that Indiana's high school teachers are vital in recruiting and preparing prospective participants. Teachers also play a key role in the student's successful submission of application materials. We are incredibly grateful for all of the educators who have supported the program throughout its 60-year history.
Whether just learning about IUHPFL or a long-time enthusiast, please take time to become familiar with this website, as its content has changed in recent months, and contact us at iuhpfl@iu.edu with any questions. Be sure to visit the IUHPFL Experience page to see photos, videos, stories, and blogs submitted by our students and instructors.
The following are topics of particular interest to teachers who promote IUHPFL:
Participating schools fill out the Annual High School Update form which helps IUHPFL keep track of important phone numbers, school-specific coordinators and contact information of world language teachers. A paper form can be provided, upon request.
Note: Completion of this form does not impact individual student applications.
IUHPFL is open to all public, private, and parochial secondary schools in Indiana, as well as homeschooling institutions in Indiana that offer instruction in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, or Spanish.
Students must meet the criteria below to be eligible to participate in IUHPFL. The personal qualities that distinguish successful participants of IUHPFL include a profound desire to learn, intellectual curiosity, social maturity, a willingness to adjust to new customs, and a sincere commitment to adhere to the IUHPFL Honor Code.
Applicants must:
Attend high school in Indiana
Be a sophomore, junior, or senior
Be 15 to 18 years old during the program dates
Be in Level III (or higher) if studying French, German, and Spanish (or equivalent*)
Be in Level II (or higher) if studying Chinese or Japanese (or equivalent*)
Possess or be able to attain passport and visa (if applicable) needed to travel to the host country and return to the U.S.
* Students taking language courses outside of their high school are also eligible to apply.
IUHPFL invites students with a wide range of proficiency levels to apply, including emerging, intermediate, and advanced speakers of the language. Heritage speakers are also welcome to apply. Previous IUHPFL participants may be eligible to apply for a program in a different language on a case-by-case basis.
IUHPFL is a demanding experience on every level: academic, personal, social, emotional and physical. Each program site has been intentionally selected to offer a well-rounded cultural experience. Participants learn to navigate their surroundings, communicating exclusively through their target languages and relying upon the encouragement and support of their program peers, instructors, and host families. IUHPFL is truly a life-changing experience that provides students with an opportunity to understand what it's like to live in another culture, while gaining lasting friendships and invaluable career skills.
IUHPFL is built on four distinct pillars: the Language Commitment (which is part of a comprehensive Honor Code), Academic Instruction, Community Engagement Activites, and the Host Family Experience. Together, these pillars create a well-rounded linguistic and cultural immersion experience. The synergy of these pillars makes IUHPFL one of the most unique study abroad programs in the country.
It is impossible to quantify the impact of IUHPFL. Successful participants achieve language skills that far surpass those in a regular classroom setting. But this is just one program benefit. Students also gain considerable confidence and maturity while expanding their sense of the world and their place in it. They learn to navigate and communicate within another culture. They build friendships that last a lifetime. They truly immerse themselves and live the language.
According to testimonials from program alums and parents/guardians, in addition to data collected on the Indiana University Bloomington campus, the benefits of participating in IUHPFL are many and long-lasting.
Typically, participants:
make remarkable strides in their ability to understand and speak the target language, resulting in a very strong foundation toward further study and fluency
test into the fifth semester of their target language in college, thereby saving a great deal of time and expense toward a minor or major in the language*
receive college grants and scholarships
Participants also gain:
greater self-confidence, self-awareness, and independence
zest for experiencing new languages and cultures
desire to become part of a global community
lifelong friendships with program peers and host family members
increased appreciation and understanding of cultural differences and similarities.
*According to data collected pertaining to program alumni at Indiana University
IUHPFL realizes that high school teachers are extremely busy and has therefore attempted to streamline the time investment to a few hours per year. The majority of the work is done by the applying student. Teachers and counselors mostly take on the role of advisor, helping students and parents/guardians find information and making sure students observe all due dates for application and acceptance materials.
Participating IUHPFL high schools are asked to assist in the following ways:
World language teachers and school counselors help to promote the program from mid-August to mid-September. Students register via this website between September 15 and November 15.
World Language Teacher Appraisal - The applicant's current world language teacher completes an online appraisal form, detailing the student's language ability and overall readiness for the rigorous total immersion experience that is IUHPFL. The appraisal request comes in the form of an email that contains a link to the online form. The email is generated by the applicant via their IUHPFL Student Portal. Appraisals are due in early December.
Writing Sample in the Target Language - World language teachers are asked to administer the IUHPFL Writing Sample in the Target Language to students who have been invited to apply to the program. When a student registers for IUHPFL, their teacher will receive an email notifying them that the student has registered. The email will also contain instructions on how to administer the Writing Sample. When several students in a class or school are applying to IUHPFL, the Writing Sample exercise should be administered to the whole group. Writing Samples are due in early December.
Applicants must select another of their current high school teachers to complete the Other Teacher Appraisal.
Teachers and counselors are asked to encourage participants to join school or community clubs and organizations that incorporate their language and culture of study and to provide participants with any other resources to further their learning and prepare them for complete immersion abroad.
Honors Program in Foreign Languages resources and social media channels
