Foreign Language Summer Programs for High School Students
EC Finder currently lists 19 foreign language summer programs for high school students. Of these, 5 are free to participate in and 4 offer virtual participation. Examples include AFS-USA Intercultural Programs, Alliance Française de Seattle Teen Summer Program, and CIEE High School Study Abroad.
- 19
- listed
- 5
- free
- 4
- virtual
- 19
- with a listed deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are foreign language summer programs for high school students?
- Foreign Language Summer Programs for High School Students are curated extracurricular listings for high school students interested in foreign language. Each listing includes eligibility, cost, and deadline details where known, so you can compare options and find the right fit for your college application profile.
- Are any of these summer programs free?
- Yes — 5 of the 19 summer programs listed here are free to participate in.
- Can I participate virtually?
- Yes — 4 of the 19 summer programs listed here offer virtual or online participation.
- Are foreign language summer programs good for a college application?
- Yes — foreign language summer programs are a common way for high schoolers to show sustained interest and initiative in foreign language on college applications.
Related Categories
19 activities found·Browse by category
AFS-USA Intercultural Programs
Nonprofit exchange organization offering U.S. high schoolers ages 15-18 semester, summer, and year-long homestay programs in over 50 countries to build language skills and intercultural competence.
Alliance Française de Seattle Teen Summer Program
A half-day French immersion summer camp for teens ages 13-17 that combines language classes with cultural activities, run by the Seattle chapter of the international Alliance Française network.
CIEE High School Study Abroad
Language & Culture summer (3-4 week) and semester/year immersion programs for U.S. high schoolers in 40+ destinations worldwide, combining daily language classes with homestays for full cultural immersion.
Concordia Language Villages
Residential summer immersion camps in Bemidji, Minnesota teaching 18 languages through cultural activities, camp life conducted entirely in the target language, and optional high school course credit.
Goethe-Institut San Francisco Teen Summer Camp
A two-week German-language summer camp for teens ages 14-17 in San Francisco that combines language instruction with project work on sustainability and social issues.
Immerse Into ASL (Gallaudet University)
A weeklong, 24/7 residential American Sign Language immersion camp at Gallaudet University for deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students entering grades 10-12 who are new or beginner-to-intermediate signers, combining ASL instruction with Deaf culture and history.
Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Abroad
State Department merit scholarship sending U.S. high schoolers for a full academic year to live with a host family and attend school in a country with a significant Muslim population, building language skills and cross-cultural understanding.
Middlebury-Monterey Language Academy (MMLA)
A four-week residential language immersion program for students in grades 8-12 offering Arabic, Chinese, French, German, or Spanish, built around Middlebury's signature 'Language Pledge' that requires English-free communication throughout the program.
National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
Fully-funded U.S. State Department scholarship that sends high schoolers to study critical languages (Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Russian, Turkish, Indonesian) through immersive summer or academic-year programs abroad, or through a virtual option.
NSLI-Y (National Security Language Initiative for Youth)
Fully-funded overseas summer and academic-year language immersion programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State for high school students to study critical languages (Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Indonesian, Korean, Persian, Russian, Turkish). Includes intensive language classes, cultural activities, and homestay experiences.
Punjabi Pathways Youth Program
Live online Punjabi classes emphasizing Gurmukhi literacy and conversation, with a dedicated youth track for teens.
Rassias Center Youth Language Programs (Dartmouth)
Immersive summer and intensive language programs at Dartmouth College that use the energetic, drama-based 'Rassias Method' to accelerate learning in French, Spanish, German, and Italian for high school students.
Rotary Youth Exchange
Long-standing global exchange program sending students ages 15-19 abroad for a full academic year (or short-term) to live with host families, attend local school, and learn a new language, sponsored by local Rotary clubs.
School Year Abroad (SYA)
Immersive academic-year, semester, and summer study-abroad program placing U.S. high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors with host families and local partner schools in France, Italy, or Spain to build fluency while earning U.S. high school credit.
STARTALK
A National Security Agency-funded network of free or low-cost summer programs hosted at universities nationwide that teach critical-need languages such as Chinese, Russian, Arabic, and Korean to K-12 students.
STARTALK Chinese Immersion Program (Appalachian State University)
A free, NSA-funded STARTALK program for rising 9th-12th graders with little or no prior Chinese exposure, combining virtual pre- and post-camp activities with a three-week residential immersion in Chinese language and food culture at Appalachian State University.
Summer Language Institute (University of Chicago Pre-College)
An online pre-college program in which high school juniors and seniors take a beginning-level intensive course in Ancient Greek, French, German, Japanese, Latin, or Spanish, meeting for at least 90 contact hours over six to eight weeks to build proficiency in all four language skills.
UM Summer Language Institute (University of Mississippi)
A residential summer institute at the University of Mississippi offering intensive, college-credit-bearing Arabic and Chinese language courses for high schoolers through the university's Language Flagship programs, combining classroom instruction with cultural co-curricular activities.
Youth For Understanding (YFU) USA
Nonprofit exchange organization sending U.S. high schoolers ages 15-18 abroad for summer, semester, or academic-year homestay programs in 35+ countries to build language fluency and cross-cultural skills.
ECFinder provides links to outside extracurricular opportunities for informational purposes only. Students and families should research each program before applying. ECFinder does not operate or control the listed organizations and is not responsible for their actions or policies.