Celebrating Mandarin Chinese!

The STARTALK summer language immersion program at Queens University of Charlotte is a grant-funded initiative sponsored by the National Security Agency (NSA). The program enrolls middle and high school students and provides opportunities for Queens students to gain hands-on work or volunteer experience over the summer while using and growing their Mandarin language skills. Queens students may also enroll in the program as a participant!

You don’t have to be a language major or minor to work or volunteer with STARTALK. We have worked with international students who speak the target language, students who study the target language at Queens, and students who have previous experience speaking or learning the language!

STARTALK Program History

STARTALK was originally established as part of the National Security Language Initiative to address the need for Americans proficient in critical languages. STARTALK language immersion programs are offered throughout the United States. The NSA’s grant support plays a crucial role in promoting national security interests through programs delivering high-quality language instruction that deepen students’ knowledge of cultural products and practices.

STARTALK immersion programs in Mandarin Chinese have been offered at Queens since 2010. Subsequently, a program in Modern Standard Arabic was added and has been offered periodically since then.

Upcoming Events

Coming soon!

More Information

If you’re interested in participating or have a student who would like to enroll, please contact Erin DeBell (debelle@queens.edu) or visit the STARTALK website. Follow us on Instagram!