Much of the student experience here is shrouded in mystery, largely because of the unique nature of DLIFLC. Institutions that focus entirely on language are few and far between, let alone a military language institute that teaches to a high level of proficiency. The pace is rapid, the intensity high. For the vast majority of students, it's like nothing they've ever done before. In this podcast, we open up the window into four different students' lives. If you're a past, present or future student, or just curious about DLIFLC, you'll want to hear what they have to say.

Foreign Area Officers comprise less than 5% of the student body at DLIFLC in Monterey. Each branch of the military has a different pathway to get their FAOs qualified for service and each member has a unique story to tell. Listen in as four student officers share their experiences.

Military Language instructors are a special breed. Bringing them together often involves raucous fun and joking. This episode of Getting to know DLIFLC is no different.

With 1,800 instructors who come from 93 different countries, DLIFLC can feel like working at the United Nations. This is your chance to get to know three of them in this episode of Getting to know DLIFLC.

There's been a lot of turnover in the front office over the last year. Here is your chance to get to know DLIFLC's newest command group in this conversational podcast that takes you from books vs movies to worst jobs, bell-bottoms and floppy disks.

One of the most important aspects of resiliency when you are hit with curveballs in life is being able to get back up and keep moving. It’s not an easy habit to develop in this technologically advanced world, when it seems like the only effort involves a three-minute musical montage in a movie or video and suddenly you’re on the other side of the challenge.

In a world where big ideals like “mission” and “battle buddy” are your career, it is a challenge to take time for yourself. That thought might even be accompanied by guilt, because the core values of your branch simply don’t mention self-care in the list of priorities. But as the saying goes, you have to put your mask on first before you can help someone else with their mask. From hitting golf balls to fixing up cars to better sleep, listen in as several past and present DLIFLC students share how they have learned to take care of themselves.

To learn more about Dr. Nita Shattuck and her work, go to https://faculty.nps.edu/nlshattuck/

Sleep is your Super Power: a TedTalk by Matthew Shepherd https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201123-the-psychology-behind-revenge-bedtime-procrastination

Revenge Sleep Procrastination, BBC: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201123-the-psychology-behind-revenge-bedtime-procrastination

Science tells us that community, or positive relationships, helps get us through when times are tough. But what does that look like? The Marine Corps Detachment senior enlisted leader, Master Gunnery Sgt. Willy Pascua, has some great insights into how his Marines have weathered the pandemic. He says they make resiliency an everyday practice.

Articles referenced in the podcast:

NPS research helps Navy build more resilient sailor teams https://nps.edu/-/true-grit-nps-research-helps-navy-build-more-resilient-sailors-teams

Pandemic's emotional hammer hits hard https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/09/02/908551297/pandemics-emotional-hammer-hits-hard

Four ways social support makes you more resilient https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_ways_social_support_makes_you_more_resilient

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance https://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_grit_the_power_of_passion_and_perseverance?language=en

Coming out of 2020, resiliency is THE buzzword. But what does it mean? And more importantly, how can you apply it when your world has gone crazy? Courage in the Arena, the first in a series of four episodes, explores how one former DLIFLC student developed grit and determination to make it through the Institute as a young Soldier and then used those learned skills later in his career as a SERE instructor.

EDIT: Joe received his Master's from the Harvard's Graduate School of Education (not business).

There's an old Czech proverb that says, “Those who know many languages live as many lives as the languages they know." Our instructors embody that proverb, none more than Persian Farsi faculty Ali Ghassemi. Listen to his story in our final podcast of the series, "A Hero's Journey: Instructor Edition."