While dedicated to improving the learning and teaching of all languages, the NFLRC has particularly distinguished itself in its focus on the less commonly taught languages of Asia and the Pacific. Given Hawai‘i’s geographic location in the center of the Pacific and the rich expertise of the university’s College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature, which offers courses in over 30 world languages and contains an internationally renowned Department of Second Language Studies, the NFLRC has contributed significantly to foreign language education in these areas.

Despite our Asian-Pacific focus, many of the projects have implications for the teaching and learning of all languages, and the overriding goal of all our projects is to develop prototypes for language professionals to apply broadly as resources to improve foreign language education nationally.  The Hawai‘i NFLRC, established in 1990, is the oldest of only fifteen US DOE-funded Language Resource Centers across the US.

A national advisory board, made up of scholars established in their fields, sets the general direction of the NFLRC and provides advice and evaluation for center projects.