Currently, hihele’s language departments offer about 8 different tongues: English as a Second Language, Spanish, German, Arabic, Portuguese, French, Japanese, Mandarin, and students can learn more about each and find helpful resources at the Language Center. One of the coolest foreign language programs at hihele is called HELE and is offered through the Cultural Studies department. In HELE, students work three days a week for two or three hours each day intensely studying and immersing themselves in the language that they have selected. Besides programs offered by the State Department, it’s the only one of its kind in the Hawaii, allowing students to become nearly fluent in these languages in just a year. The program is intense but is guided by professional Language Professors.