The NFLRC is a unique collaborative effort among the Iowa State University Departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Foreign Languages and Literatures, the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington, DC, and leaders in the field of K-12 foreign language education who are based in school districts and institutions of higher education. The NFLRC is unique in that its leaders include those who are nationally known and those who have been mentored into leadership roles by the NFLRC.

The NFLRC's work focuses on four goals:

1. Collaboration – Collaboration is key to the success of the NFLRC. Its mission is addressed through collaboration among elementary and secondary teachers, district supervisors of foreign language, post secondary teacher educators, foreign language organizations, school districts, colleges universities, Language Resource Centers, and National Resource Centers. These individuals and organizations collaborate on providing the initiatives of the NFLRC and on carrying the impact of these initiatives to a wider audience.
   
2. Training – The NFLRC’s professional development initiatives respond to national needs defined in the professional literature. NFLRC institutes enhance participants’ knowledge and skills in language and content, build leadership capability, and establish collaborative professional relationships. Long-term follow up by institute leaders, empower researchers to improve student learning of foreign languages in their classrooms.
   
3. Research – The Center for Applied Linguistics and the NFLRC conduct research on performance assessment, new teaching methods, and the use of advanced educational technology that is designed to improve the learning of K-12 students and pre- and in-service teachers.
   
4. Development and Dissemination – Materials that serve as innovative and invaluable resources to teachers, parents, policy makers, advocacy groups, researchers, and professional organizations and research results that address key issues in the profession are published and disseminated widely by the NFLRC.

The National K-12 Foreign Language Resource Center is funded by the U.S. Department of Education under Title VI: National Language Resource Centers Program. CFDA No. 84.229A.