[EDLING:1788] Re: US State Dept. staff abroad lagging on languages

[Aaron Sikes]

Ditto here. I'm slightly more than disgusted at the thought that the State
Dept. would be in such a situation, and at such a dire time as this. But
then, this is the same government that canned a whole platoon's worth of
Arabic linguists from the Army because they were gay. Shoot yourself in both
feet and then what do you do?


On 8/17/06, Laurie Ketzenberg <laurie at medivetproducts.com> wrote:
>
>
> Thanks for sharing, Julia.  All the wonderful job opportunities for the
> language proficient in the State Department!  What you relate is no
> surprise
> and anyone who has allusions to the contrary would do well to take a hard
> look at what the role of the State Department is anyway.
>
> Yikes!
>
>
> > From: <jdeak at dolphin.upenn.edu>
> > Reply-To: <edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
> > Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:08:24 -0400
> > To: <edling at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
> > Subject: [EDLING:1786] Re: US State Dept. staff abroad lagging on
> languages
> >
> >   In my experience, the State Dept does not hire people for their
> linguistic
> > skills or even their language-learning talent/potential, but rather for
> their
> > political views and/or "patriotism." I've known more than a few very
> eager and
> > qualified applicants, most political science majors and some already bi-
> and
> > tri-linguals, who tried repeatedly to get diplomacy jobs and were turned
> down
> > after interviews despite having passed the written test. It seems they
> don't
> > want you to have much in the way of political views or interests unless
> they
> > are
> > in line with GWBush's. The only friend of mine who did get hired told
> them he
> > was a Republican. When I was interviewed for his security clearance,
> they
> > asked
> > me questions like "has he ever introduced you to
> subversive/anti-American
> > literature" (what's that??) "has he ever expressed a desire to live
> abroad?"
> > (of
> > course, why else would he want to be a diplomat?), "any foreign travel
> you
> > know
> > of?". I hear Mormons are overrepresented in the force.
> >   If traveling abroad, studying politics, and having opinions
> disqualifies
> > you,
> > it's no wonder they're not able to train whoever's left (lifelong
> > monolinguals)
> > to native-like fluency with a few months of study in Washington. Has
> anyone
> > else
> > heard similar stories?
> >
> > Julia Deak
> >
> > Quoting Francis M Hult <fmhult at dolphin.upenn.edu>:
> >
> >> Via lg-policy...
> >>
> >>> State Dept. staff abroad lagging on languages
> >>> Nearly 30 percent of those in posts where proficiency is required get
> a
> >>> failing grade, according to a GAO report.
> >>>
> >>> By Anushka Asthana
> >>> Washington Post
> >>>
> >>> WASHINGTON - Nearly 30 percent of State Department employees based
> >>> overseas in "language-designated positions" are failing to speak and
> write
> >>> the local language well enough to meet required levels, a report by
> the
> >>> Government Accountability Office says. "We have a shortage of people
> with
> >>> language skills in posts that need them," said John Brummet, assistant
> >>> director for international affairs and trade at the GAO. "If people do
> not
> >>> have the proper language skills, it is difficult to influence the
> people
> >>> and government and to understand what they are thinking. It just
> doesn't
> >>> get the job done." Languages described as "superhard" by the report
> are
> >>> proving particularly difficult. Four out of 10 workers in posts
> requiring
> >>> Arabic, Chinese and Japanese fail to meet the requirements.
> >>>
> >>> The levels are even higher in some critical postings. Sixty percent of
> >>> State Department personnel in San'a, Yemen, and 59 percent in Cairo,
> >>> Egypt, do not meet language requirements, the report said. Even levels
> set
> >>> by the department could be too low to do the jobs properly. According
> to
> >>> the GAO, embassy officials in China and Yemen said the speaking and
> >>> reading levels asked for were "not high enough and that staff in these
> >>> positions were not sufficiently fluent to effectively perform their
> jobs."
> >>>
> >>> Not all the news is bad. The report - which has been sent to Sen.
> Richard
> >>> G. Lugar (R., Ind.), chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee -
> said
> >>> there had been positive steps: "State has made progress in increasing
> its
> >>> foreign language capabilities, but serious language gaps remain."
> Still,
> >>> the GAO found that many posts, including some critical to
> antiterrorism
> >>> efforts, were vacant or filled by inexperienced workers.  Brummet said
> >>> shortages included "visa officers, political officers, economic
> officers,
> >>> substantive reporting and consular affairs."
> >>>
> >>> "We are looking for the State Department to rethink the assessment
> system
> >>> and do things they are not currently doing to fix the problem," he
> said.
> >>> "We are pleased they have agreed with the recommendations and are
> thinking
> >>> of making significant changes. The question is: How far is the
> department
> >>> willing to go?" All the way, officials said. Justin Higgins, a
> spokesman,
> >>> said the State Department had worked with the GAO on the report, which
> >>> took a year to compile. "We are already making the changes that will
> >>> address many of the concerns noted in the report,"  he said.
> >>>
> >>> More staff will be employed to ensure additional training
> opportunities in
> >>> critical languages such as Arabic. Higgins said efforts to close
> remaining
> >>> gaps had been "hampered by an expansion of our mission, including in
> Iraq
> >>> and Afghanistan." The report says some postings are not long enough
> for
> >>> staff workers to build up skills in certain languages.
> >>>
> >>> Read 65-pg. GAO report on language skills at
> >>> http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d06894.pdf
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >> ---
> >>>
> >>>  2006 Philadelphia Inquirer and wire service sources. All Rights
> Reserved.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> >
>
>


-- 
To lead others in battle is an honor. To send others to war is a crime.
--Anon.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/edling/attachments/20060817/d9e3bd88/attachment.htm>