FW: National Security Language Initiative (fwd)

Wed Jan 25 21:49:09 UTC 2006

From: Thomas Ricento
Sent: Thursday, January 12, 2006 1:10 PM
To: 'lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu'
Subject: RE: National Security Language Initiative

John and listserve recipients,

    I am attaching my recent article (August, 2005) in the Journal of
Sociolinguistics (in a special issue edited by Stephen May).  It appears
we are on the same wave length (even though we didn't know of each other's
work).  Clare Kramsch has also written along similar lines.  You might be
interested to know that at a conference at Berkeley this fall 'Towards a
Foreign Language Education Policy' (organized by Kramsch), there were some
exchanges between me and Richard Brecht and others in attendance from the
NFLC (U. of Maryland) and the U.S. State Dept. in which I made the point
that the most important purpose of language learning was to promote,
ultimately, better understanding and peaceful relations among diverse
peoples, not to facilitate the conveyance of war by better understanding
the 'enemy'.  I also questioned why we should trust the intervention of
the U.S. government in the area of language policy and planning given the
sorry history of language repression and suppression, especially over the
past 100 years.  Brecht said that he essentially agreed with my points
(about the history of LPP, etc.).  While some in the audience later
thanked me for making what seemed to be an obvious and unremarkable point,
it was surprising that so little was said by language professionals on the
program, or in the audience, to challenge this current 'interest' in the
teaching and learning (and conducting research about) some 'foreign'
languages for very particular, state-driven, interests (with lip-service
paid to 'other' possible benefits). If these sorts of criticisms aren't
being made at a conference at Berkeley, it says something powerful about
the complicity of the academy in the current environment (i.e., the 'war
on terrorism'). Perhaps Chomsky's (and others') analysis about the
'proper' role played by academics in the promotion and manufacture of
consent about the aims and interests of the state are quite evident, and
should give us all pause about what we are (or are not) doing to aid or
challenge those interests, especially when they are directly in our own
fields of expertise.

Tom Ricento

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu [mailto:owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of Harold F. Schiffman
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 11:15 AM
To: Language Policy-List
Subject: Re: National Security Language Initiative

Forwarded From: jpetrovi at bamaed.ua.edu

In response to Rodney' message below....

Although it may be difficult or impossible to establish empirically
(especially given the abusively secretive nature of the current
administration), this is a claim that I make in the most recent issue of
Language Policy (4, 4), "The conservative restoration and neoliberal
defenses of bilingual education."

It is available [to subscribers (hs)] on line at
http://www.springer.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/0,11855,4-40369-70-35756061-0,00.html

I think the name "National Security Language Initiative," gives it away.
Notice that it is not called the Learning Languages for Peace and Harmony
Institute.

(John Petrovic)

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu [mailto:owner-lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu] On Behalf Of Rodney K Hopson
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 9:27 AM
To: francisco gomes de matos
Cc: lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu
Subject: Re: National Security Language Initiative

Gosh, hate to be utterly cynical and a tad bit truthful, but I'd imagine
those "other" languages are those that serve the national security
interests of the current administration and the right-wing considering the
war on terror campaign.

On Tue, 10 Jan 2006, francisco gomes de matos wrote:

> What OTHER languages  are included, Harold ? How can we find out ? The
> text mentions OTHER LANGUAGES.... I´m curious.
> Francisco Gomes de Matos,Recife,Brazil
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Harold F. Schiffman" <haroldfs at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
> To: "Language Policy-List" <lgpolicy-list at ccat.sas.upenn.edu>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 12:30 PM
> Subject: National Security Language Initiative
>
>
> > January 5, 2006
> >
> > National Security Language Initiative
> >
> > Briefing by Dina Powell, Assistant Secretary of State for Education
> > and Cultural Affairs and Barry Lowenkron, Assistant Secretary of
> > State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
> >
> > President Bush today launched the National Security Language
> > Initiative (NSLI), a plan to further strengthen national security
> > and prosperity in the 21st century through education, especially in
> > developing foreign language skills. The NSLI will dramatically
> > increase the number of Americans learning critical need foreign
> > languages such as Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindi, Farsi, and others
> > through new and expanded programs from kindergarten through
> > university and into the workforce. The President will request $114
> > million in FY07 to fund this effort.
> >
> > An essential component of U.S. national security in the post-9/11
> > world is the ability to engage foreign governments and peoples,
> > especially in critical regions, to encourage reform, promote
> > understanding, convey respect for other cultures and provide an
> > opportunity to learn more about our country and its citizens. To do
> > this, we must be able to communicate in other languages, a challenge
> > for which we are unprepared.
> >
> > Deficits in foreign language learning and teaching negatively affect
> > our national security, diplomacy, law enforcement, intelligence
> > communities and cultural understanding. It prevents us from
> > effectively communicating in foreign media environments, hurts
> > counter-terrorism efforts, and hamstrings our capacity to work with
> > people and governments in post-conflict zones and to promote mutual
> > understanding. Our business competitiveness is hampered in making
> > effective contacts and adding new markets overseas. To address these
> > needs, under the direction of the President, the Secretaries of
> > State, Education and Defense and the Director of National
> > Intelligence have developed a comprehensive national plan to expand
> > U.S.  foreign language education beginning in early childhood and
> > continuing throughout formal schooling and into the workforce, with
> > new programs and resources.
> >
> > The agencies will also seek to partner with institutions of
> > learning,> > foundations and the private sector to assist in all
> > phases of
this
> > initiative, including partnering in the K-16 language studies, and
> > providing job opportunities and incentives for graduates of these
> > programs.
> >
> >
> > The National Security Language Initiative has three broad goals:
> >
> >
> > Expand the number of Americans mastering critical need languages and
> > start at a younger age by:
> >
> > Providing $24 million to create incentives to teach and study
> > critical need languages in K-12 by re-focusing the Department of
> > Educations Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) grants.
> >
> > Building continuous programs of study of critical need languages
> > from kindergarten to university through a new $27 million program,
> > which will start in 27 schools in the next year through DODs NSEP
> > program and the Department of Education, and will likely expand to
> > additional schools in future years.
> >
> > Providing State Department scholarships for summer, academic
> > year/semester study abroad, and short-term opportunities for high
> > school students studying critical need languages to up to 3,000 high
> > school students by summer 2009.
> >
> > Expanding the State Department Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching
> > Assistant Program, to allow 300 native speakers of critical need
> > languages to come to the U.S. to teach in U.S. universities and
> > schools in 2006-07. Establishing a new component in States Teacher
> > Exchange Programs to annually assist 100 U.S. teachers of critical
> > need languages to study abroad.
> >
> > Establishing DNI language study "feeder" programs, grants and
> > initiatives with K-16 educational institutions to provide summer
> > student and teacher immersion experiences, academic courses and
> > curricula, and other resources for foreign language education in
> > less commonly taught languages targeting 400 students and 400
> > teachers in 5 states in 2007 and up to 3,000 students and 3,000
> > teachers by 2011 in additional states.
> >
> > Increase the number of advanced-level speakers of foreign languages,
> > with an emphasis on critical needs languages by:
> >
> > Expanding the National Flagship Language Initiative to a $13.2
> > million program aiming to produce 2,000 advanced speakers of Arabic,
> > Chinese, Russian, Persian, Hindi, and Central Asian languages by
> > 2009.  Increasing to up to 200 by 2008 the annual Gilman
> > scholarships for financially-needy undergraduates to study critical
> > need languages abroad.  Creating new State Department summer
> > immersion study programs for up to 275 university level students per
> > year in critical need languages.  Adding overseas language study to
> > 150 U.S. Fulbright student scholarships annually. Increasing support
> > for immersion language study centers abroad.
> >
> > Increase the number of foreign language teachers and the resources
> > for them by:
> >
> >
> > Establishing a National Language Service Corps for Americans with
> > proficiencies in critical languages to serve the nation by:
> >
> > 1. Working for the federal government; and/or
> >
> > 2. Serving in a Civilian Linguist Reserve Corps (CLRC); and/or
> >
> > 3. Joining a newly created Language Teacher Corps to teach languages
> > in our nations elementary, middle, and high schools.
> >
> > This program will direct $14 million in FY07 with the goal of having
> > 1,000 volunteers in the CLRC and 1,000 teachers in our schools
> > before the end of the decade.
> >
> > Establishing a new $1 million nation-wide distance-education
> > E-Learning Clearinghouse through the Department of Education to
> > deliver foreign language education resources to teachers and
> > students across the country. Expand teacher-to-teacher seminars and
> > training through a $3 million Department of Education effort to
> > reach thousands of foreign language teachers in 2007.
> >
> > 2006/12
> >
> >
> > Released on January 5, 2006
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > No virus found in this incoming message.
> > Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> > Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.14.15/223 - Release Date:
> 06/01/2006
> >
> >
>
>

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