Language Transformation

Presented to the

Bureau for International Language Coordination Conference

May 21, 2007

Mrs. Gail H. McGinn Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Plans/

DoD Senior Language Authority

Department of Defense

Language Implications of NATO’s Expanding Roles

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Approaching Language Transformation

Why Transform?

Building Language as a Core Competency

Measuring Success

Moving Ahead

Language and Security Cooperation

“Language is like the air we breathe – essential, but unnoticed unless it is flawed”Unknown

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Why Language Transformation?

Improving communications to support mission needs

Meeting the challenges of Irregular Warfare

Building/working with coalition partners

Pursuing regional stability operations

Moving to an expeditionary force

Supporting humanitarian relief

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Defense Language Transformation Roadmap signed Feb 2005

Provides a guide for transforming Defense Language Program

Established goals with 43 specific actions

— Build foundational language and regional expertise

— Create the capacity to surge

— Establish a cadre of language professionals

Implementation timeline 2005-2008

Just over 50% percent complete

DEFENSE LANGUAGE TRANSFORMATION

ROADMAP

February 2005

Reviewing/changing strategic concepts, doctrine, and policy

Transforming to Meet 21st Century Needs

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Managing Change

Appointed a DoD Senior Language Authority (SLA) for language, regional expertise, policy, programming & planning

Required Senior Language Authorities across the Department

Established the Defense Language Steering Committee (DLSC):— Recommends and coordinates language policy

— Identifies present/ emerging needs, training, education, personnel, and resource requirements

— Serves as an advisory board for the Defense Language Institute — Foreign Language Center and English Language Center

Created Defense Language Office to ensure strategic focus, oversee policy, monitor trends, and explore innovative concepts to expand capabilities

Ensuring oversight, execution, and direction for transformation

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Determine language and regional expertise requirements— Implementing doctrine, policy, and planning guidance— Capturing a true picture of needed resources – operational

and contingency— Conducting a follow-up zero-based review of all positions

requiring language

Identify current capability within the force— Initiated a DoD-wide self-reported screening – almost complete— Identified 60% more language capability than reported in 2000— Proficiency not necessarily in right languages or right quantity

Match assets to needs— Improving databases to track capabilities against needs— Highlighting gaps and shortfalls – allows assessment and action— Targeting all capability, not just language specialties or positions

Identifying requirements and capabilities

Building Language as a Core Competency

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Building Language as a Core Competency

Creating a “learning” organization to provide foundational knowledge Expanding Academy and ROTC study for increased language accession

— Requiring language study for cadets/midshipmen

— Offering new language majors

— Enhancing study abroad, summer immersion, and exchange opportunities

Enhancing formal education and training

— Embedding culture in all language courses

— Including culture/language in Professional Military Education

— Maximizing immersion opportunities Providing “just-in-time” training

— Creating computer-based sustainment training

— Building language and cultural kits (Iraqi, Dari and Pashto) for deploying units Supporting long-term change

— Launched 13 Flagship language programs to build higher proficiency; 3 Kindergarten-through-College programs (2 Chinese, 1 Arabic)

— Developed a pilot program to award grants to ROTC universities to enhance language education opportunities

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Percentage of ROTC Cadets with Access to a Language 2005 data

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Leveraging Technology

Enhancing the classroom— Smartboard – streaming video to hand written notes— iPODTM – taking audio lessons from classroom to field— SCOLA provides streaming video -- 95 countries, 80 languages and dialects

Deploying Distance Learning: right time — right place — Using Video Tele-Training and Mobile Teaching Teams — Offering Web-delivered instruction in 12 languages— Providing Language Survival Kits to deployed/deploying units

Helping solve tomorrow’s challenges… — Establishing a coordinated DoD multi-language technology research,

development, and acquisition program — Bridging the gaps when the desired capability is not available

Enhancing…not replacing language and cultural knowledge

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Establishing a Cadre of Language Professionals

Identifying tasks and missions requiring higher proficiency levels

— Determine minimum people needed to provide language services

— Studying linguist career paths to improve utilization and retention

Creating programs to achieve and sustain proficiency levels— Set a Department goal of 3/3/3 for language professional— Built a Proficiency Enhancement Program at the Defense

Language Institute; graduation goal of 2+/2+/2 by 2011

Using foreign language proficiency pay to encourage and sustain change— Incentivizing members to self-report, maintain, and improve skills — Authorizing pay based on language, proficiency levels and need

Building a cadre with the right proficiency… right numbers

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Measuring Success

Challenge: assessing actual language capability

Strengthen the Defense Language Testing System

— Requiring language aptitude screening for all accessions

— Increasing the availability of Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPI)

— Implemented the next generation of proficiency testsMeasures reading and listening above ILR-level 3Uses authentic material to more accurately reflect language nuances

Deploying technology to increase availability

— Researching options for oral proficiency testing

— Converted reading and listening proficiency tests to a web-delivered format Currently offered in 20 languages — additional 37 by 2010 Available at more than 300 military locations

One Defense Language Proficiency Testing System for consistency, transportability and interoperability

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Moving Ahead

Energize the American public on the importance of language— Recognize the value of learning language — Offer language training. . .early

Share best practices among our partners— Invest in language training and testing studies

— Ensure standards support consistency and interoperability

Prepare for emerging needs— Recognize the linkage of language and cultural understanding— Leverage technology to help prepare training and testing materials

Made good progress, but there is still work to be done

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Language and Security Cooperation

English language training is a key enabler of U.S. Security Cooperation objectives.

Ensures interoperability between Allies and partners in coalition combat operations

Assists personnel in political/military staff assignments within NATO

Supports Building Partnership Capacity efforts

Supporting Allies and Partners

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Thank you and

Have a great conference!