Posted on 01/05/2006 4:34:01 PM PST by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5, 2006 – President Bush today kicked off a new national program designed to increase the number of Americans fluent in Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Hindu, Farsi, and other critical-need languages.
"We're going to teach our kids how to speak important languages. We'll welcome teachers here to help teach our kids how to speak languages," Bush said in introducing his National Security Language Initiative at the State Department.
Bush addressed university presidents here attending an international educator's conference that's co-sponsored by the State and Education departments. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld attended the event.
The new program will benefit U.S. national security interests by training citizens and military members to understand and communicate with peoples who may have a wrong and limited view of America's ideals and culture, Bush said.
"When Americans learn to speak Arabic, those in the Arab region will say, 'Gosh, America's interested in us. They care enough to learn how we speak,'" he said.
The initiative, according to documents explaining the program, has three main goals, to:
Expand the number of Americans mastering critical-need languages and start teaching them at a younger age;
Increase the number of advanced-level speakers of foreign languages, with an emphasis on critical-need languages; and
Increase the number of foreign language teachers and necessary resources.
Bush said the initiative will target young American children to provide them with other-language capability. The NSLI also involves student exchange programs, the president said.
The State Department, the departments of Education and Defense, and the National Intelligence Directorate under John D. Negroponte, will participate in the new program. As the nation's top intelligence official, Negroponte coordinates the U.S. government's 15 intelligence components.
David S. C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, told Pentagon reporters earlier today that DoD is proud to be a part of the president's national language initiative.
The Defense Language Transformation Roadmap that was approved by former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz on Feb. 14, 2005, provides the template for DoD to increase the number of its military and civilian personnel who are fluent in needed languages, Chu said.
"We need a stronger capacity to understand and work with the cultures and peoples of other nations," he said. "The central part of that capacity is linguistic facility."
Chu said DoD is in great need of many more people who can speak and understand some two dozen non-traditional languages identified by DoD as critical to mission accomplishment. For example, he cited the need to obtain more personnel fluent in Pashtun, which is spoken in Afghanistan, and Arabic, which is spoken in Iraq and across the Middle East.
The department will allocate more than $750 million over the next five years to increase personnel with critical language abilities, Chu said. The department also will provide another $25 million to be used by the president's National Security Language Initiative, he said.
DoD's language capabilities will be expanded beyond what's been previously available at the Defense Language Institute at Monterey, Calif., Chu said. DoD will forge partnerships with universities and colleges with grants through affiliated ROTC programs to assist them in teaching languages thought critical to national security. A total of 1,322 U.S. colleges and universities offer primary or associated ROTC programs.
DoD also will provide the resources to expand teaching needed languages at the nation's military service academies, Chu said. For example, the Army is expected to increase the numbers and training of those servicemembers who speak a critical language as part of the 09L military occupational specialty, he said.
Another related initiative, Chu said, involves establishing a Civilian Language Reserve Corps that will seek to add 1,000 new linguists over the next few years to provide a surge capacity to meet crucial military language skill needs.
Chu pointed to the military and linguistic success achieved by Army Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, the commanding general of Combined Forces Command Afghanistan. Eikenberry speaks "pretty fluent" Mandarin Chinese, Chu observed, and once served as the U.S. military attaché in Beijing. Eikenberry's understanding of other cultures gained through his language training has proven a valuable asset during the general's present duty in Afghanistan, Chu said.
Referencing findings taken from a recent DoD-sponsored national language conference, Chu said younger people appear to have an easier time learning new languages than adults. "If you start when you're five, you have a great advantage in facility, in accent, in ease with which (a new language) is acquired," Chu said.
I think that many Americans get all upset over immigrants who don't speak English. So they just think 'we speak English, dammit'.
The same people would easily understand the value of knowing multiple computer languages or software packages. How is it any different to know another language?
I have been blessed with so much good due to the 2 other languages I've studied, Spanish and Russian. You just can't believe the doors it opens up to you to be able to communicate with the rest of the world. And it enables you to tell them how it really is, so they won't have to just depend on Pravda or the New York Times ;)
I love how many on this thread want everyone to speak English, even if they are merely visiting.
I fully support making English the official language of the U.S. I also think that American schools need to push foreign languages, hopefully using them to replace gym class or music appreciation.
How does one say "Gosh" in Arabic?
"When I took night classes in the 'critical language program' they were defined as Arabic, Brazilian, Portuguese, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Swahili, and, Russian."
Hmm. I speak Japanese pretty well. Wonder if anybody's trying to find me to give me a job.
"If I need a translator, I'll hire one."
The problem can be finding one that you're sure is on your side.
"Math and Science first....language is nice...but not at the expense of, or without, the three R's and and Science for crying out loud."
It shouldn't have to be an either/or proposition. Quite often the kids who are good at math and the kids who are good at language are two different sets of kids.
That is exactly the problem. I'm going to be really politically incorrect here, because I can. If all the Arabic translators you have are Muslims, you are in deep and murky waters. Think about it.
Selle nuestras fronteras y se olvida el programa de huésped-trabajador, Sr. Presidente.
With all the Japanese-owned corporations out there, I would think that knowing passable Japanese would get you into the affirmative action program.
Can we persuade the Hebrides to declare war in order to get Gaìdhlig on the list?
Correct...However, The world has recognized the United States as the leader of the world, in any given area...The 'World' has chosen to learn the English language to communicate with us, to do business with us, to be like us...
Obviously, George is doing everything he can to change the position we have held thru out recent history...George is working on reducing the stature of the US to turn us into a 'state' of the world (The NEW World Order)...On equal footing with 'states' like Somalia, Equador, etc...
Thanks, but no thanks...
You got it all wrong. Knowing other languages is power, man. Either you know, or you wonder.
Salga el infierno!
OK, I've got Russian Pimsleur I've started with. I'll get on it.
Ping. I think they have a huge pool of untapped linguists. Don't you?
Bismillah
Time for him to sign a new "Education" Bill, written by Fatboy Kennedy.
"I get more fed up with this globalist everyday."
I think more people are finally realizing that his entire goal is for the NWO, as he and his daddy both have stated many times. There are many FReepers here that will attack you for stating the facts about Bush's real agenda.
Keep up the good work........
Most of the posters are clueless. Maybe they think intercepted traffic is always in English.
Tip off by venividivici.
May I ask where your tag line came from? A few years back my brother's Voice of the People letter was published in The N.Y. Daily News as he used the exact same phrase.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.