Good Practice Identification in USA

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RLN-East, UK partner of the LILAMA Network, visited the National Foreign Language Center in Maryland and held several meetings with the Center for Advanced Study of Language and the US Department of Defense’s National Security Education Programme with the aim of gaining insight to a sophisticated range of activity which supports the combination of advanced technical & diplomatic skills with high-calibre language skills. The visit was complemented by discussions with the Department of Education in Columbus, Ohio, one of the first states to develop a Languages Roadmap.

The ultimate aim of the programmes identified is to develop a pipeline of language skills from primary through to Higher Education which can ultimately feed into employment in business, government and the security services, as it was established in 2006 on the  ‘Education for Global Leadership’ statement by the US Committee for Economic Development, formed by over 200 business leaders and educators who together have pushed forward a series of 3 recommendations: (1) teach international content across the curriculum & expand students’ knowledge of other countries and cultures (2) expand the training pipeline at every level of education, especially ‘critical’ languages (3) urge the business, government & media communities to inform the public of the importance of foreign language acquisition.

Initiatives which target younger learners include the STARTALK programme, aimed at summer school intensive study of critical languages by students across the education spectrum and support for the capacity building of teachers of these languages, in addition to providing incentives and awards for language learning in the teaching work force. Initiatives which target university-age learners include the Flagship Programme, which aims to produce postgraduate-level professionals in specific fields with language skills acquired through training in the USA and in a country of the target language. Periods of time spent overseas are a key component of the Flagship programme. Receiving institutions are based in China, India, Syria, Egypt, South Korea and Russia.

The programme attracts a wide range of stakeholders representing government, business and education to ensure that the strategy is implemented effectively.