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2 Demand for Foreign Language, Area, and International Expertise
Pages 36-57

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From page 36...
... We then present an overview of demand in the context of foreign languages, area studies, and international knowledge, which acknowledges the need for a range of types of expertise and the need not only for "experts" but also for the resources and training needed to develop expertise. We discuss demand both from the long-term perspective of what might be necessary to maintain and even enhance U.S.
From page 37...
... 97-98) described two broad types of definitions: one that refers to market shortages and the other based on "social demand." Economists typically consider a shortage to be a market disequilibrium; an occupational labor shortage is a situation in which the number of workers that employers wish to hire at the prevailing wage exceeds the number available for a sustained period.
From page 38...
... 3. The United States needs an informed citizenry with an understanding of global politics and economics and foreign cultures both for long-term national security and prosperity.
From page 39...
... However, developments over the past 50 years have broadened the need for international expertise. The occupational fields demanding international expertise have expanded dramatically to include business, health, education, law enforcement, the courts, and social services.
From page 40...
... In graduate schools of business, for example, basic foreign language knowledge combined with knowledge of economics and trade would be more necessary than in some of the other disciplinary areas discussed earlier. In contrast, graduates of schools of public health, nursing, or medicine might be best served with language training.
From page 41...
... . Openness and cultural awareness can enhance the professional effectiveness of people in a range of occupations, from education, trade and services, law enforcement, and arts to innovation and development in business or science.
From page 42...
... These allow communication through varied forms of language expression, with individuals and groups who communicate principally in languages other than English. The resources to develop these competencies beginning in K-12 education are skilled teachers of foreign languages and adequate instructional materials, as well as space in the curriculum to devote to foreign language instruction.
From page 43...
... More school districts are starting programs in less commonly taught languages. • With increasing enrollments in foreign language programs, both in K-12 and in higher education, there will be an increasing need for assessments of language proficiency, for purposes of diagnosis, placement, progress, grading and certification, and program accountability.
From page 44...
... holder to get a job in a South Asian language department may require a very deep knowledge of regional literature, and not merely language proficiency. In the business community, the emphasis may be on cultural knowledge and colloquial language skills to communicate with a range of people in other countries.
From page 45...
... It is important to keep in mind that an individual may require more or less than these average amounts of time to develop language proficiency -- or may never develop such proficiency. The literature on language learning is virtually unanimous in demonstrating that the acquisition of a   The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages has developed another proficiency scale that is widely used in academia (Malone, 2006; see Appendix D for a comparison of the two scales)
From page 46...
... Thus, even though we may be able to ramp up programs for language instruction with massive infusions of resources, it still takes time, effort, and opportunity for individual learners to reach the levels of proficiency that the various demands discussed below require. The Heritage Community Paradox At the same time that the United States is experiencing growing demand for foreign language expertise, disciplinary knowledge of world areas and global issues, and broad cultural competency, the education system is implementing policies that thwart a valuable potential resource -- heritage language speakers.
From page 47...
... . Few programs are designed to enhance language skills of heritage speakers.
From page 48...
... The most recently available estimates put the number of federal employees in positions that require foreign language skills at somewhere between 25,000 and 34,000. The range in estimates of the number of positions requiring area expertise is quite large: from 14,000 up to 44,000.
From page 49...
... : • 25,840 jobs require foreign language skills, • 44,080 jobs require area and international studies expertise, and • 2,280 foreign language positions are filled by contractors. GAO indicated that more than 70 government agencies needed people with foreign language expertise (excluding area expertise)
From page 50...
... . The 9/11 Commission stated that "shortages of translators in languages such as Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, and Pashto remain a barrier to the FBI's understanding of the terrorist threat." In its conclusion, the commission recommended that the FBI hire more people with language skills and better integrate people with language expertise into intelligence operations.
From page 51...
... This enables FSI to train them faster to the needed higher proficiency levels. Although the intensive approach to language training used at FSI speeds language learning, the time required for learning often creates a lag between the posting of a Foreign Service position and the time it is filled and does not fully meet the need for Foreign Service officers with advanced foreign language skills (U.S.
From page 52...
... . In early 2007, a language officer for the State Department personnel system reported that the Foreign Service had over 4,000 positions requiring some language skills, an increase from about 2,500 such positions in 2001.
From page 53...
... The Defense Language Institute is endeavoring to help meet this growing need by expanding capacity and increasing its targeted proficiency levels. DEMAND IN OTHER SECTORS Business Business needs are different from those of government agencies, emphasizing cultural competency over advanced language skills.
From page 54...
... Africa and the Middle East were areas of less interest, although the importance of all regions was seen as increasing. A few studies have identified business needs for people proficient in foreign languages.
From page 55...
... Although there is robust demand for faculty in foreign languages and area studies, universities are increasingly relying on graduate assistants, part-time instructors, and adjunct faculty to meet this demand, particularly for language teaching. In 1998, the Modern Language Association warned, on the basis of results of job placement surveys, that "if present employment patterns continue fewer than half the   There has not been a systematic review of area studies needs across world areas since a study published in 1991 by NCASA (National Council of Area Studies Associations)
From page 56...
... Enrollments in foreign languages are rising slightly, and there is evidence that school districts are finding it difficult to fill job openings for foreign language teachers. School districts are also starting programs in less commonly taught languages, sometimes with the support of the federal government.
From page 57...
... At the same time, administrators were less likely to use cash incentives to lure foreign language teachers to their districts than they were for teachers of other subjects. There is some evidence that teachers of less commonly taught languages will be in greater demand, because of a recent push for the teaching of such languages, for example Chinese and Arabic.


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