Autonomous Language
Sustainment (ALS) Program,
Student Learning Center
Email: [email protected]
DLIFLC Student Learning Center
Language
Enhancement
After
DLI (LEAD) Guide
V. FY13
Contents
Hyperlinked
PURPOSE OF LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT AFTER DLI (LEAD) .................................. 5
ASSESSING YOUR PROFICIENCY IN THE FIELD ...................................................... 6
THE DLPT AND INTERAGENCY LANGUAGE ROUNDTABLE (ILR) SKILL LEVELS .................................. 6
ILR LANGUAGE SKILL LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS ........................................................................ 6
DLPT IV ................................................................................................................. 9
DLPT 5................................................................................................................... 9
PREPARING FOR THE DLPT IN THE FIELD ............................................................................ 9
MASTERING THE ART OF INDEPENDENT STUDY ................................................... 11
AUTONOMY ............................................................................................................. 11
LANGUAGE MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES ............................................................................ 11
BLOOM’S TAXONOMY REVISED ............................................................................. 12
KNOWLEDGE DIMENSIONS: MAJOR TYPES AND SUBTYPES ...................................................... 13
COGNITIVE DIMENSION: CATEGORIES AND PROCESSES ......................................................... 14
PREPARE AND PLAN FOR LEARNING .................................................................... 15
THEORY INTO PRACTICE (TIP) ...................................................................................... 16
ASSESSMENT TOOLS .................................................................................................. 16
MANAGE YOUR OWN LEARNING ..................................................................................... 16
MONITOR YOUR OWN LEARNING .................................................................................... 17
DEVELOP A STUDY PLAN: COMMIT TO 30 MINUTES A DAY ...................................................... 17
HOW TO CREATE YOUR OWN 30 MINUTE STUDY PLAN ………………………………………………………... 18
EVALUATING STRATEGY USE AND LEARNING ....................................................... 19
THE STRATEGY CATEGORIES DEFINED ............................................................................. 20
STRATEGY INVENTORY FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING (SILL) ....................................................... 23
TASK-BASED STRATEGIES .................................................................................... 24
DRAW ON YOUR SCHEMATA.......................................................................................... 25
DRAW ON YOUR IMAGINATION ...................................................................................... 26
DRAW ON YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS ........................................................................ 27
DRAW ON AN ARRAY OF RESOURCES ............................................................................... 29
LESSONS FROM SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION THEORY ................................ 29
MEMORY, FORGETTING, AND MOTIVATION ........................................................................ 29
FACTORS THAT IMPEDE TARGET LANGUAGE SUSTAINMENT AND ENHANCEMENT 32
MOTIVATION STRATEGIES FOR TARGET LANGUAGE STUDIES AFTER DLIFLC ................................. 32
STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME PROCRASTINATION .................................................................. 34
MANAGING YOUR EMOTIONS—MANAGING ANXIETY & SELF-CONFIDENCE .................................... 35
ANXIETY AND LANGUAGE LEARNING ................................................................................ 35
STRATEGIES FOR OVERCOMING LOW SELF-CONFIDENCE ........................................................ 36
INTERNET BASED RESOURCES ............................................................................. 37
DLI FIELD SUPPORT MODULES ...................................................................................... 37
SCOLA ................................................................................................................. 39
THE CIA WORLD FACTBOOK ........................................................................................ 40
VIRTUAL REFERENCE SHELF FOR MILITARY INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONALS .................................. 41
2
THE INTERNET PUBLIC LIBRARY: IPL2.............................................................................. 41
DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY: RECOMMENDED READING LIST ...................... 43
US ARMY WAR COLLEGE LIBRARY: DATABASES, E-BOOKS, BIBLIOGRAPHIES,
USAWC RESEARCH CENTER LINKS........................................................................ 43
TO ACCESS THE US ARMY WAR COLLEGE LIBRARY, GO TO:
HTTP://WWW.CARLISLE.ARMY.MIL/LIBRARY/INDEX.HTM ................................. 43
AIR UNIVERSITY: EXTENSIVE READING LIST FOR THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY
............................................................................................................................. 43
TO ACCESS THE AIR UNIVERSITY READING LIST, GO TO:
HTTP://WWW.AU.AF.MIL/AU/AWC/AWCGATE/AWC-NTEL.HTM ......................... 43
US NAVAL WAR COLLEGE: MOC WARFIGHTER! ..................................................... 43
MULTI-LANGUAGE SITES ............................................................................................. 45
ARABIC ................................................................................................................. 45
CHINESE (MANDARIN) ............................................................................................... 47
FRENCH (AFRICAN AND EUROPEAN) ................................................................................ 48
GERMAN ................................................................................................................ 49
HEBREW ................................................................................................................ 50
HINDI ................................................................................................................... 50
INDONESIAN ........................................................................................................... 51
ITALIAN ................................................................................................................. 52
JAPANESE............................................................................................................... 53
KOREAN ................................................................................................................ 54
PASHTO/DARI ......................................................................................................... 54
PERSIAN FARSI ........................................................................................................ 55
PORTUGUESE........................................................................................................... 57
RUSSIAN ............................................................................................................... 57
SPANISH ................................................................................................................ 58
TAGALOG ............................................................................................................... 60
THAI .................................................................................................................... 61
TURKISH ................................................................................................................ 61
URDU ................................................................................................................... 62
UZBEK .................................................................................................................. 63
YUGOSLAV LANGUAGES ............................................................................................... 63
POST-DLIFLC DEGREE OPPORTUNITIES ............................................................... 65
DLIFLC ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE PROGRAM ................................................................ 65
BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMS ................................................................................... 65
INDIVIDUAL PLAN OF ACTION ............................................................................. 66
LONG-TERM CAREER GOALS ......................................................................................... 66
CONTINUING EDUCATION GOALS ................................................................................... 66
LANGUAGE TRAINING SELF-MANAGEMENT PLAN .................................................................. 67
LANGUAGE TRAINING NEEDS ASSESSMENT (LTNA) ............................................. 68
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................ 71
3
Foreword
This text is all about you: the military language professional. You have overcome an
incredible challenge in achieving such a high level of proficiency in your target
language. Congratulations!
This is only the beginning of your professional journey, however. Your skills and
dedication as a professional foreign language specialist help enable the U.S.
government to interact with both allies and adversaries in ways that are vitally
important to our national security and global presence.
Your aptitude will be put to the test under some of the most intense and sensitive
situations imaginable. Your predecessors at DLI have been overwhelmingly
successful; and it’s up to you to carry the torch moving forward. You are part of a
rare military cadre whose jobs directly impact all of our futures. You are not a
collateral component of the process…you are the tip of the spear!
This guide and the material in the Language Enhancement after DLI (LEAD) course
are derived from the lessons and insights of over 65 years of military linguist
experience and compiled by some of the most seasoned and progressive minds in
the field. The LEAD Guide and accompanying resources provide a “way ahead” as
you begin the arduous task of taking your language skills to the next levels.
It is absolutely essential that you mark this moment in your military career as one
of accomplishment and success. Relish the feelings that accompany professional
competence and membership in an elite corps of service members able to do what
you do. Your graduation from DLI is just the first gate through which a world of
opportunity will present itself. You have proven yourself capable and worthy of
being called a “linguist,” and now you will enter a world where people’s lives will
literally hinge on your expertise. Do not underestimate your impact or responsibility
to be the best linguist you can be. The tools and information provided in class and
in this book are only the tip of an iceberg of information and resources at your
disposal. Do not be timid in your approach to proficiency enhancement, seek your
target language at every opportunity and in every context, rise above mediocrity
and complacency, and make your skills part of the dedicated and capable warrior
you have shown yourself to be.
One Team – One Fight!
4
Purpose of Language Enhancement after DLI
(LEAD)
The intent of the LEAD workshop is to increase your understanding of how various
language learning strategies help you gain knowledge of, apply, maintain, and
enhance your target language (TL) skills more effectively in the field. The LEAD
workshop is designed to teach you how to maintain and enhance your target
language skills through self-directed, independent, and language maintenance
strategies. The primary objectives of LEAD are based on the understanding that
language learning and the application of what is learned, requires a systematic and
purposeful approach. LEAD objectives are to accomplish the following:
1. Equip you with a guide for acquiring, adapting, and applying the various
language maintenance strategies (including a study plan) that help sustain
and enhance proficiency in your TL; in other words, LEAD will teach you how
to maintain and enhance target language skills through self-directed,
independent, autonomous language strategies while in the field.
2. Familiarize you with Command Language Program (CLP) training and
emphasize its importance by providing an overview of CLP resources such as
refresher, maintenance, sustainment, and enhancement training.
3. Provide strategies to prepare for the Defense Language Proficiency Test
(DLPT) in the field. These strategies are based on descriptions of the DLPT
reading and listening proficiency tests as determined by the Interagency
Language Roundtable (ILR).
4. Serve as a conduit for the dissemination of other information and materials
that are vital to the sustainment and enhancement of your target language
skills.
Just as you possess a great ability to acquire the target language face-to-face in
the DLI classroom, you have an equal or greater potential for losing target
language skills once in the field. Many linguists lose target language skills because
they are assigned to areas where their target language is not spoken. Most
students who studied a foreign language in high school or college, for example, lose
their target language because of a lack of opportunity to use it. The target language
skills possessed by linguists are also an extremely perishable commodity. Linguists
MUST take action to prevent skill erosion and eventual target language skill
attrition. The LEAD course teaches you how to prevent target language skill loss
through language maintenance strategies.
In the following lessons you will receive a refresher on some things and be
introduced to others. Overall, the LEAD workshop should leave you with an
empowered feeling of enthusiasm. There is much to do and see. Let’s get to work!
5
Assessing Your Proficiency in the Field
The DLPT and Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR)
Skill Levels
Since 1990, language professionals graduating from DLIFLC programs have been
certified according to their global proficiency in the target language, as
demonstrated by their performance on the DLPT. This proficiency testing instrument
is based on ILR Language Skill Level Descriptions. This standard applies to
graduates of resident foreign language training at the DLIFLC and to graduates of
training administered under contract by the DLI Washington Office. Only test
results from the DLPT administered at the DLIFLC or by the DLI Washington Office,
as end-of-training proficiency evaluations, are used to determine eligibility for
Linguist Certificates. Results must be available for all three skills—listening,
reading, and speaking—for a Linguist Certificate to be awarded. There are four
certificates: Novice Linguist, Basic Linguist, Intermediate Linguist, and Advanced
Linguist. Each level of certification reflects specified minimum proficiency levels in
the three skills. Certain military specialties have different proficiency requirements,
however the standard for Basic Linguist certification currently rests at 2/2/1+. It is
anticipated the proficiency levels for certification as a Basic Linguist will be
increased to 2+/2+/2 in the near future.
ILR Language Skill Level Descriptions
In 1952, Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, wrote a memo to the Dean of the
Language School of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) calling for the creation of
criteria that could be used to identify the foreign language proficiency of U.S.
Government Employees. According to the memo, the criteria should be able to
differentiate testable levels between "no knowledge" of the foreign language and
"total mastery." A committee, consisting of representatives of government agencies
concerned with foreign languages, was established by the Civil Service Commission
to develop definitions for each of these testable levels of proficiency and to create
an inventory of employees with foreign language proficiency in the various
government agencies. The result of this effort was a scale, numbered 0-5, with a
brief definition of the proficiency associated with each point. These l952 definitions
were field tested and substantially revised in l956. That same year, the FSI
established a policy of rating the language proficiency of all Foreign Service Officers
according to these definitions. Although they have subsequently undergone a
number of revisions, the definitions of the different levels of language proficiency,
which consist of one or two-paragraph descriptions, have remained essentially the
same. This system of categorizing language proficiency was then adopted by all
U.S. Government agencies, from the Peace Corps to the Defense Language
Institute Foreign Language Center. Today the government scale is known as the
Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) Skill Level Descriptors.
6
ILR Level Descriptions for Listening/Reading/Speaking Modalities
ILR Level
Listening
Reading
Speaking
No practical ability
to speak the
language
Can satisfy
immediate needs
using lists of
words & phrases
0
No practical understanding of the
spoken language.
No practical ability to read
the language.
0+
Sufficient comprehension to
understand a number of memorized
utterances in areas of immediate
needs. Understands with reasonable
accuracy only when this involves
short memorized utterances or
formulae.
Sufficient comprehension to
understand utterances about basic
survival needs and minimum
courtesy and travel requirements in
areas of immediate need or on very
familiar topics, can understand
simple questions and answers,
simple statements and very simple
face-to-face conversations in a
standard dialect.
Can understand short conversations
about survival needs and limited
social demands. Limited vocabulary
range necessitates repetition for
understanding. Cannot sustain
understanding of coherent
structures in longer utterances or in
unfamiliar situations.
Able to read some or all of
the following: numbers,
isolated words and phrases,
personal and place names,
street signs, office and shop
designations.
Can read either
representations of familiar
formulaic verbal exchanges or
simple language containing
only the highest frequency
structural patterns and
vocabulary, including shared
international vocabulary
items and cognates (when
appropriate).
Can read material such as
announcements of public
events, simple prose
containing biographical
information or narration of
events, and straightforward
newspaper headlines.
Can ask & answer
questions; discrete
sentences;
minimum courtesy
requirements
Able to understand face-to-face
speech in standard dialect,
delivered at normal rate with some
repetition and rewording, on
everyday topics, common personal
and family news, well-known
current events and routine office
matters through descriptions and
narration about current, past and
future events; Can understand
facts; i.e., the lines but not between
or beyond the lines.
Sufficient comprehension to
understand most routine social
demands, most conversations on
work requirements, and some
discussions on concrete topics
related to particular interests and
special fields of competence. Can
sometimes detect emotional
overtones. Some ability to
understand implications.
Can understand face-to-face
speech, delivered with normal
clarity and speed in standard dialect
on general topics and areas of
With some
misunderstandings, is able to
read straightforward, familiar,
factual material, but
insufficiently experienced
with the language to draw
inferences directly from
linguistic aspects of the text.
Can locate and understand
main ideas and details in
material written for general
reader.
Can understand most factual
material in non-technical
prose as well as some
discussions on concrete
topics related to special
professional interests. Can
separate the main ideas and
details from lesser ones and
uses that distinction to
advance understanding.
Can read within a normal
range of speed with almost
complete comprehension a
variety of authentic prose
Can narrate
stories; minimally
cohesive
paragraphs
“Parrot”
memorized
language
1
“Survivor”
1+
simple
advertisements,
posters
2
“Storyteller”
Most frequent
news
2+
Infrequent
news,
informative
articles, “twists”
3
“Professional”
7
Can ask & answer
questions; discrete
sentences; simple
conversations
Can use the
language
effectively with
high degree of
fluency; cohesive
paragraphs
Can support
opinions and
hypothesize;
extended
Issues,
editorials,
debates
3+
4
“Diplomat”
4+
5
“HAWENS”
special interest; understands
hypothesizing and supported
opinions. Can follow accurately the
essentials of conversations between
educated native speakers,
reasonably clear telephone calls,
radio broadcasts, news stories, etc.
Can understand implications.
Comprehends most of the content
and intent of a variety of forms and
styles of speech pertinent to
professional needs, as well as
general topics and social
conversation. Can comprehend
many sociolinguistic and cultural
references. However, may miss
some subtleties and nuances.
Able to understand fully all speech
with extensive and precise
vocabulary, subtleties and nuances
in all standard dialects on any
subject relevant to professional
needs within the range of his/her
experience, including social
conversations; all intelligible
broadcasts and telephone calls; and
many kinds of technical discussions
and discourse.
Increased ability to comprehend
native speakers using extreme
nonstandard dialects and slang, as
well as to understand speech in
unfavorable conditions. Strong
sensitivity to sociolinguistic and
cultural references.
Able to understand fully all forms
and styles of speech intelligible to
the well-educated native listener,
including a number of regional and
illiterate dialects, highly colloquial
speech and conversations and
discourse distorted by marked
interference from other noise. Able
to understand how natives think as
they create discourse.
material on unfamiliar
subjects. Almost always able
to interpret material
correctly, relate ideas and
"read between the lines."
Can get the gist of more
sophisticated texts, but may
not detect or understand
subtlety and nuance.
Able to comprehend many
sociolinguistic and cultural
references. However, may
miss some nuances and
subtleties.
discourse
Able to "read beyond the
lines" (i.e., to understand the
full ramifications of texts as
they are situated in the wider
cultural, political, or social
environment). Able to read
and understand the intent of
writers' use of nuance and
subtlety.
Can speak fluently
and accurately on all
levels normally
pertinent to
professional needs
Nearly native ability to read
and understand extremely
difficult or abstract prose, a
very wide variety of
vocabulary, idioms,
colloquialisms and slang.
Strong sensitivity to and
understanding of
sociolinguistic and cultural
references.
Can organize
discourse well,
employing functional
rhetorical speech
devices, native
cultural references
and understanding,
however, cannot
sustain that
performance under
all circumstances.
Speaking proficiency
equivalent to that of
a highly articulate
well-educated native
speaker, reflecting
cultural standards of
country where the
language is natively
spoken
Can read extremely difficult
and abstract prose; for
example, general legal and
technical as well as highly
colloquial writings. Able to
read literary texts, typically
including contemporary
avant-garde prose, poetry
and theatrical writing.
Can use the
language to satisfy
professional needs in
wide range of
sophisticated tasks
For complete descriptions of ILR skill levels go to: http://www.govtilr.org
8
DLPT IV
The DLPT IV will be phased out soon in most languages and will be replaced with
the DLPT5. This test was initially designed as the first true “proficiency” based
language assessment, and served the military linguist community well. Recent
advances in testing and technology however, have enabled DLIFLC experts to
create a new and better testing instrument that provides a truer picture of the realworld proficiency capabilities of military linguists.
The DLPT IV, like its predecessors, was developed by the DLIFLC and has been in
use for many years. In some cases, the DLPT IV had been converted to a
computerized format; however the content had remained largely unchanged. In
most cases, various versions of the DLPT IV exist in order to facilitate some
semblance of variety for career linguists in the field. Currently, it is not uncommon
for career linguists to take the same test every time they recertify their skills.
Realizing this, the Department of Defense (DoD) developed the DLPT5 which is
based on authentic materials, is computer based, and varies widely in content from
test to test.
DLPT 5
The new DLPT5 is the fifth generation of the Defense Language Proficiency Test.
This battery of tests is the most current and accurate method of assessing native
English speakers' reading and listening skills in a wide range of foreign languages;
it is a better measure of language fluency in the real-world. The DLPT5 will be more
challenging than previous language tests with longer passages and, in some cases,
more than one question for each passage. Unlike the DLPT IV, the exam will ask
questions at all proficiency levels at random times throughout the test. In other
words, there will not be progressively difficult iterations of questions regarding
specific passages like those found on the DLPT IV. The test will be computer-based,
making it more secure and efficient to administer. And, unlike past tests, the new
test will rely more on authentic language newspapers, magazine articles and radio
or TV news broadcasts.
Preparing for the DLPT in the Field
Your first order of business when facing the DLPT5 in the field is to read the DLPT5
Familiarization Guides. These Familiarization Guides were created by DLIFLC to
provide prospective examinees with information about the DLPT5 for each language
tested. Test procedures and instructions are provided in the guide, as well as
general information about the test design, the format of the test, its length, its
content, the skills tested, and procedures used in scoring and reporting the results.
In addition, screen shots of what the examinees will see when taking the test on
the computer give the tester a helpful frame of reference for test-day. These
Internet based guides also contain a “Frequently Asked Questions” section covering
the DLPT5s.
9
The purpose of the guide is to familiarize you with the DLPT5 format and general
testing procedures. Keep in mind, however, that there is very little to be gained
from “studying” for the test. The best preparation for the DLPT5 is the acquisition of
a solid base of general proficiency in the target language, both through formal
training and through language exposure and use in a variety of real-life languageuse settings. Remember, study aids (dictionaries, reference books, etc.) are not
permitted for this test.
For information regarding a specific DLPT5, you should refer to the “Familiarization
Guide” for that test. To access the guides for each separate language go to:
http://www.dliflc.edu/dlptguides.html
The study of authentic language materials from various open media sources, which
cover DLPT content objectives, will help as you prepare for the DLPT in the field.
Search for authentic target language materials via the Internet in the following
subject areas:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Economics
Politics
Science
Technology
Geography
Culture, Art, and Music
Social Matters
Military
Security Issues
Current Events
Here are some additional suggestions to help you prepare for the DLPT in the field:
•
•
•
•
•
Expose yourself to material of varying levels of complexity, including the
names of people and places in your target language. This exercise challenges
your listening and reading comprehension.
Expose yourself to wide-ranging expressions and vocabulary in various
contexts to increase your target language vocabulary and improve your
ability to infer meaning.
Use the three times rule. This is a three-part activity. To make a word
“yours” you must 1) write it down 2) look it up in a dictionary 3) use it in
context three times in the next 24 hours.
Read as much target language material as you can; fiction, non-fiction,
scientific journals, news magazines, newspapers, poetry, and songs.
Whenever you see a word that you do not understand, write it down and look
it up in your dictionary—the same holds true for words that you hear.
Try to read target language books, magazines, and newspapers “purely for
pleasure”.
10
•
•
•
•
•
Watch target language TV programming such as movies and news
broadcasts.
Listen to target language radio commercials and music programming.
Choose topics and materials which are moderately difficult to achieve—not
too easy so that you become bored and disinterested and not too difficult so
that you lose heart and give up.
Seek advice from your Command Language Program Manager (CLPM).
Maintain your motivation to learn your target language through self-defined
and designed methods.
The bottom line is that YOU ALONE are responsible for your proficiency levels and
your status as a linguist warrior. Respect and advancement as a professional
linguist will be largely based on your skill-level. However, all of the tools, training,
tricks, and resources in the world will not make you a better linguist unless you
choose to use them. You should always be thinking about ways to improve your
language skills; lives often will depend on your skills—you MUST approach your job
with this understanding. As a distinguished member of the Armed Services and a
linguist warrior, you can think of it no other way.
Mastering the Art of Independent Study
Autonomy
Autonomy is about linguists taking more independent control over sustaining and
enhancing target language skills in the field. In other words, autonomy can be
described as the capacity to take charge of, take responsibility for, and take control
over your own language sustainment.
Language Maintenance Strategies
Language Maintenance strategies are the tricks, measures, tactics, procedures,
judgments, actions, and activities that linguists utilize to facilitate their command,
comprehension, mastery, recollection, and application of their target language skills
in the field; therefore, they are the thoughts and actions linguists engage in,
consciously or not, to not only sustain their target language skills but also to learn
new information about their target language and culture. Language Maintenance
strategies provide linguists with more control over what, how, and when they study
their target language—linguists decide on their aims, make plans of what to learn,
develop their own methods of learning, assess their own learning, and plan what to
learn next—language maintenance strategies will help you become more effective
language learners. When you begin to understand your own learning processes and
can exert some control over those processes, you tend to take more responsibility
11
for your own language learning. This self-knowledge and skill in regulating language
learning are characteristic of successful language learners in the field.
Linguists who think and work strategically are more motivated to learn and have a
higher sense of self-efficacy or confidence in their own language learning ability.
That is, strategic linguists perceive themselves as more able to maintain their
target language proficiency than language learners who do not incorporate
language maintenance strategies into their target language studies. Linguists who
expect to be successful at sustaining and enhancing their target language skills
in the field generally are successful—each successful learning experience
increases motivation to sustain and enhance their target language skills.
Language maintenance strategies allow you to take control of your own learning.
Once you begin to think about your own learning, you can then begin to notice how
you learn and how you might adjust how you learn to learn more efficiently.
Contemplating or mulling over how you think and learn is “critical-thinking”.
Critical-thinking is a systematic approach to situational analysis that allows the
thinker (you) to fully inventory the situation, available resources, possible plans,
consequences, and goals prior to taking action. A popular theoretical model for
classifying lower and higher order thinking skills, known as Bloom’s Taxonomy, was
first developed over 50 years ago.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Revised
In 1956, Benjamin Bloom headed a group of educational psychologists who
developed a system for the classification of levels of intellectual behavior, or
cognition. They identified six levels within the cognitive domain, from the simple
recall or recognition of facts, at the lowest level, through increasingly more complex
and abstract mental levels, to the highest order which he and his colleagues
classified as evaluation.
By 2001, another generation of educational psychologists (led by Lorin Anderson
and David Krathwohl) published a revised version of the classic 1956 taxonomy.
They argued that new knowledge, emerging during the intervening decades, from
the fields of education, child development, and related domains should be
incorporated into the existing framework. Their revised “Taxonomy Table” retains
Bloom’s basic progression of lower (1) to higher (6) order thinking, but modifies the
upper range by including the cognitive capacity required to produce, or “create.”
12
The
Knowledge
Dimension
The Cognitive Process Dimension
1.
Remember
2.
Understand
3.
Apply
4.
Analyze
5.
Evaluate
6.
Create
A. Factual
Knowledge
B. Conceptual
Knowledge
C. Procedural
Knowledge
D. MetaCognitive
Knowledge
Source: Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R.,
Raths, J., & Wittrock, M. C. (Eds.) (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of
Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.
Furthermore, the new model integrates the various levels of thinking (1-6) with
four distinctive kinds of knowledge (A-D). Below are brief explanations of each type
of knowledge and cognitive process.
Knowledge Dimensions: Major Types and Subtypes
A. Factual Knowledge: The basic elements students must know to be
acquainted with a discipline or solve problems in it. For example, knowledge
of terminology, specific details, and elements.
B. Conceptual Knowledge: The interrelationships among the basic elements
within a larger structure that enable them to function together. For example,
knowledge of classifications, categories, principles, generalizations, theories,
models, and structures.
C. Procedural Knowledge: How to do something, methods of inquiry, and
criteria for using skills, algorithms, techniques, etc. For example, knowledge
of criteria for determining when to use appropriate procedures.
D. Meta-Cognitive Knowledge: Knowledge of cognition in general as well as
awareness and knowledge of one’s own cognition. For example, strategic
knowledge, self-knowledge, and knowledge about cognitive tasks including
appropriate contextual and conditional knowledge.
13
Cognitive Dimension: Categories and Processes
1. Remember: Retrieve relevant knowledge from long-term memory. For
example, recognizing, identifying, recalling, and retrieving.
2. Understand: Construct meaning from instructional messages, including oral,
written, and graphic communication. For example, interpreting, exemplifying,
classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining.
3. Apply: Carry out or use a procedure in a given situation. For example,
executing, carrying out, implementing, and using.
4. Analyze: Break material into its constituent parts and determine how the
parts relate to one another and to an overall structure or purpose. For
example, differentiating, organizing, and attributing.
5. Evaluate: Make judgments based on criteria and standards. For example,
checking, coordinating, detecting, testing, critiquing, and judging.
6. Create: Put elements together to form a coherent or functional whole;
reorganize elements into a new pattern or structure. For example,
generating, hypothesizing, planning, designing, producing, and constructing.
Source: Anderson, L. W., Krathwohl, D. R., Airasian, P. W., Cruikshank, K. A., Mayer, R. E., Pintrich, P. R.,
Raths, J., & Wittrock, M. C. (Eds.) (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of
Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. New York: Longman.
For an elaboration of the features included in Anderson and Krathwohl’s (2001)
“Taxonomy Table,” see the source listed above. If you are interested in a more
detailed explanation of Benjamin Bloom’s (1956) original taxonomy, see his volume
entitled, Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain
(New York: David McKay Co., Inc.).
The model presented above reflects the complexity of cognitive processing the
human mind is capable of and the tasks involved in critical thinking. That capability,
however, needs to be systematically encouraged and developed by asking students
to answer questions from all 6 levels. Typically, in the U.S.-American educational
system, the requirement for higher order cognitive processing is minimal. While
questions that demand lower order thinking are not bad, they are inadequate for
developing robust critical thinking skills.
Try to utilize higher order level questions and language applications as you
structure your time and efforts towards proficiency enhancement. These methods
require much more "brain power" and more extensive and elaborate answers, but
the payoff is a much more thorough understanding of your target language, and
thus a much higher level of proficiency.
More important though, as a linguist in the field, you will be taking the DLPT5 as a
measure of your proficiency. The DLPT5 contains few lower order questions and
14
takes the test taker into the higher-order thinking areas almost immediately. Below
is a basic critical-thinking roadmap for increasing your self-awareness and thus
your autonomy and effectiveness in language proficiency enhancement.
Organize/Plan Your Own Learning
What
•
•
•
do I do before I start?
Plan the task or content sequence.
Set goals.
Plan how to accomplish the task.
Manage Your Own Learning
What
•
•
•
•
do I do while I am working on the task?
Determine how you learn best.
Arrange conditions that help you learn.
Seek opportunities for practice.
Focus your attention on the task.
Monitor Your Own Learning
How do I make sure I am doing the task
correctly?
• Check your progress on the task.
• Check your comprehension as you use
the language—are you understanding?
• Check your production as you use the
language—are you making sense?
Incorporate Various Strategies into
Your Learning Preferences
How do I incorporate various strategies for the
same learning task?
• Experiment with multiple strategies.
• For example, use both word analysis
and context clues to determine the
meaning of an unfamiliar word.
Evaluate Your Own Learning
What do I do after I have finished the task?
• Assess how well you have accomplished
the learning task.
• Assess how well you have applied the
strategies.
Source: http://www.nclrc.org/about_teaching/topics/calla_learning_strat.html
Prepare and Plan for Learning
Preparation and planning are important skills that are essential to improving the
learning process. The significance of learner variables in language learning has
been studied extensively, including abilities, motivation, cognitive styles, and
learning strategies. Theories of intelligence clearly indicate that there are distinct
linguistic abilities that differ across individuals. Research on learning strategies
indicates that student performance can be improved by following certain strategies,
but the results are highly dependent upon the nature of the task and differ across
learners.
15
Theory into Practice (TIP)
TIP is a database tool intended to make learning and instructional theory more
accessible. The database contains brief summaries of 50 major theories of learning
and instruction.
To access TIP, go to http://tip.psychology.org/theories.html
Assessment Tools
How do you learn best? There are many different assessment tools you can use to
determine your learning style. Try out these assessments of your learning style
preferences and then consider exploring some study techniques that fit your
preferred mode of learning. Researchers now believe that learning styles can
change over time to meet the needs of a given learning or even work environment.
The styles or preferences that you had when you were in high school or college
might not be your preference for language learning or learning while on the job.
DVC Learning Style Survey
• http://www.metamath.com/lsweb/dvclearn.htm
Background on the Four Learning Styles in the DVC Survey
• http://www.metamath.com/lsweb/fourls.htm
Multiple Intelligences Inventory
• http://www.ldrc.ca/projects/miinventory/miinventory.php
Felder & Soloman Index of Learning Styles
• http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html
By engaging in preparation and planning in relation to a learning goal, you should
be thinking about what you need or want to accomplish and how you intend to go
about accomplishing it. You can promote this process of “reflection” by being
explicit about particular learning goals you have set. The more clearly articulated
the goal, the easier it will be for you to measure progress. For instance, you might
set a goal for yourself of being able to master ten new vocabulary items and use
them in context every other day.
Manage Your Own Learning
This strategy is central to problem solving. Reflect on your learning styles and
strategies used to sustain and enhance the target language; then regulate learning
conditions to maximize achievement of goals. Determine how you learn best;
arrange conditions to help yourself learn; focus attention on the task, and then
seek opportunities for practice in the target language. Manage also refers to the
self-regulation of feelings and motivation. Autonomous language learners must
have a sense of how to manage their own learning.
16
Monitor Your Own Learning
By monitoring your language learning, you are better able to keep yourself on track
to meet language learning goals. Once you have selected and begun to implement
specific strategies, ask yourself periodically whether or not you are still using those
strategies as intended. For example, understand that an effective writing strategy
involves thinking about purpose in writing (e.g., to explain, to summarize).
Understand that to monitor the use of this strategy, you should pause occasionally
while writing to ask yourself questions about what you are doing, such as whether
or not you are providing the right amount of information by asking and answering
questions like who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Incorporate Various Strategies
Understanding how to incorporate the use of more than one strategy is an
important critical-thinking skill. The ability to coordinate, organize, and make
associations among the various strategies available is a major distinction between
strong and weak foreign language learners. Strong linguists understand that there
are various language learning strategies available to them. For example,
understand that you can use both word analysis and context clues to determine the
meaning of an unfamiliar word. You also need to recognize when one strategy is not
working and how to move on to another. For example, you may try to use word
analysis to determine the meaning of the word “antimony,” having recognized
“anti” as a prefix meaning against. But that strategy will not work in this instance
because “anti” is not a prefix here; antimony is a metallic chemical element that
has nothing to do with being against or opposed to something. When you find that
word analysis does not help you figure out what this word means, you need to
know how to turn to other strategies such as context clues to help you understand
the word or the character.
Develop a Study Plan: Commit to 30 Minutes a Day
Learning any language takes practice - lots of practice. Often, it's difficult to know
what you should practice. Should you watch a video? I might be a good idea to
tackle some lessons in GLOSS. Maybe you should try to speak your target
language with a native speaker? All of these are great ideas, but it's also important
to build a routine. A routine will help make studying your target language a habit.
You can break this up into several short study periods, or you can study for 30
minutes straight and cover everything at once.
It's important to be exposed to many different modalities every day; however, you
shouldn't try to use too many different resources. Select the most appropriate,
depending on your needs. If available in your target language begin with online
assessment tools, like Online Diagnostic Assessment and the Cultural Awareness
Assessment, to target specific areas for improvement. Once you know what to
study, you need to identify the best resources to help you improve proficiency –
then, develop your “30 minutes a day study plan”. This plan uses brief sessions in
17
listening and reading as the basis of your daily practice. Since your goal is to
improve, don’t simply focus on those aspects of your target language that make
you comfortable. Stretch yourself to learn more about your language and the
people who speak it.
Assessment Activity for Language Professionals in the
Field
Directions: Review the definitions for the ILR levels (L/R/S) on pages 7-8 of
this guide. Take your online assessments then work out a language Study
Plan to help yourself reach the next level in each modality. Start by
answering the following questions:
1. Given your most recent DLPT scores, what ILR levels should you aim for
now?
2. Use the assessment resources on JLU, Transparent Language, and the
DLIFLC Language Products page to measure areas that need improvement.
3. Carefully select those resources. For example, if your scores are 2+/ 2+/
1+, select resources that allow you to target higher levels – for example,
News & Analysis in target language newspapers, GLOSS, SCOLA TV and
SCOLA Radio, etc.
4. Look at the links for your target language at the end of this guide. Select
resources that will help you maintain (at a minimum) AND enhance (what
you should aim for) your target language proficiency.
How to Create Your Own 30 Minute Study Plan
Grammar - 5 - 10 Minutes
What are the results of your online assessments? Reflect on your target language
grammar, and any areas that need improvement. Take out a grammar book (or use
grammar website for your target language). Identify one grammar point to review.
Take a few minutes to review the grammar point, then listen for that grammatical
structure in your listening, or look for it in your reading. Pay attention to how they
are used. Ask yourself, “Did I hear or read the grammatical structure?
Listen - 10 Minutes
There are a number of technology-based language resources that you can use.
Using the results of your online assessments, use resources that let you target your
modality and ILR level are especially helpful, for example: GLOSS, JLU, SCOLA
(Insta-Class, World TV, and International Radio). As you decide which resources to
use, don’t forget to explore language-specific resources (you will find many on your
“Technology-based Language Resources” handout).
Read - 10 Minutes
Think about the result of your Online Diagnostic Assessment and Cultural
Awareness Assessment. Select an ILR level and a subject to start improving your
proficiency. You can find great resources for reading that let you target specific
18
areas, as well as the competency you want to work on (lexical, discourse, sociocultural, structural). Most of these will also let you select an ILR level.
Recommendations: GLOSS, and JLU. Also, SCOLA Insta-Class, which is divided into
Intermediate, Advanced, & Superior and offers lessons, vocabulary lists, transcripts
and English translations. As you decide which resources to use, don’t forget to
explore language-specific resources (you will find many on your “Technology-based
Language Resources” handout).
Improve your Vocabulary - 5 Minutes
Take five minutes to write down all the new words you find in your listening and
reading exercises. Keep a notebook, and write down the English translation. Review
these each day.
Speaking - 5 Minutes
It is very important to move your mouth and speak- even if you only speak to
yourself. Take five minutes and speak out loud. Try to quickly summarize (in your
target language) what you listened to and what you read. Can you do it? Of course
you can, and with practice you will improve.
CONGRATULATIONS! You just accomplished one of the most important
parts of enhancing your target language proficiency!
Remember: Approximately thirty minutes a day, every day - or at least four times
a week. If you continue to do this, you will be surprised at how quickly your target
language proficiency improves!
Evaluating Strategy Use and Learning
Foreign language learners are actively involved in critical-thinking when they
evaluate whether what they are doing is effective. You can evaluate your strategy
use by asking yourself to respond thoughtfully to the following questions: What am
I trying to accomplish? What strategies am I using? How well am I using them?
What else could I do?
Responding to these four questions integrates all of the previous aspects of criticalthinking, allowing you to reflect through the cycle of language learning. Preparing
and planning relates to identifying what is to be accomplished, while selecting and
using particular strategies relates to the question of which strategies are being
used. The third question corresponds to monitoring strategy use, while the fourth
relates to the orchestration of strategies. The whole cycle is evaluated as you apply
critical-thinking concepts to your target language proficiency enhancement.
For example, while attempting to identify the specific reading skill of main idea
comprehension, you can evaluate your strategy use by asking four questions:
19
1. What am I trying to accomplish? You need to be able to articulate that you
are trying to identify the main idea in the material that you are reading and
that you are doing so because understanding the main idea is critical to
understanding the rest of the material.
2. What strategies am I using? You want to know which strategies are available
to you and to recognize which one(s) you are using to identify the main idea.
3. How well am I using the strategies? You want to be able to judge how well
you are using the strategies you have chosen; that is, whether you are
implementing them as intended and whether the strategies are helping you
achieve your goal.
4. What else could I do? If the strategies that you are using are not helping you
to accomplish your goal (i.e., identifying the main idea), you want to be able
to identify and use alternate strategies.
The Strategy Categories Defined
1. Cognitive Strategies involve the identification, retention, storage, and
retrieval of words, phrases, and other elements of the target language.
Cognitive strategies concentrate on memorizing and manipulating target
language structures—examples include using prior knowledge or your
schemata to comprehend new language material, applying grammar rules to
a new context, or classifying vocabulary according to topic.
2. Meta-cognitive Strategies deal with pre-planning and self-assessment, on-
line planning, monitoring and evaluation, as well as post-evaluation of
language learning activities—examples include previewing language materials
for your autonomous study, organizing your thoughts before speaking, or
reflecting on your performance. Meta-cognitive strategies are used for
managing and supervising strategy use; they are the techniques used for
self-management: organizing, planning, focusing, prioritizing, setting goals,
and evaluating your own learning. Such strategies will allow linguists to
control their learning process by helping them coordinate their efforts to
plan, organize, and evaluate their target language performance.
3. Social Strategies include the actions that linguists select for interacting with
other linguists or with native speakers—examples include asking questions
for clarification, helping fellow linguists complete their self-directed language
learning tasks, or seeking native speakers to converse with and inquire about
the target language culture.
One theory worth mentioning here is the Socio-Constructivist Theory. This
theory applies for first and second language interactions. The theory basically
explains how two individuals will continue to communicate and work together
until they reach some sort of mutual understanding. Use this to your
20
advantage. If you find a speaking partner and focus on materials just above
your level, you will naturally improve your language skills.
4. Affective Strategies serve to regulate linguists’ motivation, emotions, and
attitudes—examples include strategies for improving low motivation,
overcoming procrastination, reducing high anxiety, and for overcoming low
self-confidence. When you are learning something new, your feelings can
make a big difference in how effectively you use your abilities. When you are
anxious, you may lose capacity. Anxiety is fear of failure, looking bad,
disappointing someone else or yourself, etc. It can significantly reduce your
ability to take in information, retrieve knowledge, and use your target
language because so many of your mental resources are devoted to selfprotection when you feel anxious. Here are some of the things you can do to
manage your anxiety and stress:
o
Get Perspective: Get some mental distance from your situation. See
yourself one year down the road, then five years down. Will the
current issue be so important then? Don’t let your mind exaggerate or
minimize whatever is causing you anxiety. Keep the issue “rightsized.”
o
Reframe: When you make mistakes, keep in mind that if you aren’t
making mistakes, you’re probably playing it too safe and might not be
learning much that’s new or challenging. Learn to see mistakes as
necessary steps in the learning process. Without them, you will not
move forward.
o
Manage Stress: Notice what happens when you start getting stressed
out. Do you begin to have a short fuse? Do you shut down? Learn
these signs, and when they begin to show up, be prepared to take
steps to reduce the stress. Talk with a friend or trusted other. One of
the most important ways to manage stress is to get away from it. If
you are around others, a short bathroom break might do it. In other
cases, you might need a weekend or more. Take a study break and do
something you enjoy.
o
Seek Assistance: Remember: “It takes the courage and strength of a
warrior to ask for help.” Avail yourself of any and all sources of
support that you can find. No matter the size of the issue, don’t give
up until you’ve gotten the help you need.
5. Compensation Strategies are used to overcome inadequate skills in verbal
communication and in writing the target language. Such strategies are used
to fill any gaps in knowledge of the target language—examples include
instances where linguists may act out or use signals to convey meaning, ask
questions for assistance, use synonyms or invent words using target
language knowledge, and in some instances use mime to communicate in the
target language.
21
Be careful with this class of strategy. While they worked when you were a
basic course student or even to get you through survival situations on the
job, they can become a crutch to avoid using grammar structures or
vocabulary words with which you are not comfortable. For those structures
you know you need to work at, find a place and time to practice them where
you can get feedback.
6. Memory Strategies are used to create meaningful affiliations with target
language material. Examples include making certain sounds and gestures as
you articulate target language material—this “affiliation” of sounds or
gestures jogs the memory when performed; grouping target language
material into categories based on your unique perceptions of the sounds of
the target language; and conducting a structured review to ensure there is
some level of redundancy in experiencing new material.
On the next page is a quick reference table called Oxford's Strategy Inventory for
Language Learning (SILL), which outlines some of the most commonly used and
effective language learning strategies. The list includes strategies from all six
strategy categories listed above and are meant as a basic guide and not as an
exhaustive list. These strategies will help you sustain and enhance your target
language skills in the field. Linguists can use these strategies for reading, grammar,
listening, vocabulary, writing, and speaking.
22
Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL)
Rebecca Oxford
Direct Strategies
Indirect Strategies
1. Memory strategies
•
•
•
•
1. Meta-cognitive strategies
Creating mental linkages
•
(e.g. grouping, associating, elaborating)
Applying images and sounds
(e.g. using imagery, semantic mapping)
Reviewing well (structured reviewing)
•
Employing action
(e.g. using physical response or sensation)
2. Cognitive strategies
•
•
•
•
•
Practicing (repeating, formally practicing
with sounds and writing systems,
recognizing and using formulas and
patterns, recombining and practicing
naturalistically)
Receiving and sending messages (getting
the idea quickly, using resources for
receiving and sending messages)
Analyzing and reasoning (reasoning
deductively, analyzing expressions,
analyzing contrastively (across languages),
translating, transferring)
Creating structure for input and output
(taking notes, summarizing, highlighting)
•
2. Affective strategies
•
•
•
Lowering your anxiety (using progressive
relaxation, deep breathing or meditation,
using music, using laughter)
Encouraging yourself (making positive
statements, taking risks wisely, rewarding
yourself)
Taking your emotional temperature
(listening to your body, using a checklist,
writing a language learning diary, discussing
your feelings with someone else)
3. Social strategies
3. Compensation strategies
•
Centering your learning (over viewing and
linking with already known material, paying
attention, delaying speech production to
focus on listening)
Arranging and planning (finding out about
language, organizing, setting goals and
objectives, identifying the purpose of a
language task, planning for a language task,
seeking practice opportunities)
Evaluating (self-monitoring, self-evaluating)
•
Guessing intelligently (using linguistic
clues, using other clues)
•
Overcoming limitations in speaking and
writing (switching to the mother tongue,
getting help, using mime or gesture,
•
avoiding communication partially or totally,
selecting the topic, adjusting or
approximating the message, coining words,
using a circumlocution or synonym)
Asking questions (asking for clarification or
verification, asking for correction)
Cooperating with others (cooperating with
peers, cooperating with proficient users of
the language)
Empathizing with others (developing cultural
understanding, becoming aware of others
thoughts and feelings)
Source: Oxford, R. (1990). Language Learning Strategies—What Every Teacher Should Know. New York: Newbury.
23
Task-Based Strategies
In addition to the strategies listed above, some linguists find that incorporating a
more reflective process into their study is beneficial. The learning strategies listed
below are called task-based strategies—task-based strategies are premised on
reflections of your own thinking and learning styles. The use of task-based
strategies is determined by the task itself, the linguist’s critical-thinking strategies,
and the linguist’s resources in the field. Task-based Language Maintenance
strategies focus on how linguists can use their own resources to learn most
effectively. There are 19 task-based strategies that are divided into four categories
grouped by the kinds of resources linguists already possess or can obtain to help
them complete specific language learning tasks. These tasks focus linguists’
attention on their resources, and they emphasize their ability to take responsibility
for their own learning. The four categories are as follows:
Draw on Your Schemata
Use Background Knowledge
Make Inferences
Make Predictions
Personalize
Transfer and Use Cognates
Substitute/Paraphrase
Draw on Your Imagination
Use Imagery
Use Real Objects and Role Play
Talk Yourself Through a Task
Draw on Your Organizational
Skills
Notice and Relate Patterns
Group or Classify
Use Graphic Organizers and Take Notes
Summarize
Use Selective Attention
Draw on an Array of Resources
Access Information Resources via the
Internet such as GLOSS, and SCOLA.
Collaborate with Fellow Graduates and Your
CLPM
Use Your Language Maintenance Guide
Source: http://www.nclrc.org/eils/stratlist.html
24
Draw on Your Schemata
Use Background Knowledge
•
Reflecting on what you already know about a task or topic makes it easier to
learn and understand new information. This strategy helps you see the
connection between what you know and what you are learning.
Make Inferences
•
Using context clues, you can decipher new vocabulary or figure out the
meaning of text or speech. You can also make logical guesses based on
pictures, headlines, surrounding text, gestures, body language or other
information related to the task. At a more advanced level, you “read or listen
between the lines” to infer meaning that is not stated in the reading
materials. In other words – guess; it is a problem solving technique that
works at any stage of the learning process and is useful in numerous
contexts.
Make Predictions
•
Figure out what you can expect in a task based on your background,
knowledge, and information about the task at hand. Prepare for the rest of
the task and direct your efforts towards completing it based on your
predictions.
Personalize
•
Relate information to your feelings, opinions, or personal experiences in
order to remember and understand it better. Associate it with someone or
something in your personal life. This strategy is useful whenever a word or
idea can be related to something personally important to you.
Transfer and Use Cognates
•
By recognizing similarities between words or grammar in the target language
and your native language, you can easily and quickly increase vocabulary
and construct sentences. This strategy can be used when words look or
sound similar in the two languages or when knowledge of a language system,
such as grammar, can aid in the understanding of the new language.
Substitute or Paraphrase
•
Rather than stopping at a dead end, find different ways to say the same
thoughts. Beginners may use simple words or structures instead of more
complex structures that they do not yet know. More advanced linguists, on
the other hand, may replace a term with its description or by explaining it in
the target language. This helps at those otherwise awkward moments when
you realize that you do not know how to say exactly what you would like to
say. It can also prove useful when writing as an alternative to constant
reference to the dictionary.
25
Compensate for Missing Knowledge
•
These strategies allow you to use the new language even though you do not
have adequate knowledge of the target language. They will also help if you
have limitations in grammar or vocabulary. They include guessing
intelligently, for example, by using linguistic or some other clues, and
overcoming limitations in speaking and writing by using mime or gesture. For
instance, if you want to buy a cup, you say to the shopkeeper (in the target
language), "I want to buy a ..." (while miming the action of drinking from a
cup). By deliberately hesitating, you can normally elicit the missing word,
e.g. "I want to buy a ... a... a..."(while doing the action). Hopefully, the
shopkeeper will supply the target language word for 'cup'.
Use Circumlocution
•
Using circumlocution will enable you to communicate your meaning even
though you cannot recall the exact word. For example, "Do you have a thing
you dry your hands on?" when you cannot recall the word for 'towel'. Then, if
your target language acquaintance does not supply the word, do not forget
to ask, "How do you say this in the target language?"
The serious language learner is constantly thinking up creative ways to use the
target language. So, ask other linguists which strategies they employ; then, try
them out to see if they work for you. Serious language learners use everything
around them to help them reach their goals!
Draw on Your Imagination
Visualize Yourself as an Instructor
•
An efficient method of improving recall and understanding of target language
grammatical structures is to teach the structures to an imaginary audience.
By doing so, you are forced to organize the material in a way that makes
sense to you and to anticipate potential questions that may be asked by your
students. Moreover, by articulating your lecture aloud, you will uncover gaps
in your comprehension (and recall) of the material. After you have mastered
a particular section from your textbook, try delivering an organized lecture
on any topic from that section. Then check for accuracy. Do not forget to
anticipate questions that students might ask about the material as a way of
anticipating potential test questions.
Use Imagery
•
Use or create an image that helps you remember information. It can be as
simple as a pencil drawing or as complex as a “mental movie.” An image also
helps you recall vocabulary without translating from your native language.
26
Complex images can help you check comprehension too. If there are
inconsistencies, then you may need to review the information. This strategy
is well suited to any task that involves images or where it is useful to put
abstract ideas into concrete form.
Use Real Objects/Role Play
•
By acting out a concept with props or role-playing with a partner or even in
your imagination, you can get a better feel for the situational uses of
language. Associating words and expressions with an object, a context or an
experience helps you to recall them—what’s more, you have fun! This
strategy can be used with concrete concepts or with abstract concepts to
make them more concrete.
Talk Yourself through a Task
•
In other words, talk to yourself. When trying to memorize something, it can
help to actually recite the information aloud. You might repeat ideas verbatim
(when you need to do rote memorization) or you can repeat ideas in your
own words (and thus ensure that you have a true understanding of the
information). Repeating information aloud can help you remember the
information and identify how well you have learned it. For example, some
linguists have acknowledged that they understood many DLPT listening
questions and were surprised when they "froze" and could not give adequate
responses. For some linguists, this "freezing" may have been a result of test
anxiety. For others, however, it may have been a result of overestimating
how well they understood the material. When studying autonomously for
your DLPT 5 in the field, recite the information aloud from memory
(answering questions, defining words, or using flash cards). If you stumble in
your responses, have to look up answers, or can only give vague responses,
then you know that you need to study more.
Draw on Your Organizational Skills
Notice and Relate Patterns
•
When approaching your learning materials, it is helpful to chunk information.
Do this by applying a rule you already know or by creating a new rule that
helps learn the new information. This strategy is useful in situations where
you can generalize about a language structure, procedure, or concept.
Group or Classify
•
Grouping or classifying items according to their attributes helps you organize
thoughts and remember items. This strategy applies any time that a number
of items share the same attributes, and can be put into meaningful groups. It
can serve to organize your thoughts as you begin writing or as you begin a
speaking task.
27
Use Graphic Organizers and Take Notes
•
Graphic organizers (some of which are also called concept maps, entity
relationship charts, and mind maps) are a pictorial way of constructing
knowledge and organizing information. They help convert and compress a lot
of seemingly disjointed information into a structured, simple-to-read, graphic
display. The resulting visual display conveys complex information in a simpleto-understand manner. By writing down important words or creating a
graphic organizer, you can remember key concepts and note your own ideas
about information in text alongside of new information. This strategy is
especially useful for tasks that involve listening since, without notes, you will
not be able to keep a record of what you hear. It can also help you while you
read and before you write.
Summarize
•
Making a mental, oral, or written summary guarantees that you understand
the gist of a task. It not only helps you judge how well you have understood
and completed the task but also helps you learn more from it. For instance,
when you listen to a song in your target language, you will pause the CD
before each chorus so that you can think about and summarize the meaning
before resuming your listening.
Use Selective Attention
•
Concentrating on specific aspects of language or content makes it easier for
you to find the information that is important to complete the task. For
example, concentrate on information already known in order to understand
or communicate better, or concentrate on key information such as times or
dates. This strategy proves particularly useful when the task requires you to
sift through large quantities of information. It can also help when you need
to give or acquire precise details to complete a task. It is a classic technique
for linguists to underline words they do not know in a text so that they can
look them up later. For a new twist on this technique, some NSA Cryptologic
Analysts underline sentences in challenging documents that they are sure
they DO understand.
Cooperate With Others
•
Although you will be working in the field, it is still possible to study with
fellow linguists. By working together, you can gain confidence, share
strengths, and complete tasks more easily. Most people enjoy the chance to
work with a partner or in a group, and friendly competition between partners
often brings out top-notch work. This strategy can be used while you work on
a specific task or during part of a larger task where you work separately. It
allows you to give each other feedback on individual work and complete new
tasks together.
28
Draw on an Array of Resources
Access Information Resources via the Internet
•
Using reference materials such as dictionaries, textbooks, periodicals and the
Internet can help you solve complex problems and complete difficult tasks
autonomously. You should look up words or expressions that you do not
know, as well as find target language cultural information. You will receive
more information regarding Internet based resources later in this text.
Source: http://www.nclrc.org/eils/stratlist.html
Lessons from Second Language Acquisition Theory
Memory, Forgetting, and Motivation
Explicit and Implicit Memory
•
Whenever we learn something, there are two systems at work: our explicit
and implicit memory. Explicit memory is information and knowledge we are
consciously aware of. Implicit memory, on the other hand, is knowledge that
we gain without conscious effort. Some researchers have argued that explicit
and implicit memory systems are completely separate or that explicit
memory turns into implicit memory. However, linguists who have studied
neurobiology and second language acquisition (SLA) say that these systems
actually help each other when we learn a second language. Through
continued exposure and practice, the connections in the parts of the brain
that are responsible for implicit memory start to get stronger and take over
from those responsible for explicit memory. The latter can then attend to
other information. For example, you are listening to a news broadcast in your
target language and a new word is used that you’ve never heard before.
You’ve already learned and now implicitly understand the grammatical
structures being used and the meanings of the other words in the sentence,
so this implicit memory may help you to explicitly pick out that new word and
come up with a definition of what it might mean.
Further Reading: “Implicit and Explicit Knowledge about Language,” by Nick Ellis
http://web.mac.com/ncellis/Nick_Ellis/Publications_files/Implicit%20and%20explicit%20knowledge%20ab
out%20language.pdf
Interconnectivity
•
One important thing to understand about learning and memory is that
memory is not like a file cabinet with separate entries written on cards and
filed away for later use. Instead, memory is more like a web—all about
connections. This interconnectivity means that when we begin to learn a
29
second language, and when we later seek to maintain it, we should be trying
to make as many explicit connections as possible. In other words, don’t just
learn a vocabulary item in isolation, but learn where it goes in a sentence,
which words it usually goes with, what connotations the word carries, and all
the other things you can learn about it. Don’t just read one article about a
political event, but read other articles, watch a news program, or talk to
someone about the event. Don’t just assume that what you’re encountering
is new, but look for patterns and how this new concept may fit in with or be
similar to or different from what you already know. Doing all of this will allow
your brain to build up numerous connections between that new word or
concept and others in your brain. The more connections that exist for a word
or concept in your brain, the more enduring that concept will be. The more
enduring a word or concept is, the more likely you are to remember it.
Further Reading: “Brain Research: Implications for Second Language Learning” by Fred Genesee;
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0012brain.html
Fossilization
•
Although a key goal in language use is automaticity--the ability to use
language without consciously thinking about it--there’s also a risk that
accompanies this skill. In the same way that our linguistic accomplishments
become more automatic, so too do our errors. Essentially, what happens is
that the part of the brain responsible for implicit memory internalizes the
wrong rules. And since implicit memory is more enduring than explicit
memory, these mistakes become fossilized—i.e., frozen in place. Fortunately,
it is possible for these mistakes to be de-fossilized because the brain always
retains some plasticity, some amount of ability to change. However, just as
first learning, then understanding, and finally internalizing a new language
involved great effort, so too will de-fossilizing errors require a lot of
motivation and cognitive work.
One way to avoid fossilization of errors is to avoid over-reliance on
compensatory strategies. For example, if I know that the past tense of sleep
is irregular in English, but I can’t remember exactly what it is, I might use
sleeped in order to get my point across and accomplish the task at hand.
Successfully accomplishing something with this mistake sends a signal to the
brain that this strategy works, and it is therefore stored accordingly. In a
sense, the end justifies the means, and the brain gets the go-ahead to build
up more connections between this incorrect usage and the rest of what we
know, making these errors more and more automatic. Compensatory
strategies are useful for immediate communication purposes, but they can
lead to imprecise acquisition of the target language. For language that may
already be fossilized, don’t take it for granted that your implicit memory is
correct, but seek to challenge yourself and consciously attend to your
language use. Since we are often unaware of our own fossilized usage, it is
crucial to seek the assistance of competent native speakers to help identify
our errors. It’s up to you to take explicit steps—using your explicit memory
30
systems—to consciously attend to the structures you thought you’d long
since acquired.
Further Reading: “Why Not Fossilization” by David Birdsong;
http://uts.cc.utexas.edu/~birdsong/birdsong/whynotfossilization.pdf
Motivation
•
A major consideration in any kind of learning—particularly the sustained,
deep learning needed to become proficient in a language as an adult—is the
motivation felt by the learner. Since emotion and cognition are related
neuro-biologically, the cognition involved in effective learning is nearly
impossible without emotion or motivation to sustain it. The discussions on
motivation in SLA typically focus on intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation,
instrumental vs. integrative motivation, or so on. Another approach to
motivation in SLA, one borrowed from psychology, looks at motivation at its
most basic level and says that it is all about stimulus appraisal. When we
encounter a stimulus, we appraise it for value, and how valuable we deem
something to be determines how much motivation we feel towards that
stimulus. In the brain, a positive appraisal of a stimulus causes a release of
dopamine—the same chemical in cocaine that makes it so addictive—and this
starts building up positive associations. For example, if you try using flash
cards for the first time for vocabulary learning and then get 100% on your
next vocabulary quiz, you think back to the flash cards and appraise them
positively. Your positive stance towards the flash cards causes dopamine to
be released in your brain and a positive association is created between
“studying flash cards” and “learning vocabulary.” In other words, you
become addicted to studying vocabulary in a way that works for you, and
you feel increased motivation to do so.
Now, there are five dimensions or ways in which we appraise stimuli:
novelty, or whether something is new or has been experienced before;
pleasantness, or whether something is enjoyable for its own sake; goal
relevance, or whether something is relevant to our goals or needs and
whether it helps or hinders our achievement; coping potential, or whether
you think you have the aptitude for something; and, finally, self and social
compatibility, or whether engaging with something will improve your self- or
social image. The flash cards were novel but not too strange, helped you
achieve your goal, and fell within your aptitude level, all positive appraisals.
Alternatively, if you had tried learning vocabulary by listening to a news
broadcast about a topic you have never encountered before instead of by
using the flash cards, you might have found that the activity was too novel
and therefore out of your comfort zone, that you did not have the aptitude
for it, and that it hurt your self-image because it made you feel ignorant of
the language, all negative appraisals. No dopamine is released, no positive
associations are built up, and no motivation is felt to continue.
31
As you can guess, the way we appraise stimuli will vary from person to
person, and there is no single correct way to approach or create motivation.
Increasing your motivation requires being aware of how you typically learn,
what your goals and needs are, what your skill levels are, and what you
value socially. Knowing these things will help you engage in language
learning activities that you can appraise positively. Also, they may help you
take language learning activities for which you would normally have no
motivation and find a way to create positive associations that will help you in
the long run. In the end, there is no single “best motivation.” Instead, there
must be sufficient positive appraisals along one or more of the five
dimensions to sustain the effort for the several years necessary to learn a
language well. The best motivation is that which enables each of us as
individuals to be successful language learners.
Further Reading: “Learning as Foraging” by John Schumann;
http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/teslal/jschumann/foraging.pdf
Factors that Impede Target Language Sustainment
and Enhancement
Four key factors plague the autonomous language learner and impede target
language sustainment and enhancement in the field:
1. Low Motivation
2. Procrastination
3. High Anxiety
4. Low Self-Confidence
Motivation Strategies for Target Language Studies after
DLIFLC
For linguists who have the highest levels of motivation and who achieve near-native
fluency in their target language, the cultural and financial rewards can be great. It
can be tremendously satisfying to read literature in the target language, to
appreciate the humor and inferences of native speakers, to gain insights into
completely different ways of thinking, or listen to and understand the lyrics of
target language musicians. This section of LEAD deals with acquiring and sustaining
the motivation to continuously improve your professional linguist attributes.
Motivation is one of the keys to successfully sustain and enhance your target
language in the field. Maintaining a high level of motivation during a period of
32
autonomous learning is one of the best ways to make the whole process more
successful. Because each linguist is motivated in different ways, you have to find
the right balance of incentives to succeed and disincentives to fail.
Review the following suggestions to help improve your motivation to sustain and
enhance your TL:
•
Seek out linguists who are passionate about mastering their TL; their positive
attitude can help to motivate you in the field.
•
Tell your CLPM and chain of command that language sustainment is important to
you—they will encourage and support you.
•
Set yourself short, medium, and long-term goals to focus your activities, e.g. read a
novel in your TL—read a complete chapter each week.
•
Remind yourself frequently that you must sustain and enhance your TL.
•
Remember that Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP) is paid to linguists who
sustain their target language proficiency in the field—the higher your DLPT score,
the more you will earn!
•
Take responsibility for your own learning.
•
Understand your own language learning style and try to understand what tends to
motivate and de-motivate you.
•
Select learning materials that are attractive and interesting.
•
Do not choose materials that are too difficult for you; you need just the right level o
challenge.
•
Make sure that your learning process is enjoyable and stimulating.
•
Praise yourself for mastering a piece of work.
•
Reward yourself for reaching goals and meeting deadlines.
•
In the field, surround yourself with linguists who take language learning seriously.
•
Aspire to master your target language and culture because you want to speak the
language like a native.
•
Keep your expectations high.
•
Develop positive attitudes to sustain and enhance your target language and target
culture.
•
Build up your confidence levels by reminding yourself about your successes.
•
Use the target language at every opportunity.
Source: Student Learning Center Faculty, Presidio of Monterey
Linguists have an innate need to be competent and effective in their TL, and
motivation is a key factor in helping them reach their goals. Motivation will enhance
your target language proficiency because it will encourage you to study longer,
harder, and with more concentration.
33
Strategies to Overcome Procrastination
Another factor affecting your target language proficiency in the field is
procrastination. Because maintaining and enhancing target language proficiency are
the duties of each linguist, avoid procrastination by adhering to the following
guidelines:
•
If the language learning task is too overwhelming or too big, break it down into
small units.
•
Change your language learning activities often.
•
Try to make the language learning task inviting or pleasant.
•
If the task is difficult, seek help from other target language linguists and your
CLPM.
•
Reward yourself often for completing language tasks.
•
Balance least favorite learning activities with more favored activities.
•
Choose the best time to undertake tasks.
•
Do not plan a language learning task at a time when something you love to do
usually takes place.
•
Do not plan a task when it is reasonable or preferable to do something else.
•
Be active; it is more stimulating and interesting if you are engaged in specific,
concrete activities.
•
Allocate time for activities that tend to divert you from language learning tasks such
as perfecting the arrangement of your room, doing laundry, going to the store,
visiting friends, or relaxing.
•
Schedule procrastination time. From time to time, you deserve it--however,
schedule it.
•
Initiate and develop positive self-talk about your ability to complete tasks. Tell
yourself, "I like doing this," or "What's a little discomfort now for success later?"
•
Stop continually criticizing yourself when you do procrastinate.
•
Be realistic. Determine the amount of time needed for a task before committing
yourself to a deadline.
•
Use past experience to help you analyze the amount of time needed. If you
misjudge, just use the information to help you assess your task better next time.
•
Go back to the beginning. Look at your goals. Determine the level of your
commitment to these goals and choose language learning tasks which correspond
to that commitment.
•
If you think you "cannot" do something, seek help from any resource available to
you (other target language linguists, the CLPM, or the Internet).
•
Give yourself sufficient time to break the habit. Reward yourself for making
progress--allow yourself relapses.
•
Throw yourself into the language learning task with an "I-intend-to-get-goingcome-what-may" attitude.
•
Use memory aids--lists, schedules, calendars, alarm clocks, and reminders by
friends.
34
•
When in a time bind, prioritizing tasks becomes even more important. Do tasks
which cannot be compacted first.
•
Develop efficient and effective strategies for the task. (e.g., you may be putting off
preparing for your DLPT because your ineffective study methods make studying
unpleasant and unproductive.)
Source: Student Learning Center Faculty, Presidio of Monterey
Managing your Emotions—Managing Anxiety & SelfConfidence
High anxiety and low self-confidence will destroy your ability to sustain and
enhance your target language. The strategies to overcome the negative effects of
those factors include techniques for lowering your anxiety by relaxing with music,
meditation or laughter, encouraging yourself by making positive statements, and
being aware of your emotions by writing a language learning diary. This section is
devoted to exploring these and other methods of controlling your emotions,
managing your anxieties, and bolstering your self-confidence.
In circumstances where you experience a high level of anxiety, remember that
these situations will work against effective language acquisition. Anxiety caused by
worry, nervousness and other emotions are significant roadblocks to success in any
endeavor—but can be crippling when it comes to sustaining, enhancing, and testing
your language skills. A high level of anxiety, which impedes the flow of input into
the brain and distracts the learner from the task at hand, slows down the language
learning process to a considerable degree. As one DLIFLC linguist put it, "…my
anxiety brings on the very failure which concerns me so much." Linguists in control
of their level of anxiety are more open to language study and learning. The process
then becomes more manageable, more enjoyable, and more comprehensible.
Anxiety and Language Learning
It is important to understand how uncontrolled anxiety can manifest as low selfconfidence and how the two can interact to negatively affect progress in learning
your target language.
•
•
Internally--regarding feelings about myself--I am concerned that I might lack
the capability needed to sustain my target language proficiency in the field.
Externally--regarding my feelings about interacting with other people--I am
concerned about what other linguists and the CLPM might think of me if I get
confused and ask questions about my target language.
Both internal and external manifestations of low self-confidence create a barrier to
learning through unconscious protection of the sense of self. Each linguist, even
though partnered in skills with other linguists, is a unique combination of
background, personality, perceptions, and behaviors. It is no wonder that every
linguist then will perform their duties in a slightly different way. Regardless of how
these many factors align to make you the linguist that you are, one of the most
35
important characteristics contributing to your abilities is your self-confidence.
Simply put, those with higher self-confidence are more able to withstand threats to
their sense of self worth and thus their defenses against those threats are lower.
They are consequently better able to capitalize on language learning challenges as
opportunities to improve themselves instead of threats to their current self-image
as a linguist. Those with weaker self-confidence maintain walls of inhibition to help
protect a more fragile sense of self-image. These walls or defenses hinder language
learning. Most learners realize this fact but can be powerless to take action.
Strategies for Overcoming Low Self-Confidence
As linguists in the field, your self-confidence is an essential concern in order for you
to keep your anxiety levels under control. Self confidence is also important to
sustain and enhance your target language skills. It is important that you become
aware of the most effective means for you to tackle the issue of low selfconfidence. No matter what your existing confidence level, the following
suggestions may give you a boost:
•
•
•
•
•
Accentuate the strengths of your language abilities. From time to time,
consider the skills that you have acquired and be proud that you are part of
an extremely small cadre of war fighters that can do what you do
Experiment with language learning strategies. View sustaining and enhancing
your target language as exciting and enjoyable challenges, not as
insurmountable or unassailable barriers. Take stock and accounting with each
improvement—take small steps—relish the excitement that comes with
professional excellence!
Experiment with the various autonomous language strategies presented in
this guide to find the ones that meet your learning style. View the strategies
as vehicles to advance your target language skills, and view yourself as a
self-reliant autonomous language learner.
Become more introspective and self-reflective. View introspection and selfreflection as a means to stave off negative thoughts about sustaining and
enhancing your target language. Reflect and focus on your accomplishments
and always remember that you are a DLIFLC graduate, which signifies your
ability to acquire foreign languages. Such an attitude will instill within you a
drive to continue your endeavors despite temporary setbacks.
Critically scrutinize your own language abilities. This strategy is central to
sustaining target language skills.
When linguists reflect on their own learning styles, as well as the strategies used
to sustain and enhance their target language, they regulate their own learning
conditions to maximize achieving their goals. They determine how they learn
best, they arrange conditions to help themselves learn, they focus attention on
the task, and they seek opportunities for practice in the target language. A
critical part of scrutinizing your own language abilities is self-regulation of
feelings and motivation. Autonomous language learners must have a sense of
how to manage their own learning.
36
Internet Based Resources
External Links Disclaimer - The appearance of hyperlinks to external sites does not constitute endorsement by the
Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) or the Department of the U.S. Army of the web site
or the information, products or services contained therein. DLIFLC does not exercise any editorial control over the
information you may find at these locations.
DLI Field Support Modules
http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/index.html
The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center offers country
familiarization materials and language survival kits/guides directly supporting both
linguists and non-linguists. From this site, linguists in the field can download or
order target language materials: Materials in bulk quantities (for deploying units,
for instance) can be ordered by emailing; "[email protected]" or by the
address below:
DLIFLC & POM ATTN: ATFL-CE-FS
400 Gigling Road, Room 1162
Seaside, CA 93955
Phone: (831) 242-7175; DSN: 768-7175
When ordering, please include the unit's physical address (i.e. street address,
building #, etc - no P.O. Box), a Point of Contact at the unit, and a commercial
telephone number for possible FEDEX delivery. Individual linguists can also order
field materials through the DLIFLC Language Materials Distribution System at:
http://www.dliflc.edu/lmdsemail.aspx
•
G.L.O.S.S.: The Global Language Online Support System (GLOSS) is a
project developed by the Curriculum Development Division. It provides easy
access to online language materials for language learners in the field. There
is an abundance of online materials available across 36 languages. These
materials were specifically developed to target many of the common trouble
areas for language learners striving to move from the plus level (1+, 2+,
etc.) to the next full level of proficiency. Materials cover ILR levels 1- 4.
However, not all levels are available for all languages.
Within the system there are lessons for both reading and listening skills. Most
languages have both types of lessons, but there are generally more reading
materials available than listening. Each reading lesson contains an audio
version of the source text. GLOSS organizes the materials into ten
content/topical domains: culture, economy, environment, geography,
military, politics, science, society, and technology. All GLOSS lessons are
categorized into one of three primary competencies: lexical (vocabulary),
37
structure (grammar), and discourse (devices that bind texts, conversations,
etc.). Additionally, all lessons address socio-cultural competence through
teacher notes and authentic presentation and context.
To access GLOSS, go to: http://gloss.dliflc.edu
•
Online Diagnostic Assessment (ODA) is also being developed by the
Curriculum Development Division. The project aims to develop a fully
automated web-based language proficiency diagnostic tool that identifies
learners’ strengths and weaknesses and provides feedback and learning
plans. The Online Diagnostic Assessment is available in Arabic, Korean,
Chinese, and Russian in both listening and reading. An ODA in Farsi reading
is also available and a listening assessment should be ready soon – keep
checking!
Linguists can log on the system, take an initial placement test, then go
through a diagnostic test, which consists of authentic passages accompanied
by questions targeting specific modality skills (reading and listening) and
enabling linguistic sub-skills. At the end of the diagnostic session, the linguist
will receive feedback on the areas that he will need to work on to progress to
the next proficiency level. A linguist will also be able to receive a learning
plan, consisting of strategies, activities and resources that would help him
achieve his objective. Alternatively, post-basic course linguists will receive a
placement recommendation for the intermediate or advanced course module
that best fits their needs.
To access ODA, go to: http://oda.dliflc.edu/
•
Countries in Perspective is a series, produced by the Technology
Integration Division, which features study materials, interactive maps, and
tests on nearly 60 countries from around the world, with an emphasis on
nations of strategic importance to the United States. Each country study
starts with a Country Profile section containing basic facts about the target
country, followed by selected themes organized under the major headings of
Geography, History, Economy, Society, and Security. Each study concludes
with an assessment module. A printable certificate is available to those who
receive a passing grade on the final assessment.
To access go to: http://famdliflc.lingnet.org/?v=cip
•
Cultural Orientations is another series developed by the Technology
Integration Division that offers an engaging introduction to over 75 cultural
groups around the globe. Linguists and non-linguists alike will benefit from
these interactive materials and pertinent language exchanges that are
coupled with an objective and practical look at daily life in different contexts.
Topics include religion, traditions, family life and differences in the lifestyles
of urban and rural populations.
To access go to: http://fieldsupport.dliflc.edu/lp/co.html
38
SCOLA
SCOLA is a non-profit educational organization that receives and re-transmits
television and radio programming from around the world in native languages. These
programs are available via satellite, cable TV, and the Internet to linguists who
study foreign languages, ethnic communities, and anyone seeking a global
perspective. SCOLA currently provides eight 24/7 channels of programming. Using
the DLIFLC access, graduates can get access to SCOLA from any internet
connection in the world.
Channel Number
Channel 1
(Europe)
Channel 5
(Africa)
Languages & Programming
News media programming from
France, Germany, Russia, the Czech
Republic, Slovakia, Croatia,
Hungary, Bulgaria, Lithuania,
Mexico, China, French-Canada and
other European languages.
Spain (including Basque), Portugal,
Central and South America.
Mandarin Chinese broadcasts from
the Confucius Institute.
Broadcasts from India, Pakistan,
Vietnam, Nepal, Singapore, the
Philippines, Mongolia, and Japan
French, Arabic, Amharic, and many
other African languages
Channel 6
(Middle and Near East)
Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Pashto, Dari,
Kurdish and Turkish
Channel 7
(Far East/South Asia)
Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Urdu,
Assamese, Bengali, and various
Indian languages
Channel 8
(Eurasia)
Serbian, Chechen, Chinese, Spanish,
German, Bosnian, Kyrgyz, Turkmen,
Uzbek, Albanian Kazakh, and others
Channel 2
(Iberia and Latin America)
Channel 3
(Mandarin Chinese)
Channel 4
(South and Southeast Asia)
SCOLA offers numerous fantastic opportunities for linguists to take their learning to
higher levels.
•
Insta-Class: each week, SCOLA takes 5 minutes of a newscast and makes a
class out of it. Included are the video and audio, the transcript, the translation,
a glossary for critical words, and a quiz. The student can download any or all of
these items separately, or use them all on the web. Using Insta-Class – Preview
the vocabulary. While listening to the audio/video, read along with the
39
•
•
•
•
transcript, thus refining word differentiation and listening. Compare the
glossaries from different articles to fill in gaps in your vocabulary knowledge.
Specialized Word Search: search through hundreds of saved news videos to
select the topics you need to work on and watch several videos over a few days,
thus recycling the vocabulary in similar contexts. This practice is especially good
for familiarizing yourself with DLPT topics you may not encounter often in your
particular duties.
Digital archive: Search by language, topic, program name and type, even
station.
People and Places: Short videos to give you the “boots on the ground” view of
places you may not have gone to yet.
On-The-Street Videos: Informal interviews in dozens of languages, on dozens of
topics.
To access SCOLA, go to: http://scola.org/
To login, enter the following: Username: SLC
Password: slc1513
Virtual Education Centers
Department of http://apps.militaryonesource.mil/MOS/f?p=VOLED:HOME:0
Defense:
Army: https://www.armyeducation.army.mil
Air Force: https://www.my.af.mil/faf/FAF/fafHome.jsp
Navy: https://www.navycollege.navy.mil/
Marine Corps: http://www.tecom.marines.mil/
The CIA World Factbook
The first classified Factbook was published in August 1962, and the first unclassified
version was published in June 1971. The 1975 Factbook was the first to be made
available to the public with sales through the US Government Printing Office (GPO).
The year 2006 marked the 59th anniversary of the establishment of the Central
Intelligence Agency and the 63rd year of continuous basic intelligence support to
the US Government by The World Factbook.
To access The CIA World Fact Book go to:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
40
Virtual Reference Shelf for Military Intelligence
Professionals
The Internet Public Library: ipl2
ipl2 is a public service organization and a learning/teaching environment staffed
through the efforts of thousands of students and volunteer library and information
science professionals. These volunteers answer reference questions and are
involved in designing, building, creating and maintaining the ipl2's collections. In
January 2010, the website "ipl2: information you can trust" was launched, merging
the collections of resources from the Internet Public Library (IPL) and the Librarians'
Internet Index (LII) websites. The site is hosted by Drexel University's College of
Information Science & Technology.
To access the ipl2, go to:
http://www.ipl.org/
Suggested reading materials:
This list is of general interest for military intelligence personnel. These authors are
prolific, so there is plenty of additional material available. These books are available
for checkout at most libraries.
Hyperlinks are book reviews (unless otherwise noted):
1.
Al-Zayyat, M: The Road to Al-Qaeda. Pluto Press, 2004.
2.
Baer, Robert. The Devil We Know: Dealing With the New Iranian Superpower.
Crown Publishers, 2008.
3.
Beardon, Milton. The Main Enemy: The Inside Story of the CIA’s Final
Showdown with the KGB. Presidio Press Books, 2003.
4.
Briscoe, Charles. [et al] Weapon of Choice: US Army Special Operations in
Afghanistan. Fort Leavenworth, KS: Combat Studies Institute Press, 2003.
5.
Brzezinski, Zbigniew. The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy and Its
Geostrategic Imperatives. Basic Books, 1998.
6.
Coll, Steve. Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin
Laden, From the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001. Penguin Books,
2004. (link to pdf)
7.
Collins, Aukai: My Jihad: The True Story of an American Mujahid’s Amazing
Journey from Usama Bin Laden’s Training Camps to Counterterrorism with
the FBI and CIA. Simon and Schuster, 2003.
41
8.
Dickey, Christopher. Securing the City: Inside America’s Best Counterterror
Force-The NYPD. Simon and Schuster, 2009.
9.
English, Richard. Armed Struggle-The History of the IRA. Pan Books, 2004.
10.
Fandy, M. Saudi Arabia and the Politics of Dissent. Palgrave Macmillan, 2001.
11.
Herrington, Stuart. Stalking the Vietcong, Inside Operation Phoenix: A
Personal Account. Randon House Publishing Group, New York, NY, 2004.
12.
Juergensmeyer, M. Terror in the Mind of God. University of California, 2000.
13.
Kohlmann, Even F. Al-Qaida’s Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network.
Berg Publishers, 2004. (link to pdf)
14.
Long, David E. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. University Press of Florida,
1997.
15.
Moore, Robin. The Hunt for Bin Laden: Task Force Dagger. Random House,
2003.
16.
Nydell, M. Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Westerners. Interculture Press,
2002. (Google e-books)
17.
Peterson, John. Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Databases. Indianapolis: Que
Publishing, 2002. (Google e-books)
18.
Sagemann, M. Understanding Terror Networks. University of Pennsylvania
Press, 2004. (Google e-books)
19.
Scheuer, Michael. Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq.
Simon and Schuster, 2009. (Google e-books)
20.
Sifaoui, M. Inside Al-Qaeda. Thunder Mouth Press, 2004. (Google e-books)
21.
Stern, J. Terror in the Name of God. Harper Collins, 2004. (Google e-books)
22.
Tanner, Stephen. Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to
the War against the Taliban. Da Capo Press, 2009.
23.
Teitelbaum, J. Holier Than Thou: Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Opposition.
Washington Institute for Near East Policy, 2000.
24.
Toliver, Raymond F. The Interrogator: The Story of Hans-Joachim Scharff,
Master Interrogator of the Luftwaffe (revised). Schiffer Publishing. 1997.
25.
Wright, Peter. Spycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence
Officer. Dell, 1988.
42
Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin
The U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca (USAIC&FH) publishes the
Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin (MIPB) quarterly under the
provisions of AR 25-30. MIPB presents information designed to keep intelligence
professionals informed of current and emerging developments within the field and
provides an open forum in which ideas; concepts; tactics, techniques, and
procedures; historical perspectives; problems and solutions, etc. can be exchanged
and discussed for purposes of professional development.
To access the MIPB, go to:
http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/army/mipb/index.html
Defense Intelligence Agency: Recommended Reading List
To access the DIA reading list, go to:
http://www.dia.mil/about/director/reading-list.html
US Army War College Library: Databases, E-Books,
Bibliographies, USAWC Research Center links
To access the US Army War College Library, go to:
http://www.carlisle.army.mil/library/index.htm
Air University: Extensive Reading List for the Intelligence
Community
To access the Air University reading list, go to:
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/awc-ntel.htm
US Naval War College: MOC Warfighter!
MOC Warfighter! MOC Warfighter is an interactive, “on-line” magazine for naval
officers and senior naval enlisted serving on MOC and CTF staffs, as well as
commands, agencies, coalition partners, and others that routinely interact with
them. Its overriding mission is to help MOCs efficiently and effectively plan,
prepare, execute, and assess at the maritime operational level of war (OLW).
To access the MOC Warfighter! on-line magazine, go to:
https://www.usnwc.edu/mocwarfighter/
CIA Center for the Study of Intelligence: Publications
To access the CIA CSI, go to:
https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/index.html
43
CIA Intelligence Literature: Suggested Reading List
To access the CIA Intelligence Literature suggested reading list, go to:
https://www.cia.gov/library/intelligence-literature/index.html
Foreign Affairs Journal
Published by the Council on Foreign Relations
To access the Foreign Affairs Journal, go to:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
The Economist
Authoritative weekly newspaper focusing on international politics and
business news and opinion
To access The Economist, go to:
http://www.economist.com/
The Wall Street Journal
WSJ online coverage of breaking news and current headlines from the US
and around the world. Top stories, photos, videos, detailed analysis
To access The Wall Street Journal, go to:
http://online.wsj.com/home-page
44
Online Resources by Language (hyperlinked)
Multi-language sites
http://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpubli
cweb/en/nav-college/nav-col-pltce.html
https://www.mccep.com
http://www.wordchamp.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/lan
guages/index.shtml
http://www.sharedtalk.com/
http://www.childrenslibrary.org/
http://www.abyznewslinks.com/
http://wwitv.com
http://www.gooya.co.uk/worldtv.html
http://www.omniglot.com/index.htm
http://www.beelinetv.com/
http://radiostationworld.com/default.as
p
http://www.kidon.com/medialink/index.php
http://www.cosmosradio.com/
http://www.proz.com/glossarytranslations
http://clear.msu.edu/viewpoint/ourvide
os.php
http://mimea.clear.msu.edu/
http://www.linguanaut.com/
Arabic
http://forum.wordreference.com/forum
display.php?f=41
http://acon.baykal.be/
http://youtu.be/kScrL8m1qMs
http://tunein.com/radio/Rotana-RadioJordan-999-s93633/
Partnership Language Training Center
Europe (PLTCE) 5-week
Refresher/Enhancement Courses in:
AD, PF, RU, SC, FR, GM, (AU, AP, AV,
BS, & DG Dialects)
Military Cryptologic Continuing
Education Program
Online flashcards and website reader
News and analysis in your language
Rosetta Stone-sponsored voice and text
chat in 113 languages
Online children’s books in AD, CM, TA,
SC, FR, GM, HE, JN, JT, JA, KP, PF, PY,
QB, TU, Swahili, and Kinyarwanda
News/TV/Radio from around the world
Free international TV
Free international TV
Online language resources; radio,
news, etc.
Free international TV
Online radio stations
News sites
6000 online radio stations
Glossaries by topic (Accounting to
Zoology) FR, JT, GM, QB, RU, CM, AD,
GR, SC, JN, TU, PY, PF, HJ, many
others
Michigan State videos (RU, KP, GM, AD,
CM)
Interactive Multi-Media Modules: (RU,
KP, GM, AD, CM)
Language learning lessons in more the
50 languages
WordReference discussion board about
Arabic
Arabic Verb Conjugator
How to perform the Muslim prayer
Radio Jordan
45
http://www.funwitharabic.com/
Alphabet, grammar, etc.
http://www.welokee.nl/welokee/arabic/
query_index.php
http://www.lingo24.com/contextrans.ht
ml
Online or downloadable dictionarysearchable by root
Online dictionary; “translation”
produces in-context EN/TL sentences,
“paraphrase” produces TL only
sentences
Online picture dictionary
http://www.dicts.info/picturedictionary.php?language=arabic
http://mediu.org/
http://memri.org/
http://www.elementaryarabic.com/
http://www.alaghany.com/
http://www.arabicmusictranslation.com
/
http://clear.msu.edu/viewpoint/ourvide
os.php
http://ags.lingnet.org/
http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/arabi
c/levantine/index.html
http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/arabi
c/index.html
http://wwitv.com/tv_channels/b5203.ht
m
http://www.merlot.org/merlot/materials
.htm;jsessionid=8296fb4b30d663c11af
e0b0046ebaa7f932ba026a892.e34Oa30
TaN4Ke34Lc3uKbheQbhb0?keywords=a
rabic
http://www.talfazat.com/
http://www.saudisearch.com/dir/saudinews-media
http://www.lebweb.com/dir/lebanonnews-media
http://www.jarirbooks.net/
http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/mes
/
http://www.memritv.org/
http://www.jcctv.net/
http://www.alkitab.com/main.asp?uri=
1065&cat=1.150.286
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Arabic
Medina University; online Arabic
classes, with information about Islam
Middle East Media Research Institute:
explores the ME through their media
Grammar Guide for MSA
Arabic downloadable music
Music with lyrics and translations
Michigan St U free Arabic Videos
DLIFLC Arabic grammar search
Levantine lessons, references
Videos etc
Baghdad Channel: Live TV from Iraq
Online instructional and reference
materials
On-demand Arabic TV, some free
Saudi magazines, newspapers, online
TV and radio
Lebanese newspapers, magazines,
online TV and radio
Books in Arabic: order distributed from
US
Middle East Studies (UT Austin)
MEMRI TV
Al Jazeera’s children’s web site.
Hundreds of videos in MSA.
Bookstore of bilingual EN/AD books in
California
Arabic Wikibooks
46
http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/index.sht
ml
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnec
tions/mideast/index.html
http://www.al-bab.com/arab/blogs.htm
Gulf 2000 project – tons of maps and
data (English)
PBS Middle East site
http://guides.lib.cua.edu/content.php?p
id=180710&sid=1630303
http://www.france24.com/ar/
http://www.ahewar.org/debat/nr.asp
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/aswaat/ind
ex.php
http://alrai.com/
Catholic University of America: MSA
music, film, blogs, radio, TV
News site based in France (AD/EN/FR)
AD Discussion site (AD/EN)
Tons of videos that can be played at
slow speed
Alrai Newspaper has been the leading
daily newspaper in Kuwait since 2000.
Chinese (Mandarin)
http://www.lmp.ucla.edu/Profile.aspx?L
angID=78&menu=004
http://www.chinatoday.com/
http://clear.msu.edu/viewpoint/ourvide
os.php
http://learningchineseonline.net/
http://fllc.unt.edu/chinese/
http://www.ntdtv.com
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/
http://www.cctv.com/default.shtml
http://www.languagerealm.com/chinese
/mainch.php
http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/apj
international/aspjchinese.html
http://www.chinabroadcast.cn/
http://www.rcinet.ca/
http://www.dwworld.de/dw/0,2142,293,00.html
http://www.xuezhongwen.net
http://www.lingo24.com/contextrans.ht
ml
http://newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/
3423/content.htm
http://www.sinodefence.com/default.asp
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/mygirl/links/299189/title/mysojucomwatch-korean-japanese-taiwanesedramas-movies-online-with-englishsubtiltes
Best of the Arab blogs – English
UCLA Language Materials Project
China Today
Short videos of native-level conversations
on topics like: Bargaining, giving advice,
returning a purchase, arguing/reconciling,
expressing sympathy, etc.
Learning Chinese on-line
Links to Chinese web resources
New Tang Dynasty Television
Voice of America in Chinese
China Central Television
Chinese language links
Air & Space Power Journal in Chinese
China Radio International
Radio Canada International in Chinese
German news in Chinese
online Chinese dictionary
Online dictionary; “translation”
produces in-context EN/TL sentences,
“paraphrase” produces TL only
sentences
Mich. State virtual online game teaches
Chinese culture/language
English info on China’s military
Taiwanese Drama with English subtitles
47
http://www.jpopasia.com/
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~rsimmon/c
hingram/ChineseGrammar.html
http://forum.wordreference.com/forum
display.php?f=72
http://www.miktamchinese.com/
http://zhongwen.com/
http://chinesepod.com/
French (African and European)
http://french.about.com/
http://french.about.com/library/weekly
/aa020901a.htm
http://www.lehman.edu/deanhum/langl
it/french/afrique.html
http://www.lehman.edu/deanhum/langl
it/french/bonsites.html
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/
http://www.utm.edu/departments/frenc
h/french.html
http://www.lemonde.fr/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La%C3%A
Fcit%C3%A9
http://www.bbc.co.uk/french/
www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/cool
http://www.defense.gouv.fr/
http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/i
ndex.php
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bande_dess
inée_en_ligne
http://www.congoblog.net/
Jpop Asia Music (Japan, Korea, China)
Basic Chinese Grammar
Word Reference. Ask anything. Answers
and references from both Chinas and
the whole world.
Online book that teaches the 4,000
most common Chinese characters in 50
different fields.
Learn Chinese characters
Chinese podcasts and learning tools
Gold mine of information, lessons,
assessments
French Gestures
French Africa
Lists Francophone countries, with good
links to culture. Each country’s name is
in French and is a link to either a fact
book, independent site or official
government-sponsored site.
This is a really packed site, so allow
time to load. You can find anything
here from the official point of view. Has
pop-up menus for list of all Frenchspeaking countries and list of Francerelated topics
a great deal of info, maps, images,
history, culture, etc.
On-line daily newspaper; articles are
simple enough for reading practice
A thorough discussion of French laïcité,
or the absence of religious involvement
in government and vice versa.
BBC Africa News in French
BBC Cool French
French Defense Ministry site, with subsites about the different services, their
equipment, their rations, etc.
Exploring Africa
French Web-comics
Congo Blog
48
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/fi/
http://www.laits.utexas.edu/jnl/
http://eluardchatillon.free.fr/site/podca
st4/Podcast_des_4e1/rss.xml
http://www.terre.tv/podcast/podcast.x
ml
http://xml.tsr.ch/xml/index.xml?siteSec
t=674000&programId=242956
http://www.lemonde.fr/pod/fil/0,570,64-876502,0.xml
UT Austin interactive French
UT Austin interactive French verbs
French Podcasts
http://feedproxy.google.com/VideoDrol
eEtMarranteLesMieuxNotes
http://www.lingo24.com/contextrans.ht
ml
French video feeds
http://www.irinnews.org/fr/
German
http://www.spiegel.de/
http://de.yahoo.com/
http://www.zeitung.ch/
http://www.learn-germanonline.net/learning-germanresouces/german-as-a-foreignlanguage-on-internet.htm
http://www.dw.de/learn-german/s2469
http://www.kaleidos.de/
http://de.podcast.filmtrailer.com/defaul
t/Latest30InCinema/
http://www.lebedienacht.de/pods/audio
/rss.xml
http://gadgetvideo.de/rss/vidcast-l.xml
http://feeds.feedburner.com/unterwegs
http://de.podcast.filmtrailer.com/defaul
t/Latest60CinemaCreated/?channel_use
r_id=491100007-1
http://podcast.wdr.de/maus.xml
http://content.zdf.de/podcast/zdf_hjo/h
jo.xml
http://www.ndr.de/podcastlink/extra3_
videopodcast.xml
French Podcasts
French Podcasts
Online dictionary; “translation”
produces in-context EN/TL sentences,
“paraphrase” produces TL only
sentences
UN humanitarian news; you can get
weekly email updates in French
Spiegel On Line (Germany’s leading
news magazine
Yahoo! Deutschland (in German
List of German language newspapers
and magazines in Switzerland (w/ links)
List of Websites that Teach German
Interactive Online Courses
German Website about Everyday Life
Jetzt im Kino; Movie Trailers
Podcasts
HD-Video Podcast
RSS Feeds
Film Trailers
Podcast
Podcast
Video podcast
49
Hebrew
http://fasdigiclass.rutgers.edu/page.jsp?dept=he
brew
http://fieldsupport.lingnet.org/downloa
ds.aspx
http://www.101languages.net/hebrew/
http://www.byki.com/fls/free-hebrewsoftware-download.html?l=hebrew
http://www.carla.umn.edu/lctl/VPA/Heb
rew/intro.html
http://www.jpress.org.il/publications/d
avar-en.asp
http://www.gbarto.com/multilingua/itty
bitty/blog/2004/12/itty-bitty-hebrewcourse.html
http://www.gtstranslation.com/freetranslation.asp
http://www.hebrew-verbs.co.il/
http://www.nato.int/docu/review/previ
ous/previous_he.html
http://www.quia.com/shared/search?ca
tegory=11775&adv_search=true
http://judaism.stackexchange.com/que
stions/3914/good-jewish-blogs-aboutthe-modern-hebrew-language
http://www.ynet.co.il/home/0,7340,L8,00.html
http://www.zigzagworld.com/hebrewfor
me/
Hindi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/hindi/index.shtml
http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/
hindilinks.html
http://www.hindilanguage.org/
http://www.fredriley.org.uk/call/langsit
e/indian.html
http://www.nyu.edu/gsas/dept/mideast
/hindi/grammar.html
http://dict.hinkhoj.com/words/meaning
-of-GRAMMAR-in-hindi.html
http://www.iils.org/pdf/ModernHindiGra
mmar.pdf
http://bwcinema.com/
Hebrew Basic Online/Exercises
Hebrew LSK's
Hebrew Familiarization
Free Hebrew Lessons/Exercises
Hebrew Exercises
Historical Jewish Press: began as the
newspaper of the Zionist labor
movement, founded in 1925
Hebrew Familiarization Course
Online Translation tool
Hebrew Verb Trainer
NATO Review in Hebrew
Hebrew Grammar Exercises
Good Jewish Blogs about the Modern
Hebrew Language – plenty of links
Ynet new in Hebrew
Hebrew Exercises
BBC’s Hindi service
Hindi language resources
comprehensive Hindi language resource
Indian language sites
Virtual Hindi: grammar, stories,
exercises
English to Hindi Dictionary
Modern Hindi Grammar
Bollywood Cinema
50
http://www.shoutcast.com/radio/Hindi
http://apni.tv/serials
http://hindiurduflagship.org/resources/
http://taj.chass.ncsu.edu/
http://www.quillpad.in/hindi/
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pl
atts/
Indonesian
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Indonesian
http://bahasakita.com/modernindonesian-poetry/
www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/indones
ian/
http://www.expat.or.id/info/links.html
http://tbelfield.wordpress.com/2008/07
/19/jakarta-urban-language-culturalgado-gado/
http://blogs.usyd.edu.au/maxlaneintlas
ia/
http://mylanguages.org/learn_indonesi
an.php
Complete list of free Hindi radio
stations broadcasting in MP3 and AAC+
format from around the world. Browse
the list of stations or AAC+, or search
for favorite station
Watch Hindi serials online
Hindi Urdu Flagship: University of
Texas at Austin – provides impressive
electronic books and online learning
materials created by Hindi Urdu
Flagship professors, downloadable
videos of Hindi native speakers
discussing and demonstrating specific
language features and situations, as
well as links to other Hindi online
resources
A Door into Hindi: North Carolina State
University – provides a great
interactive, multimedia learning
website
Quillpad: An Editor of Writing in Hindi –
allows you to type Hindi in English and
it will (usually) correctly transform it
into the Hindi script for you.
Digital Dictionaries of South Asia: A
Dictionary of Urdu, Classical Hindi, and
English – This hefty volume from 1884
was scanned for public use online. You
can search for entries in Urdu, Hindi, or
English. This dictionary is especially
useful for advanced students.
comprehensive Indonesian language
site
Modern Indonesian Poetry
Indonesian Podcast: Improve your
Indonesian language skills
useful links on Indonesia
Jakarta blog - varied links &
contemporary slang use
blog on political affairs/Indonesia
Learn Indonesian: a comprehensive site
for all things Indonesian
51
http://quizlet.com/subject/indonesianlanguage/
http://www.indonesia.listenradios.com/
http://watch.squidtv.net/asia/indonesia
.html
Italian
http://www.fredriley.org.uk/call/langsit
e/italian.html
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/lib
rary/tealea/arts/italian/usefulwebsites/
https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/I
taly_Websites
http://www.w3newspapers.com/italy/
http://www.italiamia.com/education.ht
ml
http://www.esercito.difesa.it/
http://italian.about.com/od/italianlitera
ture/Italian_Literature_Italian_Authors.
htm
http://www.omniglot.com/links/italian.
php
http://altec.colorado.edu/Italian/index.
shtml
http://bubl.ac.uk/link/i/italianlanguage.
htm
http://www.cyberitalian.com/en/html/s
hopping_movies.html
http://www.radio24.ilsole24ore.com/
http://www.radioitalia.it/
http://www.radioitalylive.com
Quizlet: Indonesian language study sets
Indonesian Live Radio
Squid TV: commercial television station
based in West Jakarta (Indonesian:
Jakarta Barat). The live stream is
available on the front page
UK based compendium of Italian
language links
The University of Warwick: Useful
Italian websites
Italy Websites: Back to Italy Wiki page,
The Italian Heritage Italian Emigrants
Database, and Italian Town Database
Links to Italian newspapers for
information on latest news, events,
entertainment, sports, jobs, education,
travel, history, and business in Italy
Italia Mia is a small window to Italy, its
culture and products. In each main
category from the blue menu, you will
find a collection of selected links
Italian Ministry of Defense
Read Italian/English texts side-by-side
and research both classic and modern
Italian writers
Omniglot: links to online Italian
Resources
Anderson Language Technology Center:
language links
BUBL Italian language links
Italian movie store
Radio 24: Ascolta Radio 24, la radio de
Il Sole 24 ORE: news, notiziari, borsa e
guide in tempo reale. La radio online è
in formato mp3 e podcast scaricabili
Radio Italia: Trasmette solo musica
italiana. Nel portale possibilità di
richiedere un brano musicale o un video
Italian Radio: From the very heart of
Manhattan in New York City, the real
Italian sound
52
http://www.ansa.it
http://www.rai.it/
http://www.corriere.it/
http://www.learnitalianpod.com/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian
/
http://www.repubblica.it
http://www.gazzetta.it/
http://www.ilsole24ore.com/
http://multilingualbooks.com/onlinemagazines-italian.html
http://www.virgilio.it/
http://www.esteri.it/
http://europa.eu/index_it.htm
http://www.italianlanguageguide.com/
Japanese
http://www.veoh.com/list/c/japanesemovies-dramas-tv
http://www.crunchyroll.com/ .
http://www.asahi.com/english/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/shukanst/
http://www.jpf.go.jp/e/japanese /
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/
http://www.rikai.com/
http://www.thejapanesepage.com/
http://www.nihongo.org/english/
http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/
japanese.html
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/
http://jisho.org /
http://www.w3newspapers.com/japan/
magazines/
http://www.shoutcast.com/radio/Japan
ese
http://dev.jgram.org/pages/viewOne.p
hp?tagE=beki
Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata
(Italian & English): Il sito Internet
dell'Agenzia ANSA - Notizie, foto, video
e approfondimenti su: cronaca, politica,
regioni, mondo, esteri, sport, calcio,
economia, borsa…
Radio Televisione Italiana
Italian newspaper
Italian lessons via podcast
BBC Italian language lessons
Italian
Italian
Italian
Italian
newspaper
newspaper
newspaper
magazines online
Italian Search engine
Italian Search engine
Italian newspaper
Improve your Italian pronunciation
using these lessons and other
resources; Italian verb conjugator
Watch Japanese Drama Movies Online
for Free
Videos in Japanese and Korean with
subtitles
Asahi Shimbun
Japan Times online
Japanese Language Education
Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Times
Rikai
Japanese Page
Nihongo.org
Jim Breen
Mainichi Daily News
Denshi Jisho – Online Japanese
dictionary
Japanese Magazines
Japanese Radio Stations
JGram - Japanese Grammar Database
53
Korean
http://www.zkorean.com/english-koreandictionary
http://korean.sogang.ac.kr
http://www.w3newspapers.com/southkorea/
http://koreandrama.com/
http://www.w3newspapers.com/southkorea/magazines/
http://joongangdaily.joins.com/
Free online Korean-English and
English-Korean dictionaries, with words
and phrases. Premium features include
audio pronunciation
Sogang University Virtual Korean
Website
Korean Newspapers:
한국어 신문
Korean dramas
Korean Magazines
http://www.yonhapnews.co.kr/
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/
http://www.voanews.com/korean
http://www.donga.com/
http://www.koreatimes.com/
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/asian/korean/i
ntermediate/
www.naver.com
http://www.zkorean.com/koreangrammar-and-vocabulary-reference
http://www.shoutcast.com/radio/Korean
http://ankdm.lingnet.org/
Pashto/Dari
http://www.khyber.org/
Joong-ang Daily in both English &
Korean
Yon-hap Korean News in both English
& Korean
The Korea Herald in both English &
Korean
Voice of America News
Dong-a News
Korea Times in both English & Korean
Intermediate college Korean from
University of Michigan
news, blog, and so on... Like
yahoo.com
Korean Grammar and Vocabulary
Reference
Korean Radio Stations Online
Advanced North Korean Dialect:
DLIFLC North Korean Supplemental
Materials – contains a wealth of
lessons and exercises using the North
Korean dialect covering materials from
level 2 to level 4
Kyber.org: Articles, references,
literature, media – Pashto
http://uiuc.libguides.com/content.php?pi
d=194322&sid=1628814
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign: Resources for the study of
the Dari dialect of the Persian
language – Dictionaries and Grammar
http://www.uiuc.libguides.com/content.p
hp?pid=194326&sid=1628830
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign: Resources for the study of
the Pashto language – Dictionaries and
Grammar
54
http://www.italki.com/user/770976#
Italki: Speak/Learn Dari Language –
find language partners, online
teachers, online discussions in Dari
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.a Afghanistan’s Web Site: news,
spx?from=&to=fa&a=www.afghanistans.c discussions, history, Afghan proverbs,
om
photos, etc.; Dari
http://tolo.tv/index.php?lang=dari)
Tolo TV (in Dari)
http://da.azadiradio.org/
Azadi Radio Afghanistan; Dari
http://www.darivoa.com/
Dari Voice of America
http://www.pashtovoa.com/
Pashto Voice of America
http://www.afghanwiki.com/ps/index.php Afghan Wiki: Online resources about
?title=%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85%DA
Afghanistan in Pashto
%93%DB%8C_%D9%85%D8%AE
http://pashto.irib.ir/
Iran Pashto Radio
http://afg-info.com/
Afghan Information: a wide variety of
topics and hundreds of links
http://watch.squidtv.net/asia/afghanistan Squid TV: numerous Afghanistan TV
.html
News broadcasts; Pashto and Dari
http://www.sabawoon.com/index.php
Sabawoon Online: Culture, Politics and
Society news
http://www.afghanhiphop.com/
Afghanhiphop.com: everything from
music and videos, to TV and discussion
forums
http://www.virtualafghans.com/
Virtual Afghan: Music, songs, videos,
radio, TV; Pashto
http://www.afghanstar.tv/
Like “American Idol”
http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED399825. A Reference Grammar of Pashto
pdf
http://mylanguages.org/learn_dari.php
Learn Dari: Grammar reference
Persian Farsi
http://www.farsinet.com/
Farsi Net: extensive site with
numerous links
Easy Persian: Dictionary, Persian Farsi
lessons – the basics to advanced
Gooya: The Persian Portal – Iranian
http://www.easypersian.com/index.html
http://www.gooya.com/
directory, information on news, politics
and personalities
http://www.ffiri.ir/
FFIRI: Football Federation of the
Islamic Republic of Iran
http://www.parstimes.com/
Categorized and searchable directory of
Iran, the Middle East, and Caspian Sea
region related web sites
http://www.dictionary-farsi.com/
Dictionary Farsi-Persian: has more
than 1,000,000 words and it’s free of
charge. Extra services support
Proverbs, Idioms, Phrasal verbs,
Quotations, Synonyms, etc.
55
http://www.roozonline.com/persian.html
http://blog.35dg.com/
http://www.falehafez.com/
http://www.easypersian.com/persian/Ne
w/Persian_poetry.htm
http://www.niacouncil.org/site/PageServ
er?pagename=Persian_index
Rooz is published on the Internet
every morning, Iranian time. This
daily is published by independent and
reformist journalists and advocates of
human rights and freedom inside and
outside Iran. Its policies are
determined by an editorial board.
Blog
Falehafez: Selection of poetry by a
great Persian lyric Poet
EasyPersian: offers poetry links to a
wide variety of great Persian poets
National Iranian American Council;
Persian Farsi and English
http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/pe
rsian-farsi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/jjn/
SBS: Persian-Farsi Podcasts
http://www.radiocp.com/
Maryland-based Farsi news weekly
http://www.surfmusic.de/country/iran.ht
ml
Surf Music: Iran Radio Stations Live –
Listen Online – over 3,000 Radio
stations. Web radio, Net radio, FM
and AM Stations, Web TV, Police
scanner, etc.
http://www.persia4all.com/
Persian 4 All: Persian Film, TV, News,
Music, Radio, etc.
BBC news and music roundup
http://books.google.com/books?ie=UTFPersian Grammar: online Google e8&hl=en&id=BrczxkTlZfgC&dq=Persian+
book - complete
Grammar+book&prev=http://books.goog
le.com/books%3Fq%3DPersian%2BGram
mar%2Bbook&lpg=PA3&pg=PA3&sig=1bi
3TVVEV1MHAIH_i2U06bZMqyA#v=onepa
ge&q=Persian%20Grammar%20book&f=f
alse
http://persian.nmelrc.org/
Persian In Texas: textual and
multimedia resources
http://www.radiocp.com/
Radio College Park (U Maryland):
weekly Persian (Farsi) radio program
and Podcast produced every Friday by
a group of Iranian students and
alumni of the University of Maryland
at College Park as well as its audience
56
Portuguese
http://www.bbc.co.uk/portuguese/
http://www.orbilat.com/Languages/Portu
guese/Grammar/
http://www.colonialvoyage.com/pt/index.
html
http://www.afrol.com/pt/index.htm
http://www.w3newspapers.com/portugal
/magazines/
http://www.rtp.pt/
http://www.dwworld.de/dw/0,,607,00.html?id=607
http://www.jornaldigital.com/
British News is Portuguese
Orbis Latinus: Descriptive Grammar of
Portuguese Language
Colonial Voyage: history of
geographical discoveries and the early
colonial empires, with particular
reference to the Portuguese and
Dutch trading settlements in Asia,
Africa and America; in Portuguese
Africa News in Portuguese
W3newspapers: Portuguese
Magazines Online – a list of
magazines on a wide variety of topics
Radio e Televiseao Portugal
German News in Portuguese
Jornal Digital: News in real time Portuguese News Network
English to Portuguese translations
http://www.free-dictionarytranslation.com/englishportuguese/index.html
http://www.soniaportuguese.com/text/grammar.htm
http://www.podfeed.net/tags/portuguese
http://www.surfmusic.de/country/portug
al.html
Portuguese Grammar Book online –
also recipes, proverbs, slang,
cartoons, etc.
Tudo Bem Portuguese: Advanced
Portuguese Lessons online
Brazilian Portuguese Podcast (free):
lessons, audio files, online activities,
quizzes, language support
Portuguese Phrases and Lessons
For advanced learners: Site that
details conventions of the written
language used in editing and
proofreading
Portuguese Podcasts
Surf Music: Portugal Radio Stations
and Web0TV broadcast Online
Russian
http://en.ria.ru/learning_russian/
Rianovost: Have fun with Russian
http://www.tudobemportuguese.com/less
on/4/advanced
http://brazilianportuguesepod.com/
http://www.easyportuguese.com/
http://publications.europa.eu/code/pt/pt4100100pt.htm
http://www.alphadictionary.com/director
y/Languages/Slavic/Russian/
http://www.russianlessons.net/
57
Alpha Dictionary: A variety of online
Russian dictionaries, including
specialty dictionaries
Russian Language Lesson for Free:
Russian language course with audio
and other free content
http://www.russianmentor.net/
http://www.uebersetzung.at/twister/ru.ht
m
http://www.russianmentor.net/RussianLi
brary/description.htm
http://www.ruvr.ru/index.php?lng=rus
http://www.ituner.com/country/Russia.ht
ml
http://www.gramota.ru/
http://www.masterrussian.com/
http://learnrussian.rt.com/grammartables/
http://www.etvnet.ca/
http://www.lexiophiles.com/english/russi
an-humor
http://www.101.ru/
Spanish
www.latinamericalinks.com/spanish_cogn
ates.htm
http://edsitement.neh.gov/referenceshelf/best-web-spanish-languagewebsites-general/spanish-languagewebsites-advanced-and-advancedplacement-recommended
http://www.bowdoin.edu/~eyepes/newgr
/ats/
58
Russian Language Mentor: Language
development/maintenance and
resource tools, including grammar,
exercises, interactive research index,
cultural literacy, listening proficiency,
etc.
Russian Tongue Twisters: 1st
international collection of Tongue
Twisters with rough translations
Russian Language Mentor: Russian
Listening/Reading Library: 500
listening/reading practice exercises
taken from SCOLA broadcasts of
Russian TV with texts thematically
arranged
The Voice of Russia: news, breaking
news, politics, economy
iTuner: comprehensive list of Russian
online radio stations
Tons of Russian
Master Russian: exercises,
pronunciation, tests, quizzes, folk
music, fun stuff, learner’s lore, verb
conjugations, etc.
Learn Russian: Grammar tables,
phonetics, tests, lessons
Russian movies, TV, radio
Lexiophiles, Love Your Words: Russian
humor –the Russians are famous for
their humor!
101 RU: 101 radio stations: music,
humor, news
Spanish Cognates Dictionary: Spanish
cognates are an integral part of
developing a person's Spanish
vocabulary
EdSitement: The Best of the
Humanities on the Web – Advanced
Spanish Language Websites
Bowdoin: Spanish Grammar – Online
Advanced Spanish Book
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/news/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/spanish
/
http://www.spainun.org/pages/home.cfm
http://www.donquijote.org/spanishlangu
age/chistes/
http://wee.fadri.org/
http://www.shoutcast.com/radio/Spanish
www.clarin.com.ar
www.rtve.es
www.un.org/radio/es
www.canalsur.es
www.RCNradio.com
www.rpp.com.pe
www.espaciofm.com.ar
www.CNNExpansion.com
http://www.podcastdirectory.com/langua
ge/
www.usa.gov/gobiernousa/MasNoticias/P
odcasts.shtml
www.mundopodcast.net
59
BBC News in Spanish
BBC Spanish learning site
Gobierno de España: permanent
mission of Spain to the United Nations
Counseling information – Today at the
U.N.: Spanish
Don Quijote: Spanish jokes
Web-comics in Spanish
Shoutcast Radio Directory: Top
Spanish Internet Radio Stations
Clarin: Noticias de la Argentina y el
mundo. Información actualizada las
24 horas y en español
RTVE: Siga las noticias de última hora
nacionales e internacionales en
RTVE.es. Todos los programas, series,
documentales e informativos de TVE y
de RNE
Radio Onu: United Nations Radio Daily news broadcast (Monday
through Friday) in text and streaming
audio formats
Canal Sur Andalucia: Spanish Radio,
TV, Blogs
RNC Radio: one of the main radio
networks in Colombia
Noticias del Peru: 5RPP -Spanish
Radio, TV, Blogs
Espacio Buenos Aires: Entrá al mundo
de Espacio.Hacé el programa que
soñás. Ver más; QUIÉNES SOMOS.
Conocé la historia de la primera radio
FM de Lanús
CNN Expansion: La referencia en
información de economía, negocios y
tecnología con la inmediatez de CNN y
la profundidad y objetividad de
Expansión
Podcast Directory: Spanish Podcasts
Gobierno USA.gov: Official U.S.
government information in Spanish
Mundo Podcast: Spanish podcasts
Tagalog
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/tagalog/Taga
log_mainpage.htm
http://www.probetv.com/
http://www.philnews.com/
http://www.tinig.com/
http://pinoyslang.copongcopong.net/
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Tagalog/Gra
mmar%20Activities/Grammar%20Default
%20Files/DefaultTagalogGrammar.htm
http://www.multilingualbooks.com/online
-radio-tagalog.html
http://dvd.netflix.com/SubGenreList/Tag
alog_Language/2575
http://www.filipino-tv.info/
www.live365.com/genres/filipino
http://www.surfmusic.de/country/philippi
nes.html
Tagalog: Interactive Language and
Filipino Culture
Probe TV: short documentary
segments
PhilNew: Philippine News
(Tagalog/English)
Filipino E-zine (Forums/Commentary
on Current Issues)
Pinoy Slang Dictionary: Filipino Slang
Dictionary
Tagalog Grammar: Grammar lessons
Multilingual Books: language learning,
e-books, Tagalog Internet Radio
Netflix: Tagalog Language films
Filipino – TV: watch TV, listen to live
radio, watch popular videos, free
movies
Live365 Internet Radio: Filipino music
varies among regions throughout the
country, with indigenous sounds
influence by 300 years of Spanish
colonization
Surf Music: Philippines Live Radio
Stations – extensive list of links
http://www.hawaii.edu/filipino/Related%
20Material%20Pages/Sisa/Sisa.html
The University of Hawai’i System:
Tagalog Lessons: Reading and
Grammar
http://tagaloglang.com/PhilippineLiterature/
Tagalog Lang: Philippine Literature,
music, culture, food, Tagalog quizzes,
Dictionaries
http://www.abyznewslinks.com/phili.htm
http://www.watvon.com/radio/channel/R
MN-558-AM/4991
60
ABYZ News Links: Philippines
Newspapers and New Media Guide –
extensive links
Watvon: Radio Mindanao Network news in Tagalog, online TV, live
streaming
Thai
http://learn-thai-podcast.com/thailanguage-lessons/
www.thai-language.com
http://www.intoasia.com/thai_language/grammar/
http://www.speakingthai.com/principles/t
h%20grammar.htm
www.thaihearttalk.info/
Turkish
http://www.aa.com.tr/
http://www.nisanyansozluk.com/
http://turkish.pgeorgalas.gr/indexEn.htm
http://www.umich.edu/~turkish/langres_
tr.html
http://cali.arizona.edu/maxnet/tur/
Learn Thai Podcast: vocabulary,
grammar and word usage lessons,
conversation lessons – also, theory,
practice and reading lessons with free
guide
Thai-Language: Audio clips,
dictionary, images with illustrations,
online language tools
Into Asia: Thai Grammar – Thai
Language. Plus, pronunciation, word
order, word omission, and parts of
speech
Speaking Thai: Principles of speaking
Thai, plus grammar
This is really good, fun site on Thai
culture; it has limited audio but what
it offers is excellent.
Anadolu Ajansi: Turkish official news
agency
Sözlerin Soyağacı: Çağdaş Türkçenin
Etimolojik Sözlüğü: Turkish
Entomological Dictionary
Learning Turkish Online: Language
and Grammar – structure and
listening practice
University of Michigan Turkish
Studies: Modern Turkish texts, elessons, e-materials, e-language tools
The University of Arizona computer
Aided Language Instruction Group:
Online Turkish language classes
http://www.turkishclass.com/turkish/less
ons/turkish_classes.php
Turkish Language Class: free online
Turkish language resource, lessons
http://www.trt.net.tr
http://www.bbc.co.uk/turkce/
TRT: Turkish National Television
BBC Türkçe: BBC'nin Türkçe yayın
sevisi sayfasında, frekanslar,
programlar ve yayın akışı hakkında
bilgiler ve haberler yer almaktadır
http://www.dwworld.de/dw/0,,655,00.html
http://www.voanews.com/turkish/
DW: German News in Turkish
Voice of America: Amerika’nın Sesi
61
http://www.tsk.tr/
http://www.verbix.com/languages/turkis
h.shtml
http://uiuc.libguides.com/turkish
http://www.teachyourselfturkish.com/
http://aton.ttu.edu/
http://www.yeminlisozluk.com/
http://www.zargan.com/
http://linguistics.concordia.ca/turkishvow
els/
http://www.odyovi.com/turkey/istanbul/f
ree-online-turkish-tv/watch-live/star-tv
Urdu
http://www.mylanguageexchange.com/L
earn/Urdu.asp
http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu/
http://www.urduword.com/
http://www.urduradio.org/
http://www.radio.sbs.com.au/language.p
hp?language=Urdu
http://www.yourdictionary.com/grammar
s3.html#urdu
Tϋrk Silahı Kuvvertleri: Turkish Armed
Forces website
Verbix: Turkish verb conjugation
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign University Library:
Resources for the study of the Turkish
language – dictionaries and grammar,
popular literature and newspapers,
theater, music and television, movies
Learn Turkish: Turkish language
learning blog
Texas Tech University: Uysal-Walker
Archive of Turkish Oral Narrative
Yeminli Sözlϋk: Turkish phrase by
topic
Zargan İngilizce Sözlük: Online
dictionary
Turkish Vowels: Pronunciation guide
with audio and visual presentation
Star TV, Odyovi: Free TV, Radio,
Movies, and Videos online
My Language Exchange: Chat room
exchange Urdu-English
BBC Urdu
Urdu Word: English-Urdu dictionary
and lessons
Urdu radio station
Sada-e-Pakistan – New Jersey’s only
Pakistani Radio show: Urdu
Your Dictionary Reference: Multiple
resources and links to Urdu grammar,
newspapers, radio stations,
dictionaries and Urdu fonts
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgibin/nation?ccode=pk&x=1&y=10
Radio Locator: On-line Pakistani radio
stations
http://www.indiapress.org/index.php/Urd
u/400x60
Media World Info, Global Newspapers
Links Indiapress: On-line Urdu
newspapers
Free Taleem Blog Education for
Everyone: Urdu Grammar course
http://taleempk.wordpress.com/tag/com
plete-free-urdu-grammar-course-basicqawaid-language-pakistan-free-notesprimary-classes/
62
http://www.alphadictionary.com/director
y/Languages/Indo,045Iranian/Urdu/
Uzbek
http://www.bbc.co.uk/uzbek/
http://turkish.indiana.edu/resources/uzb
ek.shtml
http://uiuc.libguides.com/uzbek
http://ilanguages.org/uzbek_grammar.ph
p
http://laradiofm.ru/Page-1/CountryUzbekistan/
http://uzbek-radio.com/
http://www.lexilogos.com/english/uzbek_
dictionary.htm
http://tvtvtv.ru/index_eng.php?co=81
http://www.mtrk.uz/
Alpha Dictionary: Urdu dictionaries,
grammar resources, newspapers,
radio stations
BBC O’zbek
Indiana University at Bloomington,
Turkish Language Flagship Center:
Uzbek Resources – modules, culture,
interactive materials dialect
dictionary, glossary, word sets
University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign University Library:
Resources for the study of the Uzbek
language – dictionaries and grammar,
popular literature and newspapers,
theater, music and television, movies
iLanguages: Uzbek grammar,
vocabulary, phrases
La Radio FM: Online Radio from
Uzbekistan
Соғинч Садоси радиоси: Бош сахифа
· Дастурлар · Гуруҳ · Жонли эфир ·
Online ТВ · Тарона
Lexilogos Words and Wonders of the
World: Uzbek dictionaries, Uzbek
keyboard, grammar and vocabulary
TV Catalog online: TV channels
Uzbekistan
O'zbekiston Milliy
teleradiokompaniyasi - Tashkent:
Официальный сайт. Лента новостей,
программа передач.
Yugoslav languages
Croatian Links
http://www.tportal.hr/
http://www.hrt.hr
Current Events, Culture, Chat
Croatian National Radio and Television
www.hina.hr
Croatian News Agency (English and
Croatian)
Newspaper
Current Events, Culture, Links
Newspaper
German news in Croatian
Pop Culture
Newspaper
http://www.vecernji.hr/
www.monitor.hr
www.index.hr
www.dwelle.de/croatian
www.klik.hr/
www.vjesnik.hr
63
http://www.rjecnik.net/
http://www.sveznadar.com/
www.seelrc.org:8080/grammar/pdf/stand
_alone_bcs.pdf
Excellent English/Croatian dictionary
Bookstore and Literature Review
Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian
grammar
Serbian Links
www.serbiancafe.com
http://www.rtrs.tv/
http://www.novosti.rs/
www.voanews.com/serbian
www.bbc.co.uk/serbian
www.dwelle.de/serbian
http://www.svet.rs/
http://www.b92.net
http://www.recnik.com/
http://www.njegos.org/cirilica/rakovic.ht
m
News, Culture, Chat (Latinic and
Cyrillic)
Radio Television Republica Srpska
(Latinic and Cyrillic)
Newspaper (Latinic)
American news in Serbian (Latinic)
British news in Serbian (Latinic)
German news in Serbian (Latinic)
Culture, News (Latinic)
Television, Radio, News
(Latinic)(English and Serbian)
English/Serbian dictionary (Latinic and
Cyrillic)
Links to Serbian Cyrillic on the
internet (Cyrillic)
Bosnian Links
http://www4.bhrt.ba
Radio Television Bosnia Herzegovina
(Latinic and Cyrillic)
Radio Television Federation of Bosnia
Herzegovina (Latinic)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Federal News
Agency (Latinic)
Newspaper (Latinic)
Newspaper (Latinic)
American news in Bosnian (Latinic)
Newspaper (Latinic)
German news in Bosnian (Latinic)
http://www.rtvfbih.ba
www.fena.ba
www.nezavisne.com
www.oslobodjenje.ba
www.voanews.com/bosnian
www.avaz.ba
www.dwelle.de/bosnian
Other Links
http://trazim.com
http://www.ex-yupress.com/
http://www.slobodnaevropa.org/
http://www.balkanmedia.com/
http://langmedia.fivecolleges.edu/lm_coll
ection.html
http://www.stripovionline.com/
64
Search Engine and Links
Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia
Links to Newspapers
Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia (English)
Radio Free Europe
Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia (Latinic)
Internet Store (English and SerboCroat)
Authentic Language for Beginners
(Serbian and Croatian)
Comic Books Online
Bosnia/Croatia/Serbia
Post-DLIFLC Degree Opportunities
DLIFLC Associate of Arts Degree Program
•
What you need academically:
o Complete a basic language course at DLI
o Get a 2/2/1+ at DLIFLC or at any later time while still in service
o 15 credit hours (5 courses) in basic college subjects
1. English Composition
2. College Math
3. Social Science (U.S. History, American Government, Western
Civilization, or World History)
4. Computer/Technology (Must be within last five years)
5. Nat/Phys Science (no lab required)
NOTE: Many of the above courses can be fulfilled by taking
CLEP/DANTES tests. Be aware that many four-year colleges require
completion of courses in critical thinking and public speaking before
transfer into BA/BS programs.
•
For further information:
o Contact the AA degree office at DLI
o Bldg. 634, Rm. 5 (behind Aiso Library) 831-242-6431
o http://www.dliflc.edu/aadegreeprogram2.html
o http://www.dliflc.edu/contact.aspx
Bachelor’s Degree Programs
•
What you need academically: AA degree (from DLI or elsewhere)
•
Many online bachelor’s degree programs are popular with DLI grads
•
Financial aid: Tuition Assistance or the GI Bill can cover most costs
http://www.gibill.va.gov/
•
For further information:
o Contact the Education Center at DLI
o Bldg. 630 (659 Rifle Range Rd. nr Taylor Gate) 831-242-5325
http://www.dliflc.edu/contact.aspx
o Speak to the registrar at the university/college of your choice
65
Individual Plan of Action
The following questions are posed to DLIFLC students in their final course before
graduation. Known as Language Enhancement after DLI (LEAD), this course
addresses concerns related to the professional development of military linguists.
Long-term career Goals
1. List three possible career paths that might interest you. They can be
military and/or non-military.
2. For linguist careers that interest you, what ILR proficiency levels are
required? If you’re not already at a 3/3 ILR level, how long do you
anticipate it will take you to get there?
3. Based on your MOS/Rate and post-DLI assignment(s) over the next 6
months, what are the general and situational factors that could impede
your linguistic development in the target language?
Continuing Education Goals
1. What course(s) of study might you pursue in reaching your career
goals?
2. What educational degree(s) do you need to reach your career goals?
a. If you haven’t already done so, do you plan to complete your AA
through DLI?
b. If you haven’t already done so, have you considered pursuing a
Bachelor’s degree?
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Language Training Self-Management Plan: 30 Minute a Day Study Plan
MODALITY
Example:
TIME
COMMITMENT
RESOURCES
Grammar: Subjunctive and Idafa
5 - 10 Minutes
Pay attention to how grammatical structures are used: SCOLA
Inst-Class; GLOSS, Reading/ILR 3
Listen: ILR 2+
10 Minutes
GLOSS, Listening/ILR 2+; SCOLA Insta-Class (use transcript for
comprehension check)
Read: Read about geography, current events
10 Minutes
1st take Cultural Assessment, then go to JLU Self-Pace Learning
Vocabulary: Write down at least 5 new words
5 Minutes
In a notebook I will write down all new words found in my
listening and reading exercises. I will also write down the
English translation.
Speaking: I will speak with my friend, who is a
native speaker
5 Minutes
Try to quickly summarize what I listened to and what I read in
my target language
My Plan:
Example:
My Plan:
Example:
My Plan:
Example:
My Plan:
Example:
My Plan:
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Language Training Needs Assessment (LTNA)
The following is a modified version of an LTNA likely to be used by your Command Language
Program Manager. Familiarize yourself with the types of questions that will be asked of you when
you arrive at your duty station.
Name: ____________________________
Rank/Grade: _________________
Today’s Date: ___________________
Career MOS/AFSC/Rate: _______________
Assigned Unit: _______________________________________________________
Duty Position: _______________________________________________________
Target Language
How acquired
Date of last DLPT
Scores (last DLPT/OPI)
R:
L:
S:
Over the last 12 months, please indicate the number of hours you spent on the following
language related activities (include both on and off duty time). If you spent less than
one hour on any activity, please place a zero in the space provided.
Classroom Instruction
Activity
Classroom with native/heritage instructor
Total Hours
Classroom with instructor of less than native proficiency
Informal Practice/Study with Speakers of Target Language
Activity
Study led by your language mentor
Total Hours
Practice or study with other non-native speakers
Interaction with native/heritage speakers (family or friends)
Interaction with community native speakers
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Self-Study
Activity
(include examples of actual materials used)
Using DLI FLC language study materials
Total Hours
Reading other foreign language books, magazines, newspapers,
etc.
Viewing other foreign language films, TV, or other audio/video
materials
Listening to foreign language radio, music, etc.
Computer-assisted study CD or software
Foreign Language materials from the worldwide web
1) Did you train in your language(s) or use you language(s) in any way that has not
been covered in the preceding topics. If so, what was it and how much time was
involved?
2) Prioritize the following training opportunities based on how much you think they
would benefit you from 1 (most beneficial) to 7 (least beneficial).
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Two-week refresher training with native speaking instructor
Monthly maintenance with native speaking instructor
Independent Study
Computer assisted study
VTT refresher with DLI instructor
Mentor assisted/directed study
Other
3) Prioritize the following language skills based on which skill you feel you need to
improve from 1 (the most) to 9 (the least).
_____ Listening
_____ Grammar
_____ Reading
_____ Vocabulary
_____ Speaking
_____ Pronunciation
_____ Writing
_____ Determining meanings from context
_____ Simultaneous translation
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4) What topic of functional areas would you like to focus on in your global language
studies?
5) What topic of functional areas would you like to focus on in your military/technical
language studies?
6) What schedule is best for you for language training?
7) How would you like your unit’s language program to help you improve your
language proficiency?
8) What do you expect the unit to do to help you reach your language proficiency
goals?
Language Training Facility
9) How much time do you expect to spend in your unit’s language training facility?
_______
10) How much time do you expect to spend participating in the following unitsponsored language training?
Activity
Maintenance or sustainment training with native or
near-native speaker
Total Hours
Refresher training with native / near-native
speaker
Enhancement training with native / near-native
speaker
11) Would this level of training meet your expectations? Yes/No
Please Explain:
12) What language materials, if any, would you like to see in your unit’s language
training facility (indicate language and describe materials, i.e. Korean – magazines)
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13) How well do you expect your unit’s Command Language Program (CLP) will help
you maintain or improve your foreign language skills? (choose one)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Very Well
Rather Well
Satisfactorily
Rather Poorly
Very Poorly
14) What is the biggest obstacle for you to overcome to reach your language proficiency
goals?
Conclusion
There you have it—everything you ever wanted to know about sustaining and
enhancing your target language, but were afraid to ask. Your future as a linguist is
entirely up to you. The Student Learning Center wishes you well in your quest for
excellence! Please feel free to contact us with questions or concerns at:
[email protected]
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