WEEKLY ACTIVITIES REPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040140-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 140
• Publication Date: April 2, 1959
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040140-0
U' U i LJ L_ B /i L
Office Memorandum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
: Chief, Language and Area School
FROM : Deputy Chief, Plans, Research and Administration
suBJECT: Weekly Activities Report
DATE: 2 April 19559
A. SIGNIFICANT ITEMS
None to report.
2. On 25 March went to the Civil Service Commission to
confer with Margare chsteiner on language testing as reported
in a separate memorandum,
3. Since FDD has many people who want to take language tests it
has been suggested that occasional test be held there. The first
such test in French was held there on 27 March, with nineteen
people taking only the written part. It is planned that oral test
will also be held there.
?j. Coates made arrangements with OCR, for transfer
of seven books to LAS Library. ey were grammars and dictionaries
no longer needed in FDD.
5. Fifty-two people reported for Proficiency test last week in
French, Portuguese, Hungarian, Italian, Spanish and Indonesian.
25 YEAR
RE-REVIEW
-B. OTHER ACTIVITIES
1. "Personal Effectiveness Abroad", LAS's experimental program
being developed to prepare Agency personnel for overseas service,
opened on Monday with thirteen participants, the great majority
of whom are senior grades. Mr. Helms and Mr. Baird were on hand
for the opening and gave us an enthusiastic send-off. The first
three days have indicated perhaps that their enthusiasm was not
unwarranted. Both in the way of instructor contribution and
participation each day has seen a hi er degree of integration
and a wider area of contribution. today, Wednesday,
was invaluable in both the debth and breadth of his knowledge and
the stimulation of discussion, which later was carried on through
lunch in an informal session with half the class.
anitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040140-0
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040140-0
6. Seventy-five, Certifications for Language Award certificates were
sent to the Registrar last week.
7. Seventy-nine orals were given last week in French, Swedish, Polish
Portuguese, Spanish, German and Russian.
8. Agency employees who took the written language proficiency test in
French on 31 March were for the first time also given the oral test
while the written examination was going on. All employees who signed
up for the oral that date, 15 in number, were tested by the panel,
which convened in an adjoining room. We feel that the experiment was
highly successful and, insofar as possible, intend to continue this
"simultaneous" testing in the future. We intend to begin with the
French, Spanish, German, Italian and Russian languages and eventually
expect to do all oral testing (except from the very unusual languages,
where no speakers are available in the Agency) on the same day the
written tests are given. Besides speeding up-the oral testing and
the processing of the testing results, this procedure cuts down on
much of the administrative work required previously, such as the laborious
scheduling of oral tests by phone calls.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2009/12/18: CIA-RDP61-00442A000200040140-0