WEEKLY ACTIVITIES REPORT NO. 8

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05787A000100040005-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 10, 2001
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: February 21, 1957
• Content Type: MEMO

STANDARD FORIvhNO.proved For Release - 100040005-6
Office Memorandum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : Chief, PPS
FROM : Chief, LAS
SUBJECT: Weekly Activities Report No. 8
DATE: 21 February 1957
A. S IGN IFICANT ITE! IS
None to report
B. OTHER ACTIVITIES
1. Special Qualifications Review Panels are scheduled this week to
consider five of six candidates for our next internal intensive German
course beginning in April. In preparation, personnel files and academic
records have been carefully reviewed and interviews have been conducted.
2. Career counseling has been provided to employees of FE, Manage-
ment Staf*nd the Senior Research Staff. 25X1A9a
An unusually profitable terminal interview was held with 25X1A9a
of SE following completion of intensive Greek at the Army Lan-
guave School. The interview brought out a good deal of information that
will permit us to be more discriminating in future use of the ALS, and
threw some light on the unfavorable consequences of recent diseharfe of
most of the scientifically trained linguists and conversion to mornili-
tary training attitudes and methods. 25X1A9a
2X1A9a
_ has prepared for _ a list of about 200 la guages
40
for use in OP records.
5. has been designated Deputy Chief, LIDS. He will con-
tinue his responsibility for Eastern Studies. 25X1A9a
6. I rs. has joined our staff on a half-Mine basis
as a drill instructor in the ull-time French class.
7. A number of Agency speakers are being introduced from time to
time into the intensive French course for the sake of variety in voice
and expression. _ took one of these sessions, building his talk
around the advantages of using a private auto in Western Europe. Color
slides from trip were introduced to help describe three hard-to-
reach areas in France and Luxembourg.
8. Twelve students finished the Basic Country Survey--Germany, in-
cluding three Army personnel--one from NSA and two from ANS. The students'
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critiques of the course not only produced a variety of helpful sug-
gestions for improving the curriculum but also emphasized an acute
lack of study time. No student was given a. "break" by his supervisor
on his work load during the time of the course, and all stressed how 25X1A9a
much more advantage they could have derived from the course with addi-
tional time allowed for study. will explore the acceptability to
the divisions of various plans for overcoming this criticism. He per-
sonally favors a provision for students in the survey courses to be
freed from their desks for the full day, instead of the present half
day, on the two days per week of class. This would allow a reasonable
minimum of study time in the LAS Reading Rooms. 25X1A9a
9. of the Medical Staff, who had approached 25X1A9a
NIS a few weeks ago regarding a proposal to corr.bine compulsory medics
briefings with the Americans Abroad Program, has informed us that 25X1A9a
of DDF Staff has given tentative approval to 25X1A9a
ra propos including our suggestions. The proposal now goes to
Chief, Medical Staff, with the recommendation that it be discussed with
the DTR.
10. Chief of Personnel for AEA, informally consulted 2 ~ a
,on 15 February on the willingness and readiness of LAS to organize
aperate a special 6-9 months' training program for 200 new employees.
These employees are to be recruited and brought in for training in 25X1A9a
batches, for instance, of 20-30 each. They would be given various forms
M of training, as appropriate, including area. discussed this subject
with on 18 February. As a result of this discussion,
informed of LAS interest in further exploration of this mat-1a
Following suggestions made by was also told that
LAS would suggest coupling language with area tra ning and recommended 25X1A9a
that a request for both be included in any memo from NEA to DTR. Mr.
subsequently asked _ to draft a rough outline of the schedule J,9a
of courses which LAS could prepare and give for the whole of the NV'EA 25X1A9a
area--the Middle East, Africa (South of the Sahara) and South Asia (India.,
Ceylon, Nepal, etc.). Since the 200 employees are presumably to be
brought in as rapidly as the recruitment process permits, it is obvious
that the magnitude of the training program thus envisioned presents no
small problems--staff, space, schedules. Nevertheless, a draft of the
courses will be made on the basis of what should, not what now can, be
offered in order to meet this interesting and challenging DDP request.
25X1A9a
11. Alterations having been completed, the entire Wing G in Quarters
Faye is now available for Eastern Studies and the Testing and Research
Staff, providing us with a sound laboratory and recording room, a large 25X1A9a
office and testing room for sufficient space for the Russian
language staff and an additional classroom for language and area. classes.
This room, 2623, was used for the first time on Monday, th4lth, when =
- began his third offering of Americans in Japan with a class of 20.
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o
d for a tota
language laboratory was use
14. Mr. , Cartography Division, ORR, has directed an
inquiry to regarding the possibility of organizing a special 25X1A8a
course sometime n the future devoted entirely to Russian geographic
reading. Action will be taken through the proper channels. It appears
that the interest in "tailor made" courses is growing, and that it
might be desirable to devote attention to this topic in future meetings
of curriculum committees. 25X1A9a
15. The French Proficiency Test was given on 13 February for 8 peo-
ple. Mx. served on the panel for the oral test.
16. Reports on proficiency tests were typed and sent out, clearing
up a backlog of several months. 25X1A8a
17. telephoned 11r. Rudolph Berkhouse of the Achievement
yeasurement Research unit, Department of the Army, to tell him about
the inter-agency meeting which is being arranged to discuss the whole
problem of foreign language proficiency testing. Mr. Berkhouse was1Sa
very interested and said he would be glad to attend this meeting.
18, received a recent catalog of NSA language instruction
materials listing about 100 items for 25 or more languages, of which
some two-thirds are currently available, while the rest are under pre-
paration. After looking over the list,. he ordered one copy of each 25X1A9a
item; if it is decided to use any of this material for classes in LAS,
further copies can be ordered later.
19. Mrs. gave birth to a baby boy on 14 February.
She is expected to return to work 11 March to resume her teaching duties.
20. Current enrollment in internal language training programs is
332, 133 in self-study and 199 in classes. During the past week, the 25X1A9a
f 401 hours by 87 students.
l
12. course on Southeast Asia started on 1