FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01826R000800020026-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 4, 2001
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: November 14, 1956
• Content Type: MF

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SUBJECT: Foreign Language Development Program
1. The drafting committee for theFvreign Language Development Pro-
gram met on 10 November 1956, from 1100 - 1350 hours to consider DD/P
recommendations for modifications in the staff study dated 21 January 1956.
All members of the committee attended.
2. Following agreement on identification of the issues, as set forth
in the Director of Training's memorandum of 4V November 1956 to the Career
Council, the Committee reached full accord on seven of eight items dis-
cussed and agreed on the desirability of consideration by the Career Council
of three alternative positions on one issue.
3. With regard to the items agreed to by the Comrr.ittee, it is recom-
mended that the CIA Career Council favorably consider these modifications
to the staff study:
a. Eligibility for awards shall not be conditioned by member-
ship in the Career Staff.
b. The Language Specialists Program should be deleted from the
current program and should be treated separately.
c. In identifying the language requirements of specific positions,
each Deputy Director will be permitt4 flexibility and individual dis-
cretion, identifying those positions wherein language competence is an
essential characteristic of the position and directing possession and
acquisition of language competence for such additional assignments as
is consistent with operational needs and plans.
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4. The issue unresolved by the Committee had to do with policy re-
garding eligibility for awards for proficiency acquired during duty time.
It is recommended that the CIA Career Council select the most suitable of
these three alternatives recognized by the Committee:
a. Eligibility for awards shall not be affected by the fact that
an individual receives instruction by command during duty time. This
is in recognition of the fact that most persons receiving language
considerable
instruction on duty time must additionally invest a`/ amount of per-
sonal time equal to from one-third to two-thirds the amount of duty
time training. (This is the present provision of the staff study.)
b. Eligibility for an award,( requires certification from the
trainee that he has achieved a particular level of proficiency by
contributing of his own time an equal or greater proportion than duty
time contributed by the Agency. This is in recognition of the belief
that it is not proper to award people for performance in command
further
training, and/that the system of awards should be directed primarily
at encouraging part-time and voluntary zxkim study with more awardable
levels of performance and relatively higher awards. (This is the
alternative propos by the
c. All persons may qualify for awards, but a distinction in
amounts shall apply between training received on duty time and on
personal time.
5. It was further recommended that the Council appoint, or recommend
that the Director of Training appoint a permanent committee to review opera-
tion of the programl and to recommend modifications as desirable, and that
the Deputy Director (Support) issue a notice immediately implementing creation
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of the Foreign Language Roster in recognition if the facts that (a) the
Office of Personnel already has initiated steps permitting the first phase
development of the Roster by distribution of a form that requires a de-
tailed self-evaluation of language competence to be validated later by
objective tests, and (b) the Office of Training is developing as rapidly
as possible a proficiency testing program.
6. Preliminary discussion of issues set forth in the DTR's memorandum
in paras. 3.a.(3), and 3.b.(2) and (3) brought to light information that
caused the DD/P member of the Committee to withdraw them as issues, and
consequently no further dtm decision was necessary.
25X1A9a
rman
Ad H+ocCommittee
Foreign Language Development Program
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DD/P POSITION REGARDING AWARDS
FOR COMMAND LANGUAGE TRAINING
1. DD/P agrees that the best hope for the creation of an improved
language potential in the Agency lies in full-time language training. The
greatest obstacle to full-time language training, here and overseas, is the
current workload. No special incentives are needed to bring it about if relief
is obtained by exempting trainees from T/O and ceiling limitations as recom-
mended by the Committee. However, the size of the program is bound to be
limited; and our most important remaining problem is the encouragement of part-
time training, coupled, to be effective, with voluntary training on the student's
own time .
2. We believe that, in time, CS personne -must come to regard knowledge
of foreign languages as a tool of their trade, as much as a typewriter, or a
decent I. Q. The philosophy of attaching a special reward to such knowledge
is inconsistent with this concept, except where an extraordinary voluntary effort
is involved. Hence, we believe that it is neither proper, necessary to achieve
our goal, nor desirable, to give a special reward to a person assigned to language
training on Agency time. It could be argued by the same logic that we should
25X1A2g
pay an award to personnel who take courses
3. On the other hand, a man who holds down his job, takes off an hour or
two a day during office hours to go to a language lab, and then spends his
evenings to give him a grasp of a foreign language, deserves to be encouraged.
It is granted that the level of achievement in part-time and voluntary
study cannot be expected to be the same as that in full-time study. Therefore,
awards should be given not only for levels of proficiency described in earlier
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staff papers, but for lower levels as well. Granting that only a high level
of proficiency will enable a man to do a good intelligence job overseas or
here, every little bit helps. Even a smattering in a foreign language enables
a man to find his way to the railway station, to ask questions regarding the
location of the Prime Minister's office, to read a headline, to get the sense
of a broadcast, and basically to gain enough entre into the language to become
interested in further developing his proficiency. We need these skills on
every level, and we need to encourage people to obtain them, even far short of
perfection.
5. Giving out awards for proficiency no matter how achieved is a one-way
affair. It is not possible to announce awards for proficiency on the basis of
full-time command study, and then later to cancel such a procedure without an
adverse effect on the program. It is, to the contrary, possible to start the
program in line with the recommendations in this paper,and to determine later
whether the program would, indeed, benefit from awards for full-time command
training, and then to institute them.
6. Assuming that there is a limit on the amount of funds the Agency is
willing to invest in awards for language proficiency, we believe the Agency's
language potential would benefit very considerably from a concentration of the
money available on higher awards for part-time and voluntary study, than on
relatively lower awards across the board.
7. Consequently, we propose the formula that eligibility for an award
requires certification from the trainee that he has.achieved a particular level
of proficiency by contributing of his own time an equal or greater proportion
than duty-hour time contributed by the Agency.
8. We asked several of our colleagues whether, after taking full-time
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command training in a foreign language, they would consider themselves eligible
to receive a special award. The'unanimous answer was no.
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