DOD Training: Many DOD Linguists Do Not Meet Minimum Proficiency
Standards
(Letter Report, 07/12/94, GAO/NSIAD-94-191)
Many linguists are graduating from the Defense Department's (DOD)
language training school without having obtained the limited language
proficiency desired. This proficiency level--level 2--is defined as
having enough language capability to meet routine social demands and
limited job requirements. The linguists should be able to handle
concrete topics in past, present, and future tense. Although the
language training school has significantly increased the number of
students graduating at level 2 or higher in recent years, about
one-third of all students continue to graduate below this level of
proficiency. Moreover, the military services routinely allow students
who do not attain a level 2 proficiency to proceed to the next phase of
training--technical school. GAO recommends that DOD review individual
service practices for awarding foreign language proficiency pay to
receive equal pay for equal achievement, determine whether the current
Army and Marine Corps practice of paying for less than level 2
proficiency should continue, and establish procedures for coordinating
commercial language training class schedules.
--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------
REPORTNUM: NSIAD-94-191
TITLE: DOD Training: Many DOD Linguists Do Not Meet Minimum
Proficiency Standards
DATE: 07/12/94
SUBJECT: Military training
Interagency relations
Intelligence gathering operations
Military intelligence operations
Training utilization
Military pay
Military personnel
IDENTIFIER: DOD Defense Foreign Language Program
DOD Language Proficiency Test
DOD Cryptologic Training System
DOD Foreign Language Proficiency Pay Program
DOD Contract Foreign Language Training Program
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