tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31417199.post6500554721954497281..comments2023-12-14T11:26:51.959-05:00Comments on Life After Jerusalem: WhirledView: Why the AFSA Survey Is Right: Favoritism Charge is RealDiggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03856750834804127824noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31417199.post-5118313743904414612008-02-28T17:41:00.000-05:002008-02-28T17:41:00.000-05:00State needs to increase its language training and ...State needs to increase its language training and proficiency requirements not reduce them. That the US has almost no diplomats proficient enough to be interviewed in Arabic cuts down considerably our effectiveness in dealing with the Arabic media. Don't kid yourself, the media is still written in whatever the local language and embassy officers need to be able to read it and report back on what is written or said. It is also very useful, even crucial to be able to understand what is going on on the fringes of a meeting (as Digger just indicated). Sometimes interpreters get it wrong. Sometimes one can pick up something related to a negotiation that is not expressed in English. Sometimes interlocuters are more comfortable in their own language particularly when discussing fine points. It's their country, not ours and many people do not speak English, or English at a high enough level to communicate in it effectively. Also diplomats do not only talk to other diplomats. <BR/><BR/>BTW: Thanks for the reposting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31417199.post-26736692520941534452008-02-27T20:39:00.000-05:002008-02-27T20:39:00.000-05:00I seriously doubt, and would certainly hope, they ...I seriously doubt, and would certainly hope, they wouldn't scale down the language requirements. There was an interesting story I heard in my area studies class about a meeting between a particular Israeli leader and our Ambassador. Another well-known Israeli leader burst into the room, yelling in Hebrew, and then realized the Ambassador was there. He apologized and then continued more calmly but still in Hebrew. He was alerting the Israeli leader that they had just attacked a neighboring country. The Ambassador, who did not speak Hebrew, was none the wiser and didn't know what had been said until later.<BR/><BR/>Another good reason we still need to learn the languages of the countries where we serve is that many of our contacts, who may not be among the elite, can't or won't speak English. I also think our willingness to learn other languages makes people who might have been unwilling to talk to us more willing. <BR/><BR/>And if nothing else, we still need the languages to do consular work. In Jerusalem, where students take 12 years of English, fully 2/3 of my applicants could not speak English well enough to do a visa interview in it.Diggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03856750834804127824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31417199.post-78803993980427508432008-02-27T20:13:00.000-05:002008-02-27T20:13:00.000-05:00cultural understanding and foreign language expert...<I><BR/>cultural understanding and foreign language expertise have never been more important.<BR/></I><BR/><BR/>Just curious for your opinion. Since more of the elites in all countries are learning and speaking English, and language translation programs via artificial intelligence have dramatically improved, is there any point in the near future in which State is going to scale down its language training and requirements?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com