Meeting the language and culture training needs of U.S. Department of Defense personnel : an evaluation of the language training center program / Jennifer J. Li, Richard S. Girven, Norah Griffin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Li, Jennifer J., author.

Girven, Richard, author.

Griffin, Norah, author.

Contributor:

Rand Corporation, issuing body.

Series:

Research report (Rand Corporation)

Research report ; no. 2555

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Department of Defense--Personnel management--Evaluation.

United States.

United States. Department of Defense.

Armed Forces.

Personnel management.

Evaluation.

Education.

United States--Armed Forces--Officials and employees--Education.

United States--Armed Forces--Personnel management--Evaluation.

Language and languages--Study and teaching--United States.

Language and languages.

Language and languages--Study and teaching.

Physical Description:

xix, 89 pages ; 26 cm.

Place of Publication:

Santa Monica, Calif. : RAND Corporation, [2019]

Summary:

The U.S. Department of Defense's (DoD's) Language Training Center (LTC) Program leverages the expertise and infrastructure of institutions of higher education to train DoD personnel in language, culture, and regional area studies. The Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO) asked the RAND Corporation to examine the LTC Program, which was established in 2011 and included centers at nine universities in the fiscal year 2017 grant cycle. This evaluation was meant to assist DoD in making informed decisions about the viability and continuation of the program. Through site visits to each of the nine centers, interviews, and analysis of program data, RAND researchers found that the LTC Program is meeting the vast majority of the requirements of its authorizing legislation: building skills in language and area studies, providing language training in critical and strategic languages for operational readiness, and using alternative language training delivery systems to provide training to a wide variety of DoD partners. A key recommendation is for DLNSEO and its administrative partner, the Institute of International Education, to encourage each LTC to articulate objectives that go beyond provision of training and represent meaningful training outcomes for the DoD partners and students. The challenges that lie ahead will be to (1) encourage increased consistency across the program in areas where it makes sense while still providing opportunities for uniqueness and creativity at each of the LTCs and (2) increase meaningful measurement of outcomes while continuing to support responsiveness, innovation, and, potentially, further growth.

Contents:

Introduction

Overview of the Language Training Center Program

Language Training Center Objectives and Goals

Teachers: Recruiting, Training, and Evaluation

Measuring Outcomes

Professional Community and Collaboration

Language Training Center Costs and Resources

Operating Within Institutions of Higher Education

Conclusions and Recommendations

Appendix A: Student Interview and Focus Group Questions

Appendix B: Instructor Interview and Focus Group Questions

Appendix C: DoD Partner Interview Questions

Appendix D: Language Training Center Administrator Interview Questions

Appendix E: DLNSEO Leadership and Staff Interview Questions

Appendix F: IIE Leadership and Staff Interview Questions

Appendix G: Program Costs: Language Training Center Administrative Interview Questions.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781977402424

1977402429

OCLC:

1102470220