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1.
Message from the DLIAA president.
The
DLIFLC 67th Anniversay Ball will be held on 1 November 2008 at the Hyatt Regency
Hotel, Monterey, California. Its purpose is to commemorate our Service to
the Nation and Honor distinguished community leaders. This exciting event
will allow us to come together and celebrate our Institution’s heritage with
past and present DLIFLC Leadership, and with education and community leaders
from the Monterey Bay area. You
can find related information in articles 4a and 4b, below.
As in the past, I look forward to hearing from you about your thoughts, suggestions
and stories. You can write to me at DLIAA Newsletters.
Benjamin
De La Selva, President.
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2.
In Memoriam (01 Jul - 30 Sep 08)
Zygmunt Shumelda - Retired Polish teacher
Vladislav Tarasov - Retired Russian teacher
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3. Calendar of events (Fiscal Year 09-10)
- CLPM
Seminar 2008 - Normally held in November. Date and Location to be announced
-
DLIFLC 68th Anniversary Ball - Saturday,
1November 2008, will be held at the Hyatt Regency
- The American Council
on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Conference - November 2008 - For
more information go to http://www.actfl.org/.
-
Installation Holiday Celebration (DLIFLC & POM)-
Weckerling Center, 5 Dec 08
-
California Language Teachers Association
(CLTA) Conference - CLTA Conference 2009 - (26 Feb - 1 Mar
08), Double Tree Hoteal, Sacramento, CA, For more
information, visit http://www.clta.net/index1.html
-
The Digital Stream Conference - Last week of March, 2009,
at California State University, Monterey Bay (CSUMB).
Most attendees to the conference are DLI faculty and staff. For information
about 2009's conference go to: http://wlc.csumb.edu/digitalstream/
- Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Conference -
TESOL is holding its
Annual Convention in Denver, CO in April 2009. Many DLI faculty attend this conference. For information about
2009's conference go to: http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=1518&DID=8281
-
Annual Program Review
and Defense Foreign Language Steering Committee (APR/DFLSC) Conference - Scheduled for April 2009 - Presidio of Monterey.
-
Language Day – May
2009 (Presidio of Monterey) - For more
information call Al Macks, at the DLIFLC Public Affairs Office (831) 242-6429
- Memorial Day
Parade and Memorialization of Fallen Linguists - Last Friday of May
2009 - Soldier's Field
-
DLIFLC Offsite -
May or June 2009 (Exact date and venue to
be announced later)
-
Worldwide Language Competition (WLC) –
Competition put on indefinite hiatus.
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4a. DLIFLC 67th Anniversary Ball - 1 November 2008
Tickets
are available now on a first-come, first-served basis; you can be one of the
first to purchase them for you and your guest(s).
When:
Saturday, 1 November 2008
Where: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Monterey, California
Ticket Price: $65
Make checks to: DLIFLC Event Fund, and mail to P.O. Box 5653, Presidio of
Monterey, CA 93944
To
reserve your tickets in advance, send an email to DLIAA
and please tell us the number of persons who will be attending (including
you) and send us the post office address where you want your tickets to be
sent.
The Association has decided to subsidize a portion of the ticket cost for
any attendee who is a DLI language graduate and who is also a DLIAA member
as of 16 Sep 08. At this moment DLIAA has not decided the amount, but after
the ball the graduate will be able to apply for a refund in that amount.
If you are interested in any information regarding lodging at the Hyatt, please
contact any of these three POCs:
Elizabeth Ordaz: (831) 242-4502
Stanley Bell: (831) 242-5041
Karin Rightsell: (831) 242-4856
DLIFLC is planning alumni tours on Friday, 31 October 2008, but the activities
are still in the planning stages. Again, if you have questions about these,
please contact the POCs listed above. Take care.
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DLIFLC Alumni and Visitors Open House - 31 October 2008
The
Commandant of the DLIFLC extends her greetings to all Alumni of the Institute.
On October 31, 2008 in conjunction with the DLIFLC 67th Anniversary, DLIFLC
will hold its first Alumni Open House. Whether you are coming to Monterey
for the Anniversary Event or are just visiting the area, you are invited to
the installation to view the latest technologies and sites the Institute has
to offer.
The
open house will run from 10AM – 3 PM on 31 October. The following activities
will be available to you:
• Classroom
visits - See classes in session and view modern teaching techniques - Visit
a class in session in your former instructional building!
• Classroom technology demonstration – See how DLIFLC is using the latest
technologies to educate today's linguists.
• DLIFLC and Presidio of Monterey Guided Tour – Sit back, tour the Presidio
and learn from the Installation's docent about the history of the oldest military
installation in California.
• DLIFLC Hall of Fame – Visit the Hall of Fame inaugurated in 2006. The DLIFLC
Hall of Fame has inducted 15 individuals who have made significant contributions
to the DLIFLC or the Department of Defense Language Program.
• Berlin Wall Memorial – View three full sections of the Berlin Wall donated
to the Institute in 2005. See them in their setting; as a tribute to the Men
and Women who served during the Cold War.
• DLIFLC Informational Presentation – Watch a video presentation of the DLIFLC;
will be shown in the Aiso Library continuously throughout the day.
• EST 2000 - View the latest in military simulators with a visit to the EST
2000 and the Virtual Convoy Operations Trainer (VCOT).
The
event is open to all DLIFLC Alumni. Due to changes in Army policies and heightened
security practices, the Presidio of Monterey is a closed installation. In
order to gain access and to take advantage of this opportunity you will need
to provide the following information:
•
Full Name
• Driver's license number and state of issue
• Language and year graduated
• Name and driver's license information for each guest.
Please
provide your information to CW3 Matt Riggs either by phone at (831) 242-7799
or via e-mail at matthew.riggs@us.army.mil.
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5.
Ensuring success on DLPT-5 - The Russian Basic Course experience
By Irene Krasner, Professor, Academic Specialist, European and Latin American
School,
The
Russian Basic Course program recently became a pioneer of the two major DLI
initiatives: the fifth generation of the Defense Language Proficiency Test
(DLPT-5) and the Proficiency Enhancement Plan (PEP).
This article will describe the proactive strategy that was implemented in
the Russian Basic program to promote success on DLPT-5 by linking the Russian
PEP project to the DLPT-5 goals.
After the dramatic events of 09/11, it became clear that our country was in
dire need for highly professional, well–rounded linguists. Maintaining solid
cultural and linguistic capabilities in order to carry out various missions
around the world went on top of the DOD priority list. "We are building
alliances, we are engaged in operations in the Middle East, we are engaged
in the war on terror, (and) we need to understand and interact with the people
around us” said Gail H. McGinn, the Deputy Under-Secretary of Defense for
Plans.
The need for designing and implementing a new generation of the Defense Language
Proficiency test (DLPT-5) was spelled out in the Defense Language Transformation
Roadmap, a major initiative to develop foreign language expertise among its
military and civilian members. DLPT-5 is supposed to provide a more realistic
and accurate assessment of language proficiency of military linguists than
DLPT-4. "We want a test that measures as accurately as possible one's
ability to operate in the real world," McGinn said. The test is designed
to measure students’ proficiency in two skills: listening and reading. DLPT-5
is more challenging that the previous DLPT-4 in many ways: it is longer and
contains more involved items with multiple questions to the same passage.
The test is computer-based, making it more secure and efficient to administer.
And unlike DLPT- 4 which is "scripted," the new test relies more
on current authentic, real-life materials taken from various mass-media sources.
There is another major difference between this test and DLPT-4: the majority
of the items of the lower DLPT-5 focuses on levels 2/2+/3 of the Interagency
Roundtable Language Proficiency (ILR) scale, while the majority of the items
in DLPT- 4 focuses on levels 1+/2. This shift to the higher end of the proficiency
scale obviously requires a significant change in teaching practices.
As it was mentioned before, students of the Russian program were the first
at DLI to take DLPT-5. Altogether, eleven classes took DLPT-5 in the Russian
Basic course: five Russian Basic classes took DLPT-5 in FY 06; three classes
took it in FY 07 and three in FY 08. We are proud to say that so far the DLI
Russian Basic course was able to sustain the pressure on the new test and
has consistently produced exceptionally good results.
The success of the Russian Basic Course program is due to a very proactive
and clearly delineated strategy. This strategy is two-fold: a). raise faculty
awareness about the test in order to energize the faculty and overcome the
resistance to change; b). restructure the existing course which is quite outdated
and develop materials based on a careful needs assessment.
We started to prepare for DLPT-5 about two years prior to the first administration
of the test. In 2004, we invited Dr. Anne Wright who was in charge of the
DLPT-5 project at the DLI Evaluation and Standardization (ES) division at
that time. Dr Wright and a group of test writers provided us with an excellent
overview of the test and gave great advice on how to approach the change in
the instructional process. That was the starting point. Afterwards, we continue
to invite ES representatives to get more insights and raise the faculty awareness
about the test.
As it was mentioned before, another important DLI initiative that the Russian
Basic course was undergoing at the same time was the Proficiency Enhancement
Program (PEP) which started in the Russian basic course in 2005. Due to this
initiative, the class size was reduced from ten students to six and the in-house
Russian PEP development project was initiated by Dean Tovar.
In order to restructure the program, the semester length policy was introduced
which standardized the time spent on each semester by different teams. In
the past, the difference in pace between various teams was very considerable,
sometimes up to a month. Semester length policy allowed sufficient amount
of time to be spent on higher level materials, while it did not speed up the
pace of instruction so much as to increase attrition. We also established
the level of materials that needs to be reached by the end of each semester.
The entire program was rearranged and materials that were historically used
in most teams in the second and even third semester were shifted to the first
semester in order to create a solid basis for higher level authentic materials.
One of the most important facets of the effective in-house PEP curriculum
project was the Needs Assessment of the Russian Basic Course program. It consisted
of the Needs Assessment of the topics that were not sufficiently represented
in the course and of the Needs Assessment of linguistic and socio-linguistic
features of the course compared to the DLPT-5 requirements. The main Final
Learning Objectives Topics that are crucial for DLPT-5 are the following:
military and security, politics and economics, science and technology, geography
and socio-cultural issues. Historically, the Russian basic course program
had been concentrating on accidents and disasters; of course military topics
have always been emphasized. Socio-cultural, political and economic topics
as well as geography and science have not been sufficiently covered in the
course. In addition to that, the current Russian basic course was developed
in 1989 before the break-down of the Soviet Union. Although providing a strong
structural foundation, it is clearly outdated in terms of modern vocabulary
and an accurate reflection of current Russian reality. The Russian language
has dramatically changed in the last fifteen to eighteen years. Even the pace
of speech in mass media changed and became significantly faster than in the
Soviet days. There are many new words that simply did not exist during the
communist era; on the other hand, some social phenomena disappeared for good.
The goal was to bring new linguistic features and new Russian societal phenomena
into the classroom as fast as possible, while continuing teaching at the same
time.
We felt a real sense of urgency in developing new materials, since we were
clearly facing a double challenge of a more difficult test and higher end-goals
as dictated by the proficiency enhancement plan (2+/2+/2).
It was clear to us that DLPT-5 would use up-to-date authentic sources with
current vocabulary reflecting modern Russian societal issues.
We operated under the concept of a systematic approach to instruction and
started with developing a series of supplemental materials that are parallel
to our regular textbooks. This way, we were able to enhance students’ vocabulary
and linguistic knowledge with current materials and at the same time capitalize
on the existing solid foundation of the textbook.
It should be noted that only authentic materials taken from the Internet and
other up-to-date Russian sources were used for the in-house PEP course development.
Text typology played an important role in selecting reading and listening
passages. All PEP course developers had an intensive training in text typology.
We started with developing reading materials with so-called “enhanced input”
underlining new vocabulary to direct learners' attention to linguistically
important areas and providing a glossary at the bottom of the page. We based
this technique on current research in second language acquisition which has
shown that Input Enhancement improves vocabulary retention.
Starting with reading allowed to quickly bring up-to-date vocabulary and societal
issues needed for DLPT-5 into the classroom. In order to speed up the process
even more, all new materials were delivered electronically and placed on our
school web-site so teachers could download them immediately. Later, hard copies
of students’ and teachers’ booklets were created.
After developing reading materials, we started adding listening exercises
that were parallel to reading topics. All listening passages for the PEP project
were directly downloaded from authentic sources. The authenticity of listening
passages a critical feature that promotes our students’ success not only on
DLPT-5 but also in the field. The listening passages contain various voices,
accents, background noise, overlapping conversations and natural pace of speech.
The new audio materials were also put on the school server and downloaded
to students I-pods, as part of their homework.
This series of new materials are called “What’s New in Russia.” They supplement
Module VII, VIII and IX of the Russian basic course which are being used in
the second and third semesters. All those supplements were developed by Ms.
Irene Jossan under the author’s supervision.
The topics that are covered are the same as in the “regular” textbook but
with an up-to-date, modern “twist”. We used this approach to make sure that
students are not overwhelmed by covering multiple topics simultaneously. They
just move from “simple” material in the textbook to significantly more complicated
passages in the supplements. All the passages are followed by tasks and, as
mentioned before, by a glossary. In addition, the teachers’ booklets also
contain transcripts of audio passages and cultural or geographical explanations.
The topics covered in the supplements are the following: for Mod VII - Geography
(Hot Spots and Regional Conflicts), Education, Climate and Weather; for Mod
VIII - Military Life, Travel and Transports, Theater, Cinema and Art; for
Mod IX - Social Issues, Business in Russia, Economics, Problems with Housing.
So far more than 300 pages of new materials have been developed for the Russian
PEP project.
Moreover, a series of diagnostic tests were developed and the entire testing
system totally restructured. Several faculty members worked on the tests,
among them are Dr.Gryminska, Ms. Jossan, Dr. Pavlov, and Ms. Zhirkova.
One of the diagnostic tests (higher level listening) developed by Dr. Gryminska
is computer-delivered, so students can practice listening in a mode similar
to DLPT-5. We also used the Mock DLPT-5 Reading test provided to us by Dr.
Krasnyanskaya from the Continuing Education.
In FY 2007, we added a new feature in order to better prepare students for
DLPT-5: the Diagnostic Assessment. This was administered to students of three
graduating classes about two months prior to graduation, and focused on three
skills, e.g. listening, reading, and speaking.
After the DA administration, a Team Teaching Plan was provided to the teachers
with concrete advice on topics, materials, vocabulary and skills that needed
to be emphasized within the remaining part of the course. In addition to this,
a detailed written feedback was given to each student with her/his individual
learning plan. Ms. Jossan, the Russian DA specialist did a wonderful job in
administering DA (along with Ms. Lipkin and Ms. Jachno) and compiling the
learning plans. All this hard work and proactive strategy paid off, as evidenced
by the results (not shown) of the RU PEP classes.
It
should be noted that five classes took DLPT-5 in the FY06 and three took it
in FY07. Based on the comparison of results, we can say that the Russian PEP
program has been a great success, and that the level 2 results on DLPT-5 for
FY 2007 stayed almost at the same level as they were on DLPT-4. However, we
still face challenges in improving results at levels 2+ in both listening
and reading, but we stay optimistic and continue improving the program by
raising faculty awareness about DLPT-5 and by continuing developing new materials.
Of course, nothing would have happened without the guidance and continuous
support of the Russian PEP project by Dean Tovar, and the exceptionally hard
work of the entire Russian faculty.
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6.
Month
Long Immersion at Korean University sharpens students' skills
By Hiro Chang, Presidio of Monterey Public
Affairs
Five students from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
(DLIFLC) recently got a rare opportunity to attend one of South Korea's prestigious
universities, Korea University, to further their proficiency in Korean.
For a month these students are taken away from their familiar classroom and
thrust into an all-new environment where they have to use their Korean language
skills to communicate with their native speaking hosts.
"The
classrooms at DLI are great and we have top-notch teachers, but it's kind
of the same thing day after day," said Air Force Capt. Megan E. Himber,
a Korean language student. "So it's great to come here and not only have
new experiences, but also use the language constantly," she added.
The
students stay with a Korean host family that prepares their breakfast and
dinner meals. They are able to go out into the local community during their
free time.
"So
when you go home they're speaking to you in Korean, at the coffee shop they're
speaking to you in Korean and because of that your brain is thinking more
in Korean than you would at DLI," Himber said.
Himber
also said that the opportunity to converse with Koreans has been very exciting
and beneficial for her, an opportunity that she doesn't have at the Presidio.
"When
I came to DLI, I already had my group of friends and I spent time with them,
but over here your family and friends have been taken out of that picture
and now you have to associate with the local Koreans, which has been very
good for me," she said.
But
for the most part, students are in a classroom furthering their grasp of the
Korean language, according to Himber.
"The
teachers here are trying very hard to make sure we're prepped for our end-state
goal of doing well on the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT),"
Himber said. The DLPT is the final test that students take to prove their
expertise in their learned language.
For
the instructors, the students have been a change of pace for the university.
Jong
W. Park, the teacher assigned to the DLIFLC students, remarked (through an
interpreter), "because they are military, they tend to look at me as
their superior and thus study harder and work harder. Their attitudes are
very different, making them very focused and their drive to learn greater."
Park,
who has been instructing foreigners to the Korean language for over two years
for the university, is an advocate of immersive language learning at native
countries. "Language is not just learned through study, but learned through
its culture and how they live," he said.
The
experience of being in the host country and continuing to improve in the language
has also been an eye-opening and valuable tool for the students.
"I
spent an hour having a first-grader correct my pronunciation in vocabulary,"
Air Force Maj. David Abrahamson, Korean language student, said.
"If
you're humble enough to learn from a first-grader, you can learn so much here
and improve your language," he added.
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7.
DLIFLC breaks ground for new instructional building - Will
be named after Alfie Khalil
By
Natela Cutter, Strategic Communications
A
ground breaking ceremony for a new instruction building at the Defense Language
Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) and Presidio of Monterey (POM)
was held Sept. 4, with the first shovels of dirt tossed in a symbolic gesture
by DLIFLC and POM leadership, and participating guests.
“Through
the visions of Mrs. McGinn, DLI is moving down the path outlined in the Defense
Language Transformation Roadmap,” said DLIFLC Commandant and Installation
Commander, Col. Sue Ann Sandusky, referring to Gail McGinn, deputy under secretary
of defense for plans.
“Congressman Sam Farr has been there every step of the way, ensuring that
we stay on track and that we have the one resource only Congress can provide
- appropriated funds. Thank you very much,” said Sandusky.
The
new building is expected to provide 60 classrooms and enough space for 140
students and faculty. The cost of the project has topped $30M and will include
the installation of the latest technology to support the Institute’s wireless
connectivity system. The building is expected to be finished and occupied
by 2010.
DLIFLC
and POM leadership have decided the facility will be named after Alfie Khalil,
a former DLIFLC faculty member and union leader for 27 years. Khalil was instrumental
in defending the Institute from Base Realignment Closure reviews in 1993,
1995, and 2005. Khalil also testified in Congress in 1993 on behalf of DLIFLC
faculty in order for them to receive San Francisco locality pay.
“Alfie was respected, even beloved, and was a man of great generosity. He
was never a mayor in America, but in many ways he was the mayor of the Presidio…
and strived to accomplish goals for the greater good,” said Sandusky. “A house
has the character of the man who lives in it.
The character of this house will be admirable,” concluded Sandusky, citing
an Egyptian proverb.
The event was attended by Khalil’s brother, Hani Khalil, and his family who
lives in Egypt, as well as several other members of the Khalil family from
Southern California. “Alfie transcended cultures and language… he represented
this Installation… He was the mayor, the constant…”
said Farr, who explained that instructor locality pay was accomplished due
to do Khalil’s diligence and willingness to think “outside the box” for solutions.
“I am told that it (locality pay) brought in another 40 million dollars in
payroll to this county… and to think that one man can do that.”
McGinn, who is also the Department of Defense’s (DoD) senior language authority,
stressed the importance of DLIFLC’s expansion as a move that will aid the
implementation of the Proficiency Enhancement Plan, a multifaceted program
designed to improve student proficiency.
“We worked hard for these buildings in the corridors of the Pentagon and had
to make our case to persuade leaders that this was important,” said McGinn,
who explained that speaking languages is often considered “soft power,” but
that there was “nothing soft” about learning languages that are so vital to
national security. “The journey has just begun and our national security depends
on successful strategy and sustained execution here at DLI,” said McGinn.
The
ceremony was concluded by the traditional tossing of shovels of dirt to mark
the beginning of construction of the Alfie Khalil instruction building. ?
Garrison Commander Col. Pamela Martis unveils the sign for the new instruction
building with Hani Khalil, Alfie Khalil’s brother from Egypt.
Congressman Sam Farr and Hani Khalil pose for a photo at the ground breaking
ceremony along with other Khalil family members.
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8.
DLI Memorabilia
Check
the following link to order DLI T-shirts (in most languages), mugs, lapel
pins+, license plate holders, or coins. http://www.dli-alumni.org/dliaa_memorabilia.htm
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