Director's Report: On Achieving Professional-Level Proficiency
We have now surveyed over 1500 students of Arabic, Modern Hebrew, Persian and Turkish. One item that has elicited a positive response from 75% of those surveyed is: “I am determined to achieve a level of proficiency in [Arabic, Modern Hebrew, Persian or Turkish] that would allow me to function in it comfortably in my professional activities.” And this is no idle wish. This year applications were at record levels for the intermediate and advanced levels of the Critical Languages Scholarship (CLS) Program. Likewise, the CASA Program received applications from more and better prepared students than ever before. Unfortunately, the number of fellowships available for these programs was the same as last year or even slightly less.
Next year we hope to see more advanced-level slots, but—barring a significant increase in funding—the number of scholarships offered won’t be enough to meet demand. The fact is that demand has overwhelmed capacity, especially for Arabic. Programs abroad are scrambling to meet demand, but quality is far from guaranteed. That is not to say that students should not pursue intensive study overseas. Far from it. Such an experience can be richly rewarding. However, they do need to be better-informed consumers, if they are serious about making the most of their time and effort.
Intensive study, whether stateside or abroad, is key to reaching advanced levels of language proficiency. This is especially true for those studying languages not closely related to their native tongue. Enrolling in an intensive program or going abroad to immerse oneself in the language and culture are necessary but not sufficient conditions, as all too many students returning from such experiences can attest. For some reason, this important message is lost on succeeding generations.
We strongly encourage students and advisers to ponder the contents of our newly updated document: “On Making the Most of Study Abroad.”