DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL (U) Now You're Speaking My Language: NSA's Linguistic Resources (Part II) FROM: SIGINT Communications and Renee Meyer, NSA/CSS Senior Language Authority (SLA) Unknown Run Date: 07/06/2004 FROM: SIGINT Communications and Renee Meyer, NSA/CSS Senior Language Authority (SLA) Unknown (S) In part one of this series, we noted that half of the cryptologic missions lack the qualified linguists to do the job. Let's look at these shortages a little more closely. Four-fifths of the entire cryptologic language workforce is military . Currently, only 25% of them are at the operational standard (level 3/3) in the languages they are working; only 51% of the civilians are 3/3. This is the primary cause of the severe language deficiency. (This was caused by a number of factors, such as the downsizing of the military and civilian cadres over the last 10 years, high turnover rates, etc.) (U//FOUO) NSA/CSS has drawn up a comprehensive, long-term plan -- worked jointly by all cryptologic military and civilian sectors -- to remedy the situation, as described below: (U//FOUO) Life-cycle learning/enhancement throughout career. Training must be continuous and sustained, even beyond level 3. (U//FOUO) NSA Action to Date: The Language Analysis Professional Health Program (PHP) aims to transform military and civilian linguists into language analysts through a concentrated program that develops language proficiency, performance skills, and congruity judgment for cryptologic language work. "Congruity judgment" is the crucial ability to fit an English product to the content and context of the original, critical to the intelligence process. It goes far beyond a superficial word-for-word, machine-like substitution of English words for target-language ones. (U//FOUO) The National Cryptologic School (NCS) handles the job of teaching languages at NSA/CSS. NSA/CSS has also sponsored the addition of Defense Language Institute (DLI) "language training detachments" at NSA Fort Meade and all three NSA/CSS Regional Security Operating Centers (RSOCs); these teachers provide high-quality training at the very sites where the language analysts are working. Finally, new Accelerated Cryptologic Language Programs are in place and operational at two of the three RSOCs, with the third to come on-line in early FY2005. These programs blend upper-level cryptologic and global language. (S) NSA/CSS has programmed a total of $395 million for the years FY05-09 specifically to address higher-level (beyond level 2) training for military and civilian language analysts throughout their careers and around the world. SERIES: (U) Linguistic 1. Now You're Speaking My Language: NSA's Linguistic Resources (Part I) 2. Now You're Speaking My Language: NSA's Linguistic Resources (Part II) 3. Now You're Speaking My Language: NSA's Linguistic Resources (Part III and Final) 4. Filling 'Critically Needed Language' Gaps

(U//FOUO) Systemic adjustments in career management . Cryptologic language analysts must be assigned to language work in order to minimize the decaying of their language skills. In a study performed by the NSA/CSS Senior Language Authority (SLA), the number one reason for military language analysts leaving the career field or service was the fact that they were not assigned to language work. (U//FOUO) NSA Action to Date: NSA/CSS began reorganizing the management of its language cadre into a single component to enable maximum flexibility and agility and optimal fit of language competence to mission need. Deployment Services (S214) is the first big step. It manages the deployment of language analysts throughout S2 , based on mission requirements and priorities. (U//FOUO) Comprehensive modernization of the Defense Language Institute/Foreign Language Center (DLI/FLC) in Monterey, California. While there are some excellent language programs in existence at universities and colleges across America, DLI is responsible for language training for all military. It is the model for general language training in terms of methodology and approach, incorporating a learner-centered, task-based curriculum from the first day of class. In this decade, over 98% of DLI's training has been devoted to the basic level, the outcome of which is a level 2/2. There is virtually no existing curriculum in any language at DLI above Level 2/2. In order to provide training to the 3/3 level (NSA/CSS's operational standard), DLI will thus have to substantially increase its resident and extended programs. (U//FOUO) NSA/CSS Action to Date: NSA/CSS personnel collaborated with DLI experts and then coordinated with the US Army's Training and Doctrine Command, the Army's Executive Agent for DLI, on "what it would take" for DLI to offer upper level courses and curricula. Through DoD's Joint Requirements Oversight Council process, NSA/CSS has championed increased funding required for DLI to support the 3/3 requirement. Additionally, NSA/CSS sponsored three pilot Proficiency Enhancement Programs in Arabic in 2003. All three pilots proved conclusively that 12 additional weeks of training at DLI to high aptitude, high potential, level 2/2+ military language analysts resulted in at least a plus point increase in proficiency, plus additional skills in Iraqi. (U//FOUO) Higher level language and advanced cryptologic skills curriculum development. While 3/3 is the operational standard, 3/3 language proficiency alone is not sufficient to handle the SIGINT factors regularly encountered by the CLA. The NCS, as Responsible Training Authority for intermediate and advanced cryptologic language training, has for years led the Intelligence Community and DoD in providing upper level work-related and jobspecific language training. NCS will work with the Language Analysis Skill Community, DLI and the Services to ensure that 3/3level CLA have not only the required general language proficiency, but the SIGINT language skills as well. (U//FOUO) NSA/CSS Actions to Date: Over the past three years alone, NSA/CSS has given almost $10 million to DLI for training expansion and test development. At the same time, the NCS continues to increase the cryptologic focus throughout its curricula in order to more effectively reflect job requirements. Finally, General Quirk has declared that

language training is mandatory for all civilian and military CLAs. (U) Watch for the conclusion of this series next! "(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)." DYNAMIC PAGE -- HIGHEST POSSIBLE CLASSIFICATION IS TOP SECRET // SI / TK // REL TO USA AUS CAN GBR NZL DERIVED FROM: NSA/CSSM 1-52, DATED 08 JAN 2007 DECLASSIFY ON: 20320108