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(S//SI) Arabic Linguists Return After Successful Immersion Training
in Jordan
FROM:
Assistant CDO for Middle East/ North Africa (DP12), and
, Counterintelligence Staff Officer (DP109)
Run Date: 07/28/2006
(S//SI) Many would claim that the best way to learn a language is to be fully immersed in the
country where it is spoken. This was indeed the case for four Navy Arabic linguists from NSA
Georgia who recently returned from a 30-day TDY to Amman, Jordan. The linguists received
Levantine-dialect language training from analysts in Jordan's Electronic Warfare Directorate
(EWD).
(S//SI) A unique immersion program, this training provided the linguists with classroom
instruction and more importantly, the opportunity to sit with Jordanian analysts and listen
to live collection and to practice their conversational Arabic. Exposure to front-end
technical collection and invaluable language training will no doubt prove to be beneficial to the
linguists in their jobs.
(S//SI) The goals of the program are three-fold:
to improve the language analyst's ability to understand and produce SIGINT in the
Levantine/Syrian and Iraqi dialects,
to experience the culture firsthand by engaging the locals and practicing conversational
Arabic, and
to gain front end technical collection experience.
As an Intelligence Analysis intern doing a tour in the Foreign Affairs Directorate (FAD), one of my
projects has been to help streamline a process for linguists going out to Jordan and to make
certain that both the linguists and the Partner are benefiting mutually from this immersion
program.
(S//SI) In order to ensure these three goals were being met, we traveled to NSA Georgia to
meet with the linguists to get their feedback. Overall, the response to the training was positive.
In relation to other language training programs, one linguist stated that this training was
the best he had ever received. Another linguist went from a 2/2+ to a 3/3 after she returned
and took her Defense Language Proficiency Test. Working with experienced collectors at the
front end gave these four individuals ample opportunity to practice their Arabic outside of formal
classroom instruction. In order to make the training most beneficial, each group focuses on a
certain dialect. The group going in June will have an Iraqi dialect focus and another group in
August will again focus on the Levantine dialect.
(S//SI) Additionally, the group provided firsthand observations and recommendations regarding
the travel preparations for their trip, and words of wisdom to the next group of travelers.
Several of the suggestions have been incorporated into the Security/Travel pre-brief, which will
aid and set at ease future travelers to Jordan. This immersion program has proven to be a
successful venture with a Third Party Partner and will likely continue that way.
(U//FOUO) This article is reprinted from the Foreign Affairs Digest , June edition.
"(U//FOUO) SIDtoday articles may not be republished or reposted outside NSANet
without the consent of S0121 (DL sid_comms)."
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