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One notional
example of a language training and assignment career path from entry
through senior level for an officer seeking to achieve an advanced level of
proficiency (level 4) in a super hard language such as Arabic would be to
take up to 44 weeks of Basic Arabic at FSI/Washington after completing
A-100 (the orientation course for new foreign service officers) and
tradecraft training, such as consular, public diplomacy, administration,
management, etc. Following a consular or rotational assignment at an
Arabic-speaking post, a normal subsequent assignment would be to a posting
elsewhere in the world (or occasionally in Washington)
to provide broader geographic and/or functional experience for tenuring evaluation. While on these assignments,
employees can continue to work on their language skills via Distance
Learning, Post Language Programs or language immersion offerings.
After tenuring, an officer may bid on an assignment requiring
an S-3/R-3 in Arabic which would lead to a second year of Arabic language
training at the FSI field school in Tunis
or possibly at another regional educational institution in preparation for
further Arabic-speaking assignments at the mid-level. At a later stage, if
an employee and the Human Resources-FSI-Near East Bureau agree, more
advanced language training to the "Beyond 3" level may be
considered for up to a year of immersion study at such institutions as the
American University of Cairo, the University of Damascus or the Arab
Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences in Amman, Jordan (for Economic
Officers). Such training would be tied to an assignment to a Language Designated Position, followed by other
assignments in the Near East region in preparation for senior-level
responsibilities. These assignments should be complemented by non-Near East
postings elsewhere in the world and Washington
to provide the broad range of experience and expertise needed to compete at
the senior level.
(Slide
4) Another notional example for a
hard language such as Russian would be to take either the full 44-week
Basic course to attain a S-3/R-3 or up to 36 weeks of training at FSI/Washington
(normally attaining a S-2/R-2) followed by up to four weeks of
"transition immersion" at a contract facility in Russia or
elsewhere in the CIS prior to or after reporting for duty. An officer could
continue to work on language skills development via Distance Learning or
Post Language Program offerings while at post and in subsequent non-Russian
speaking assignments. He/she could then take advanced ("back to
3" and "beyond 3") Russian training at FSI/Washington in
preparation for subsequent Russian-language postings. Again, assignments to
Russian-speaking posts would be complemented by assignments elsewhere in
the world or Washington
to provide that broader experience required at the senior level.
(Slide
5) Employees who begin service
studying a world language such as Spanish or French would normally receive
23/24 weeks of training at FSI, achieving an S-3/R-3 before reporting to
post. They could then use post language program offerings, local immersions
and Distance Learning courses to maintain or improve their language skills.
Later refresher and advanced training at FSI, usually offered during the
summer months, can assist students in moving towards the S-4/R-4 level.
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