OTR LANGUAGE SCHOOL STUDY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-06202A000100030001-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 35
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 20, 2000
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 26, 1966
• Content Type: REPORT

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Contract
Propo sal
OTR LANGUAGE SCHOOL STUDY
Submitted: 26 September 1966
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OTR LANGUAGE SCHOOL STUDY
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The history of LTS is awellknown story to all concerned and
no attempt will be made in this study to reconstruct history
except where it may have a bearing on the study.
The LT School, like other schools within QTR, began with
one or two people in the 1950's and has grown to_ staff, 25X9
contract and WAE personnel. The school has performed well
in the past with the resources at its command. Adequate as it
is, however, LTS is now faced with a challenge to meet even
greater quantitative and qualitative demands from the Career
Training and Language Policy programs without significant in-
creases in either its instructional staff or physical facilities.
This study will address itself to the many potential problems
associated with this increased demand on LTS and recommend
solutions to these problems.
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Summary of Recommendations
A. Enrollment and Physical Environment
1. With the large increase in the LTS enrollments
for FY 1967-68, the practice of one-to-one student-
teacher ratios must be discontinued if the school is
to handle the increased enrollments without staff
increases. No full-time classes shot;
are less than five students
2. Start all full-time classes in March, July and
November only.
3. If LTS remains in its present quarters the building
should be redesigned for school use, especially
the ventilation system.
4. If LTS is to be moved to new quarters, considera-
tion should be given to includin special "future"
teaching equipment facilities. to consult 25X1A
with building designers in these matters.
B. Teaching Methods
`"/ 1. Some form of teacher training for new WAE per-
sonnel be mandatory.
Special seminars be developed for current staff
professional growth requiring one-two hours of
staff release time a month.
3. All language courses be required to develop complete
detailed course objectives and deta;l, rl.,,ni,t ines_ This
should be given highest priority an completed no
later than end of CY 1966
C. PAI
1. Commercially available PAI foreign language courses
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be applied immediately in Spanish, French and Ger-
man in a sustained experimental test.
2. A small 3-5 person cadre be trained in PAI develop-
ment techniques.
3. All foreign language programs developed for LTS be
concept units of 200 frames length and not full P_ A.11
(8 to 10 thousand frame) courses. Cost $1, 500 per
instructional hour. %
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Contracts should be given in FY 1967 for the (1 el (-~
development of PAAI courses in Spanish, French,
German, Mandarin and Viet.
Bid specifications for above PAI courses to be
written by 30 November 1966, with request for
proposal no later than 31 December 1966.
6. All future off-the-shelf PAI language courses
jected to student use.
7. Where feasible, LTS (OTR) should work with other
government agencies to jointly support PA? foreign
language course development,
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D. CAI
1. A detailed study will be conducted by _on the
potential of CAI to OTR needs. This is part of the
present contract.
E. Current Teaching Systems
1. A list of all films available for language teaching
should be developed by the LTS Chief of Support
no later than 31 December 1966.
2. A complete review of existing language laboratory
facilities should be conducted by the LTS Chief of (?r 25X1A
Support in conjunction with - no later than
31 December 1966
3. Each LTS language department should be abreast of c:
all new commercial materials publishers.
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25X1A 4. to develop a study on the value and cost of t'
television to OTR.
5. A general one-day orientation course to languages
should be developed and include a "how-to-listen"
unit, This unit to be either the "Effective Listening
course available or a new course.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Summary of Recommendations-----------------
iv
A General View of Language Learning----------
1
Background Information
LTS Organization and Staff------------ ?------
4
Student Body--------------------------------
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Enrollments---------------------------------
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Recommendations ----------------------------
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Systems Analysis
Physical Environment -------------------------
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Teaching Methods ------------------------------
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PAI-------------------------------------------
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CAI------------------------------------------
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Current Teaching Systems----------------------
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A GENERAL VIEW OF LANGUAGE LEARNING
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The last two decades have seen profound changes in the teaching
of foreign languages--changes characterized by-CITemphasis on
audio-lingual skill (i. e. , speaking--comprehension), (2) learning
of target language through mimicry and memorization, (3) learn-
ing of pronunciation and grammar through pattern drills, and
(4) use of native speakers in class and/or via language laboratory
tapes.
Not too many years ago structural linguists viewed language as
a "complex aggregate of sensory and motor habits, " and they
concluded that what was needed to learn a language was practice,
and more practice. Little or no regard was given to the cultural
aspects of language in the communications process. Consequently,
learning was achieved only in the mechanical functions of language
in real life situations.
Continuing study in language learning with children suggests that
perhaps humans do not learn a language from mimicry and mem-
orization alone but that they learn a model or key pattern in a lan-
guage which can be projected beyond what they have heard to form
and recognize new word combinations. It is reasonable to assume
that adults also learn languages in a similar manner and that the
creation of a "model" is more appropriate than learning a fixed
block of sentences to parrot in the right situation. This is espe-
cially true when we consider that the ultimate objective of a foreign
language course is to teach a student to generate grammatically
correct sentences in the language so that he will be capable of com-
municating with a native speaker.
Even if we accept the idea that a model needs to be taught rather
than pure mimcry- -memorization- -we cannot escape the fact that
a good deal of practice is still a highly effective language learning
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device. No matter what teaching method is used, the student will
spend a great deal of time studying by himself, at home or in the
language laboratory. In other words, the student spends a great
deal of time teaching himself.
Inherent in learning a foreign language the student has (1) the
problem of interference from one's native language and (2) the
problem of learning to listen effectively.
Native language interference is a critical problem. To a con-
siderable extent this is correlated to the listening problem (phono-
logy) because of a student's need for discipline in learning how to
discriminate between the new sounds of the target language and
his native language. But language interference goes further since
not only sound but sight problems are involved. For example, the
letters i and e, while written the same in English and Spanish, are
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not pronounced the same in both languages. Clearly there is a
need to develop aids for this phase of learning since it is an aspect
of language training that is most critical to proper usage.
In the art of listening, the student problem is to develop a sensi-
tive ear to the differences or similarities of various utterances
within the target language, a discrimination task which is largely
left for the student to solve.
Language instruction has many methods and approaches to teach-
ing and there is no single method that has proved to be "the solution.
In fact, the best teaching approach seems to be a blending of the
present methods into a composite approach.
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Section I
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Background Information
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LTS Organization and Staff
To properly develop the later sections of this study it is advis-
able to present a brief overview of the current LTS organization
and instructional staff design.
LTS is organized like most schools within OTR. It possesses
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25X1A a chief
who is both administrator and academic head
for the school. His responsibilities are broad and cover daily ad-
ministrative routines as well as long-range planning within the
school. The school chief has a deputy as well as 25X1A
personnel in charge of support, testing, and the various language
departments.
The school's main function is, of course, teaching; the secondary
function is testing and support. The deputy and support personnel
are responsible for carrying out routine administrative functions.
LTS has several levels of employees: (1) staff, (2) contract, and
(3) WAE personnel.
Staff members are the core of the organization; their main func-
tions are academic and many of them teach language courses, but
a great deal of their time is taken up by administrative responsibi-
lities. This group represents the professional linguists within the
school and establishesthe teaching methods and selection of course
materials.
Contract people are the "line" workers in LTS. Many are senior
instructors and course chiefs. Normally they teach full time and
are responsible for course content and academic administration of
the WAE people. This group is composed primarily of foreign na-
tionals with minimum security clearance.
WAE personnel are a constantly shifting pool of native foreign
speakers who are utilized on a part-time basis strictly as teachers.
This group is composed mainly of Agency employees' wives. As a
group they have no responsibilities for establishing language course
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content or teaching methods.
Aside from these three operating levels of personnel, LTS also
has many support people whose function is to service all levels of
the school's instructional staff.
Roughly 40 per cent of all full-time language students are remove
social interaction to be effective in the learning situation.
guage teaching simply because language is a social tool requiring
this regular class system forcing a ,one-to-one teacher-student
ratio which is extremely costly and not academically sound in lan-
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class size of 5 to 6 students. At times, students appear outside of
Student Body
There is no such thing as an "average" student in LTS, as found
in school or university language classes. We can only draw gross
assumptions as to what this "average" represents.
The LTS student may be male or female, in the late 20's, a col-
lege graduate with some post-graduate work, of high intelligence
level, and with an average aptitude for the learning of a foreign
language.
This student may take anything from a short (few days) refresher
course to a year's full-time course in a foreign language. The
length of the student's stay is determined by the man's desk chief
and how long the man can be spared from his assignment.
From both an economics point of view and to ensure high quality
e lan ua e courses are desicined around a ILLEGIB
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for to the completion of their course. As a result many students
leave LTS with incomplete knowledge of the foreign language studied
and with little possibility for continuing on-the-job language training
because of difficulties encountered in using conventional materials
in the field.
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Enrollments
The pattern of enrollment within LTS has been on the upswing.
This will continue as the Career Training (CT) and the Language
Policy go into force during FY 1967.
Based on the best data available and as displayed in Appendix B,
the enrollment for full-time students will go up sharply over the
next five years. This, coupled with part-time (Appendix C) student
increases, will result in a substantial rise in LTS work load.
In relation to the problem of increased enrollments is the problem
of LTS staff utilization. For example, in FY 1966 there were 183
full-time students in 102 classes or an average of 1. 8 students per
class. The part-time ratio during this same period was roughly
1 to 2 per class. Clearly these small. classes greatly affect the
ability of the school to cope with increased student enrollment when
the size of both the faculty and the physical facilities is limited.
With these facts in mind it would be advisable to limit the starting
times for full-time classes to March, July and November and to
set a policy regarding the class sizes. The minimum student enroll-
ment should be five students per class. Through proper scheduling
alone it is possible to double or triple the work load of the school
without increasing the instructional staff or facilities.
Recommendations
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1. With the rather large increase in students within LTS antici-
pated for FY 1967- 1968, the practice of one-to-one student-teacher
courses must be discontinued if the school is to handle the increased
student load without corresponding increase in the instructional staff.
No full-time classes should be started without a minimum enrollment
of four students unless CIA needs demand an exception.
2. Full-time classes should be scheduled only on a quarterly basis
with starting dates in March, July and November of each year. No
full-time classes, except to satisfy special CIA needs, should be
allowed, outside this schedule.
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Systems Analysis
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of the
Language Training School
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Physical Environment
LTS is housed in what was once an automobile garage located in
an apartment building. The classroom and offices were originally
designed to fit the contours of the building with a minimum of con-
struction. Because of its original design as a garage, the struc-
ture has only one wall with windows, a low ceiling and poor air
ventilation.
In addition to the shortcomings of the floor plan, the school suf-
fers from 1) poor overall maintenance, 2) lack of daily janitorial
services; in a building occupied by so many people, this results
in unsanitary conditions in the restrooms and other publicly used
areas, 3) considerable water leakage into the building during rain
or snow storms, resulting in a damp, musty environment.
The floor plan places the staff personnel mainly on the outer
(window) wall of the building. The contract instructors are housed
in individual inner offices, and WAE people in shared inner offices.
Classrooms and a few study carrels are woven throughout the inner
office complex.
There are restrooms, vending machines, nurse's quarters, lan-
guage laboratories and a variety of storage rooms throughout the
structure. As a whole, the building is very poorly designed for the
task it must perform.
Recommendations: If LTS is to remain in the present building, the
structure should be revised to better accommodate the task of
training. An environment more conducive to sound educational
habits, including a redesign of the classrooms, language labora-
tories and study carrels should be considered. Certainly the rede-
sign of the present ventilation system, which seems to cause a good
many teaching-learning problems through respiratory difficulties,
is essential.
2., The present study rooms should not only be redesigned in the con-
text of space allocation but also in terms of their internal composition.
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For example, a series of independent study carrels should have
direct access to language tapes, written materials and other items
pertinent to the students' needs. This need for independent study
carrels is most critical where a subject such as languages is taught
because of the students' need for continued self-practice. Also,
any student involved in an intensive study program has need for
withdrawal from the intense psychological problem encountered
with a full-time (8-hour day, 5 days a week) course in language
learning.
If the Agency chooses to move LTS from its present location to
new quarters the points covered in the preceding paragraph apply
to new quarters except that it is also advisable to consider future
school needs by building many advanced features into the structure
such as the electrical conduits for closed circuit TV, dial-access
facilities and similar basic fixed installations for new devices
which must be installed at the time of construction even though
they may not be used for several years.
4. It is recommended that if this step is to be taken by OTR,
be directed to consult with the planning group
to discuss the building design from the academic point of view.
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Teaching Methods
There are many methods for teaching foreign languages. For
our purpose, however, we will consider only three key methods
considered by most experts as major approaches. These are:
(1) grammar-translation, (2) direct approach, and (3) audio-
lingual.
The "gr.ammar-translation" concept is based on grammar ana-
lysis as the prime teaching device whereas the "direct approach"
idea believes you should by-pass your native language and use only
the foreign language in teaching. The "audio-lingual" method is
primarily the use of native language presented via audio-tape drills.
The LT School employs a composite of these three approaches
woven into its own "method" of teaching FL.
The LTS approach is based on the idea that the ultimate purpose
is to develop a student to a point where he can generate his own
utterances and not parrot only those he learned. In the LTS method
a language is taught in roughly the following sequence:
A. Orientation and phonology.
B. Dialogue presentations.
C. Memorization.
D. Variation Drills.
E. Grammar presentation (by linquist).
F. Pattern Drills.
G. Comprehension.
H. Controlled conversations.
I. Problem solving--role playing.
The LTS curriculum is based primarily on the audio-lingual teach-
ing method but is a highly sophisticated version of the method. There
does not appear to be any current teaching system better suited to the
task than the one currently in use by LTS.
At the present time there is no set policy within LTS regarding the
content of the various courses. This is left up to the various depart-
en heads to work out. The same can be said for the teaching
method employed by the various language departments. While the
"audio-lingual" method is a basic formula for teaching, each depart-
ment, and for that matter, each teacher, is free to follow his own
method.
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This "free" approach allows individual instructors to adapt the
LTS teaching method to their personalities and is a satisfactory
concept. Such freedom also allows the individual to innovate in
his curriculum.
Teacher training is normally given to all new teachers and to
some older instructors. This teacher training course is designed
primarily for WAE personnel and deals with foreign language
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teaching methods. The course spends a small amount of time on
the "why" of foreign language teaching as well as minimal time
on the psychology of the student-teacher relationship in the learn-
ing process. The teacher training course has been in effect less
than a year.
Recommendations: Some form of teacher training should be a
mandatory requirement for all new LTS instructors and current
LTS instructors within the school, who have not previously been
taught an LTS teaching methods course.
The current teacher training course should not be utilized on the
senior staff or contract instructors because it tends to create ill
feelings due to its low academic level. In place of this type of
course, the seminar approach which has been used by LTS on a
spotty basis in the past, should be instituted as a routine monthly
function. Such seminars should be conducted by the LTS chief or
his assistants.
To conduct these seminars, which are needed if the LTS staff's
professional competence is to be maintained, requires that at least
one to two hours per staff member per month be released from
teaching for attendance at the seminars.
2. All LTS language department heads must be required to develop
a set of terminal behaviors and course behavioral outlines for
their specific language. These objectives should then be expanded
into a detailed course content outline for each language course.
Only when this task is completed will LTS be in a position to act on
either the upgrading of its present curriculum or the consideration
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of developing PAI materials since such materials are really the
course blueprints.
These outlines will also provide LTS with guides for administra-
tive and performance judgments of the FL departments as well as
providing the necessary material for outside PAI contractors' work
with LTS. This recommendation should be given the highest priority
and completed before the end of CY 1966.
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tine facts only, or it will quickly become boring and useless as an
instructional aid.
A considerable portion of the difficulties encountered in foreign
defined
m a lack of clearl
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language teac
short- and long-term course objectives. Since this is true it is
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Program Assisted Instruction (PAI}
When we discuss PAI we are referring to a process, not a rigid
method. The process consists first of establishing short-term
goals (objective) and long-term goals (terminal behavior). After
the course goals are defined in behavioral terms, the programmer
develops an outline which builds up to the objectives he seeks to
teach. A "program" is then developed by arranging the material in
logical sequential steps (frames) leading toward these objectives.
A critical phase in program construction is the developmental
testing and testing of the final version. A good program is tested-
revised as often as needed in order to achieve its educational objec-
tive.
Too often the programs are considered usable only for "factual"
materials which interferes with the development of truly useful
programs. A successful program, that is one that teaches, must
teach concepts rather than provide a sequence of facts only. PAI
should be utilized for the core problems of learning, not the rou-
clear that no significant improvements can be accomplished in. a
conventional or PAI type course until this deficiency is remedied.\
The application of PAI to foreign language training is still very
new. In fact many commercially available FL programs today are
merely grammar-translation formats as opposed to audio-lingual
teaching. Since oral teaching is the prime objective of LTS, effec-
tive programs must be written to elicit oral, not written, responses.
But development of a full-time foreign language course in PAI form
to meet LTS requirements would be extremely costly simply because
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an averaae of 3 to 10 thousand programmed frames would be re-
quired to teach a year's basic course in most foreign languages.
A PAI course of this magnitude wo1,ld._oot_about $100, 000.
A more efficient use of OTR resources would be to create a
series of short (roughly 200 frames) programs to teach conceptual
or difficult aspects of a language such as manipulation of phonology
or grammar, which would average $3, 000 each, 6 to 8 units per
language, These "concept units" would be designed for integration
into the present LTS teaching system and not as independent study'
units.
PAI is an excellent teaching tool in foreign language learning be-
cause language learning is primarily the acquisition of a skill
where the individual learner must do a jreat deal of self-teaching.
But as noted earlier, languages present a special programming
problem in that audio-lingual materials must be developed in con-
junction with written materials.
A fair portion of LTS teaching is directed to language reading as
opposed to oral use. While most reading classes are modest in
total student enrollment, they are offered year after year. Because
of this some consideration should be given to producing PAI reading
courses in Russian, German and French. This effort, however,
should be secondary tot e mayor program of oral teaching
materials.
Recommendations: The commercially available PAL foreign language
courses" in French, German and Spanish should be applied imme-
diately to LTS in a sustained experiment to determine their validity
for LTS teaching purposes, especially as a prerequisite to full-time
courses. This intensive test should be structured and administered
by the LT School Chief in cooperation with BBN personnel, the test
to be scheduled for completion by the end of FY 1967.
Concurrent with the above effort, LTS should train a small
(3 to 5 people) cadre of current LTS personnel, selected by the
See list in Appendix A
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School's Chief, in PAI fundamentals regardless of whether LTS
ever develops PAI courses or not. This basic training in PAI
fundamentals will have several values: (1) to train key staff or
contract people in the philosophy of PAI which is applicable to
developin _"conventional" materials as well as PAI materials;
(2) to form a nucleus of personnel capable of working intelli-
gently with any outside PAI language course contractors; and
(3) to conceivably develop internal LTS talent to program courses I Z ~'
with minimal outside assistance.
o ld be iven on the basis of two full
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Such program cours
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weeks of study followed by six months of on-the-job supervised Fr. .
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instruction before the individual would be a self-sufficient pro-
grammer. Cost of this effort would average $2, 000 per man. c?L7
unit as opposed to a full (8 to 10 thousand frames) PAI course.,,/
Each FL would require 6 to 8 of these concept units but the total
task will be considerably less expensive in both time and money
than developing a full PAI foreign language course. Such units
will also provide a much more flexible means of integrating PAI
with the current LTS system of teaching.
4. For this phase of the project it is recommended that contracts
should be small concept unit formats of 200 or so frames per "\ .
3. Any foreign language program courses developed for LTS
be negotiated in FY 1967 for the development of French, Spanish,
German, Mandarin, and Viet languages in the concept unit format.
This should be followed in FY 1968 with a similar development in
other languages where student enrollment or need justifies the
expenditures.
5. It is further recommended that contract bidding specifications be
written by LTS in conjunction with _ for the development of 25X1A
these concept units and that this request for proposal (RFP) be
circulated to qualified bidders by 30 November 1966 with request
for proposal no later than 31 December 1966.
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The cost of producing programmed units of this type will average
approximately $3, 000 per unit (2 hours of instruction per unit),
6 to 8 units per language.
6. In the future all off-the-shelf foreign language programs that
appear to be practical for LTS usage should first be reviewed by
the School for proper pedagogy. If the material is considered
appropriate it should be tested by an independent contractor such
25X1A as _ prior to being subjected to LTS students.
7. Where feasible, LTS through OTR should support the joint deve-
lopment of foreign language PAI courses in conjunction with other
Government agencies for reasons of economics provided the joint
effort does not unduly delay the development work.
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Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI)
As commented on in previous papers, CAI is not simply a research
tool. CAI has shown through many applied problems that the compu-
ter is capable of performing an educationally and economically sound
service within the needs of OTR in the future.
Recent advances in information technology have made computers
so easy to use that elementary school pupils, without training in
computer programming, are now formulating and solving problems
through the use of a computer terminal located in the classroom,
The technological advances mainly responsible are (1) the invention
of new languages to permit a more natural human communication
with computers, and (2) the realization of time-shared computers
which makes them economically feasible.
These developments open up new potentials for CAI, potentials to
use, store and communicate information in all phases of guidance,
testing, and instruction itself.
In foreign language learning, several studies of CAI application
are in process. One study, for example, currently being undertaken
is a CAI system to develop a capability of performing acoustic ana-
lyses of the student's vocal productions, evaluation of these produc-
tions for phonetic faithfulness, informing the student of the nature of
his errors, and presenting succeeding lesson materials to remedy
the student's particular difficulties. Similarly, the desired system
would analyze written constructions of the student, evaluate their
accuracy with respect to syntax and reference, and provide imme-
diate correction and conditional presentation of subsequent study
materials.
While this represents only one potential use of CAI in foreign lan-
guage learning, it is fair to state that it. will be some time before
any usable materials will result from this effort. It is probably,
however, that CAI will be a usable educational tool in the future for
foreign language teaching. Because of this enormous future potential
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for CAI, an intensive survey of the system is needed at this time
not only for L?TS but for OTR as a whole.
Recommendations: A detailed study be conducted on CAI's current
state of the art and its potential not only to LTS, but to OTR.
This study to be conducted under the presenter contract with
the CIA.
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Ourrent Teaching Systems
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The training objectives of any organizational program significantly
influence the types of educational techniques which are used in a
given program. This is equally true for training done through
traditional methods as it is in the use of new media.
Many changes are often made in instructional systems in the name
of "modern" technology when such changes are not needed or war-
wanted. At times the mere changing of certain aspects of the sys-
tem's traditional components will create an adequate teaching system
without the infusion of new media.
Films: A teaching tool so often overlooked is the film medium. This
can take many forms from large group films to single concept films
designed for independent study carrels. As a medium, film may be
used to teach foreign cultures in the course of the foreign language
learning experience. The film medium is currently being used
within LTS, limited mainly by a lack of adequate films. This de-
ficiency, coupled with the fact that the film projection equipment
being used by LTS is designed for group usage, grossly limits the
value of films because a good many instructors (especially WAE
types) are not familiar with the use of projectors. Also, most
language classes and classrooms are too small for practical appli-
cations of group films.
Films are a vital tool in training, especially where material such
as foreign cultures is to be presented. It is recommended that an
accurate list be compiled of all available films for language teach-
ing. This list should contain l6mm group films and new 8mm films
designed for self-study or small groups.
LTS should also review the equipment in use by the school and con-
sider the purchase of self-study film systems provided films are
available for such systems.
Both studies should be conducted by the LTS Chief of Support with
25X1A aid from _ personnel.
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Language Laboratory: An instructional tool utilized by LTS is the
language laboratory. Its value in foreign language teaching is not
challenged. Consideration, however, should be given to the pos-
sibility of improving the language lab and/or the establishment of
study carrels in lieu of the formal language lab that now exists.
In conjunction with the language lab, there is also room for im-
provement in the utilization in the labs of the audio-tapes. These
suggested language tape improvements would not be in course con-
tent but in tape formats only. For example, the simple addition of
background noises in certain dialogue tapes would lend a "real life"
approach to the material. Also the teaching (via tape) of agent
situations such as garbled telephone voices or slurred voices to
simulate field conditions where a language is applied.
A detailed review must be conducted of the present language lab
installation, its physical layout, and the advisability of expansion
and/or replacement of the equipment to meet LTS needs. This
study should also address itself to the advisability of establishing
study carrels in lieu of the formal language lab.
Concurrent with review of the physical language lab equipment,
experimentation should be conducted by the LTS, under the respon-
sibility of the School Chief, with- support, in the upgrading of
the language lab tapes to closer simulation of the "real life" lan-
guage situations.
Textbooks: Another traditional teaching tool which we tend to for-
get about is the textbook. Improvements in teaching are sometimes
achieved simply by the selection of new commercial materials
available. To be in a position to do this, however, LTS must be
certain that all new commercial published materials are reviewed
by the proper persons within LTS, for potential use by the language
departments. This task should be coordinated by the Chief of Sup-
port.
Role Playing: Role playing, as a teaching device, is necessary for
the individual student to build a generative use of a foreign language..
20
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Currently LTS uses role playing rooms at the school and the Brush-
wood training house for this purpose. Expanded use of simulators
.such as films, records, or similar devices is about the only prac-
tical course to follow for this task; there is little room to expand
beyond this level.
Listening Another key problem in language learning which is tra-
ditional in nature is the student's need to learn "how to listen. "
While this learning task might seem simple on the surface, it is
quite difficult for most students to master, particularly where a
tonal language such as Mandarin is involved. This problem may
be partially overcome by the adaptation of the "listening" course
produced by Basic Systems Inc. , or the development of a special
LTS course.
The Basic Systems "listening" course should be procured by LTS,
adapted for school use, and experimented on 10 to 20 incoming full-
time students as part of an "Introduction to.Foreign Languages"
course needed in the School.
This task should be the responsibility of the LTS Chief.
Television: One of the traditional yet "new" approaches to teaching
a foreign language is closed-circuit television (TV), a system that
has been in formal school use for over ten years. From the exper-
ience of TV teaching, we can conclude that it is equal to and at
times better than the conventional methods of teaching for most
subjects.
As a teaching system TV has many strong and weak points, espec-
ially as it applies to foreign language teaching. It can offer greater
flexibility in the use of staff personnel, utilization of props, simula-
tion aids, and certainly result in more effective training for clandes-
tine agents who, for obvious reasons, cannot attend the formal school.
Its weakness is its high initial costs and the one-way communica-
tion circuit problem which is particularly detrimental in foreign
language learning because languages are a behavior indulged in by
two or more people (i. e. , a social behavior).
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All this does not mean that TV'is useless in foreign language
teaching. It merely means that as a tool, TV like all other media,
must be properly considered for potential integration into the teach-
ing system where it can best function. For example, one of the
acknowledged deficiencies of the current LTS program is the lack
of "social" inputs to the language learning experience. Television
could help overcome this deficiency.
When all economic and educational factors are reviewed it does
not seem practical at this time to consider television as a practical
media for LTS. It is, however, worthy of future consideration to
the extent that a survey of its academic potential and its costs
25X1A should be conducted by OTR
An extensive list of available films for use in foreign. language
teaching as well as the source of supply and cost of such films
should be developed for the various language departments. This
list should be developed by the LTS Chief of Support and completed
no later than 31 December 1966 with updating of this list at least
every six months.
Recommendations: _to develop a study on the academic potential
and the cost of television. The development of this study will await
completion of the whole OTR systems survey..
3. A complete review of the existing language labs, their present
quality, recommendations for the expansion and/or change to new
equipment should be conducted. This study should be extended to
include the feasibility of developing decentralized. study carrels.
The study should be conducted by the LTS Chief of Support with the
25X1A aid of _personnel, and completed no later than. 31 December 1966.
4. Individual language departments must be kept up to date on all com-
mercially available language teaching materials. To accomplish
this, the language departments within LTS should have their names
placed on the mailing lists of all language materials publishers which
can be accomplished simply by a request from the individual depart-
ment to the publishers. Previous efforts to do this through the CIA
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library appear to have been unsuccessful.
5. A general one-day orientation to languages course should be deve-
loped and applied to all new LTS students. The "listening" program
should be made an integral part of this package whether LTS uses
the existing Basic Systems' "Effective Listening" course or develops
its own. In the event LTS must develop a new course in listening,
the approximate cost would be $5, 000.
This course should be organized by the LTS Deputy Chief in
25X1A conjunction with _ and made available no later than 1 March 1967.
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Conclusion
This study and recommendations derived from it are self-
explanatory and do not need further discussion. It should be
noted, however, that the recommendations may be expanded or
changed once the remaining schools within OTR have been sur-
veyed, because the various schools, while independent in many
ways, are dependent upon one another in relation to objectives,
students, and administrative problems.
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APPENDIXES
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Recommended Available PAI
Foreign Language Courses
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A. Elementary Frerich, Rickert & Dubois
Encyclopaedia Britannica Press, 1961.
2385 frames (477pp) approximately $15. 00 each
B. German A, El>tert
Encyclopaedia Britannica Press, 1961
5, 050 frames (10 books) $32. 00 each'
C. Introductory Spanish, M. Sullivan
Encyclopaedia Britannica Press, 1.961
3, 284 frames (7 books) $18. 00 each
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1961 - 1970
APPENDIX B
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