In January 2006, President Bush announced the National Security Language Initiative (NSLI), an inter-agency effort coordinated by the White House to dramatically increase the number of Americans learning, speaking, and teaching critical need foreign languages. Foreign language skills are essential to engaging foreign governments and peoples, especially in critical world regions, to promote understanding, convey respect for other cultures, and encourage reform. These skills are also fundamental to the economic competitiveness and security interests of the nation.

The Secretaries of State, Education, and Defense and the Director of National Intelligence launched this comprehensive and coordinated national initiative with new programs and resources to expand U.S. critical foreign language education beginning in kindergarten and continuing through elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education and into the workforce.

• NSLI Budget Information PDF (211K)

• NSLI's Launch at the U.S. University Presidents Summit

• NSLI FAQ PDF (108K) | MS Word (137K)

• General Contacts

  • Department of Education: Janice Faulkner, Janice.Faulkner@ed.gov
  • Office of the Director of National Intelligence: Hugh McFarlane, hgmcfar@nsa.gov
  • Department of State: Jessica Roberts, robertsjs2@state.gov
  • Department of Defense: Robert Slater, Slaterr@ndu.edu

• Program Contacts

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