A panel of experts and government leaders-their message amplified by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii- earlier this month discussed a growing deficit in foreign language skills throughout the federal government, and society at large.
"I am concerned that the United States as a whole lags behind much of the world with respect to foreign language education," Akaka said. "According to the 2000 census, only 9.3 percent of Americans speak both their native language and another language fluently-compared with 52.7 percent of Europeans."
According to the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service (PPS), which organized the forum, more than 60 percent of the State Department's "critical language speakers" will become eligible to retire within five years.
Further, 21 percent of State employees required to speak foreign tongues proficiently actually fall short on ability, according to a 2003 Government Accountability Office report.
With more than 80 other departments and agencies also facing a need for replacements able to speak foreign languages, "shortages of skilled language personnel across these agencies are complicating the government's efforts in trade, peacekeeping, diplomacy, security and intelligence," a PPS issue brief said.
According to PPS, the government language deficit arises from four causes: a limited talent pool due to growing recruitment of multilingual workers by the private sector, a severe shortage in foreign language teachers, training deficits at departments such as State, and a lack of foreign language-capable hires with security clearances.
Akaka and others stated their support for the Homeland Security Education Act (S. 2450), which outlines a program to start more kids on foreign languages at an early age, and award scholarships to foreign language students, as well as federally fund more language teachers and professors.
The Bush administration, with bipartisan backing, has also pushed for a program called the National Security Language Initiative, and Akaka touted his own National Foreign Language Coordination Act, both of which press mechanisms for increased foreign language training.
"As 9/11 showed us, failures of communication can do swift damage," Akaka said.
For more on this event, entitled "Securing the Nation: Recruiting and Retaining Critical Language Skills in the Federal Government," held at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., go to PPS's Web site at www.ourpublicservice.org.
