Prospects and Challenges: Critical Language & Cultural Competency in the Military and Beyond

1. Phil McKnightGeorgia Tech Prospects and Challenges:Critical Language & Cultural Competency in the Military and Beyond Global Engineering Practices Relationships Impact Challenges Project GO (Global Officers) Conference, San Diego, November 9-10, 2008

2. Contexts Source: Berlitz School

3. Models at Georgia TechHow to Make it Work • Georgia Tech International Plan – How it can work for Engineers • Student input and administration response and program development • Focus on Engineering, Technology and International Affairs • Opportunities, Barriers and Contexts • Implementation and Decision-making • How GT can collaborate with other schools • LBAT, Internships, Study, Experience

4. Designing Global EngineeringTake their pulse: What do Students Want? • Competitiveness in their career and the Job Market • Globalization of their skills • Intercultural Understanding • Foreign Language Skills (ca. 30%) • Adventure and Challenging Experiences Kendall Chuang (ECE and International Plan) in Chinatown, Yokohama, Japan, during 12 month internship with NTT Microsystem Integration Laboratories

5. Barriers - Students • Do they want to go? Yes: (40-90%) • But: • Cannot earn course credit towards my major • Cannot afford it • Fail to graduate on time • ROTC commitments and requirements • Campus commitments • Parents opposed

6. Barriers – Faculty & Administration • State legislation • 4-years time to graduation (financial aid) • Language Departments won’t cooperate • Engineering units won’t cooperate • Rigid Curriculum • Failure to recognize value added • Foreign university programs are “below standards” • Can ROTC Units integrate?

7. ROTC Language & Culture Project at Georgia TechAll projectsincludesupplemental intensive languageprograms on site • Arabic • Create faculty-led intensive summerprogram (LBAT) • Two countries will beselected, e.g., Egypt and Dubai • Establishpartneruniversity • Bridge from LBAT to in-semester intensive languagetraining • Establishinternshipopportunites • Enhanceupperdivisioncourses • Korean • Create faculty-led intensive summerprogram (LBAT) • Enhanceupperdivisoncourses • Partner universities (KAIST, etc.) are in place • Bridge from LBAT to intensive languagetraining • Someinternshipsare in place • Russian • Create newpartneruniversityfortechnology and engineering • Exploreinternshipopportunities • Chinese • Expandfaculty-ledintesnivesummerprogramfrom 6 to 9 credits • Expandinternshipopportunities • Revise online Chinese courses

8. Global (Engineering) Excellence Collaborative Study sponsored by Continental TU Darmstadt, ETH Zürich, Georgia Tech, MIT, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tsinghua University, Escola Politécnica da Universidade de São Paulo Common Goal and Vision for Engineers: • Technically adept • Broadly knowledgeable • Innovative and entrepreneurial • Commercially savvy • Multilingual • Culturally aware • Knowledgeable about world markets • Professionally flexible and mobile Paul Camuti, President & CEO, Siemens Corporate Research “Engineering the Future: Staying Competitive in the Global Economy,” Keynote Speech, International Engineering Colloquium, Atlanta Nov. 10, 2005. Globalization is rapidly changing the way national economies around the world design, produce, distribute and consume goods and services. Engineers need to work in teams and on projects with members from different nations and continents. They need to be internationally mobile, whether physically or virtually –intersects with ROTC goals.

9. A Philosophy for Modern Languages • Develop advanced communication skills • Promote creative thinking • Develop professional competence • Prepare young people for life and work in the global community • Open access to cultural understanding • Be responsive to students’ goals Apply to all disciplines—and meet parameters defined by business executives and by government agencies Work to meet Georgia Tech’s Strategic Plan: 50% of undergraduates should have a foreign experience

10. Taking the Pulse of Students: SurveysGeorgia Tech Fall 2007 Data

11. Top Choices

13. Top Majors (2007)

14. Create Practices to Achieve Professional Competency • LBAT • Collaborative and Joint Degrees • LAC projects and interdisciplinary collaboration • Learning not confined to classroom • Corporate relationships and GT-TUM-Siemens program • Transition to the International Plan • Student success and assessment Creating Bridges toWorldwide Opportunities

15. Create Connections to the World Signature Programs: Language for Business and Technology (China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Spain, Russia) In Planning with support from Grant: Arabic-speaking and South Korea • In- and Out-of-Classroom on location • Business Site Visits • Speaker Series • Excursions • Cultural events • Student Research • Field-based Projects • Over 1,000 students have completed LBAT • Significant improvement on the ACTFL scale

16. Expand Opportunities: LBAT+ Continuation • Intensive Chinese Business, Technology and Cultural Courses • Shanghai Jiaotong University Company site visits, Siemens, TI • Community Practicum Activities • Continued Study at SJTU (Semester of Chinese) – Special needs for critical languages • Probably a prerequisite for study and work • 2nd Semester of Study in Discipline, or 6-month Internship • Began Summer 2007 • Options to Renmin University for non Engineering students

17. Corporate and International Relationships: GT-Siemens-TUM Model • Georgia Tech: 1st and/or 2nd year • Disciplinary and foreign language studies • Overseas: 2nd or 3rd year • Language for Business and Technology Program • Four-week intensive German and orientation at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) (credit transfer) • Winter Semester at TUM • Six-month internship with Siemens, others China, Japan, Korea, Russia, France, Mexico, Egypt

18. Georgia Tech International Plan • Two Terms Abroad: any combination of: • Study semester • Internship • Research Project • Demonstrated Professional Proficiency in a Foreign Language • Creating the pathway to success • ACTFL Intermediate High (French, German, Spanish: LBAT + • ACTFL Intermediate Mid (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian): LBAT + language training on location + • Title VI • ACTFL Telephone OPI (objectivity) administered by LTI) • Course Work • One course focused on international relations • One course focused on global economics • One course focused on society and culture of another country or region • Capstone course integrating foreign experience with student’s discipline

19. Georgia Tech Model Implementation: Mandate from Provost – SACS Quality Enhancement • Buy-in from individual majors • Structurally integrated concept • Language Proficiency (not defined by seat time) • Global Disciplinary Practice • Intercultural Assimilation • Assessment

20. International Plan Designator • Engineering & others modify curriculum (slightly) • Electives used for new courses or language • Accepting credit from abroad • Undergraduate advisors interact with advisors from foreign universities, and approve courses • Creation of 4-year models • IP is a degree option, not a new degree • A working model for acceptance, but with flexibility • Foreign language option for advance skills in linguistic, technical and intercultural competency • English option • Countries where English is spoken

21. Global CompetenceGT International Plan to Strengthen Global Competence An Interdependent global community requires: • Globalize the educational experience • Prepare students for leadership roles in business, government, military and academics • Develop professional proficiency in another language • Gain knowledge of international disciplinary practices • Adapt to foreign-based workplace methods • Acquire intercultural knowledge and ability to move with ease in other cultures • Ability to live, work, perform research, interact culturally in other countries

22. Informal Pilot Assessment & FeedbackValue Added: Student Internship Experiences • Learned to perform a wide variety of technical tasks • Hands-on opportunities • Teamwork (learned during internship) • Independence and responsibility • Learned more than in similar internships in US • Career Value • Compete in global markets • Understand other cultures • Develop language and technical skills • Adjust to different work environments

23. Successes Macfield Young (ME): LBAT, TU Munich, Internship with Siemens, 2nd Internship with Bosch in Brazil: Hired last spring by GKN Doug Niggley (AE): LBAT, TU Munich, internship Lufthansa Technik, Hamburg: Siemens International Associates Program: 3 Year Appt. in Germany Eric Johnson "I spent a year working at Yamatake in Japan developing a software platform to assist researchers in my section. It was a great opportunity to apply my skills to real-world problems, as well as experience working and living in another country. During my internship, my work enabled me to gain practical software development experience, while my location challenged my foreign language skills and communication ability, and gave me useful insight into Japanese work culture. That international aspect helped me improve the skills I need to think—and work—globally." Nick Karnezos (ME): LBAT, TUM, Internship with Siemens. At Georgetown University for Law Degree program (International Patents)

24. Recommendations • Georgia Tech Plan – it can work for Engineers • ROTC – can it work for Engineers with ROTC obligations? • Issues requiring flexibility and coordination: • Required freshmen schedules – must start language study • Variables in summer training schedules • Support at the highest levels of command • Getting students through on time in critical languages: limitations and potential • Create a separate cadre of students • these languages are not the same as Spanish and French: allow for adequate time abroad • Security issues abroad and after returning • Women cadets and midshipmen in Arabic-speaking countries • Security clearance after study abroad • Collaboration with other schools: online courses; summer LBATs; exchanges • How GT • Issues “Language acquisition and foreign experience is not an add-on, but integrated into the discipline and oriented in the global practices of the discipline.” --Georgia Tech International Plan www.modlangs.gatech.edu