VERBAL AND MATH, ARE HIGHER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE STUDIED

FOREIGN LANGUAGES.

THIRD, THERE ARE STUDIES INDICATING

THAT LANGUAGE STUDY IMPROVES READING SKILLS AND THAT

READING SKILLS ARE TRANSFERABLE FROM ONE LANGUAGE TO

ANOTHER. FINALLY, REAL LANGUAGE COMPETENCE, SUCH AS IS

REQUIRED (OR SHOULD BE REQUIRED) IN DIPLOMACY AND INTELLIGENCE GATHERING, IS NOT ACHIEVED IN FOUR COURSES OVER TWO YEARS

BUT RATHER REQUIRES YEARS OF STUDY.

IT IS FOR THIS LATTER REASON THAT LANGUAGE STUDY IN

THE UNITED STATES SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IN A MUCH BROADER

CONTEXT THAN JUST TEACHER TRAINING. LANGUAGE STUDY IS A

SERIOUS AND LEGITIMATE NATIONAL DEFENSE ISSUE. ONLY LAST

YEAR, THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE CIA, ADMIRAL BOBBY R.
INMAN, TESTIFIED THAT THE DEFENSE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN
"SEVERELY IMPACTED" BY THE DECLINE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE

STUDY. A NUMBER OF DEFENSE SPECIALISTS HAVE BEEN OUTSPOKEN

IN NOTING THAT THE SHORTAGE OF QUALIFIED LINGUISTS COINCIDES

WITH AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR THESE SKILLS AND THAT THE

CONTRIBUTIONS OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE TO OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY IS VITAL TO COMMAND, INTELLIGENCE, OPERATIONS,
LOGISTICS AND SURVIVAL SKILLS. FOR EXAMPLE, A 1980 GAO
STUDY CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
HAS ABOUT 13,600 AUTHORIZED LANGUAGE ESSENTIAL POSITIONS.
OF THESE POSITIONS, GAO FOUND THAT ONLY ABOUT FIFTY PERCENT
WERE FILLED AT THE REQUIRED PROFICIENCY LEVEL OR FILLED AT

ALL.

LANGUAGE STUDY IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR TRADE AND

INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY.

LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF

AMERICA'S COLLEGE STUDENTS NOW STUDY THE LANGUAGES OF

THREE-FOURTHS OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION; ALTHOUGH ONE OUT
OF EIGHT MANUFACTURING JOBS IN THIS COUNTRY ARE DEPENDENT
UPON EXPORTS, ONE OF EVERY THREE AMERICAN ACRES IS PLANTED
FOR EXPORT AND ONE-THIRD OF OUR PROFITS COME FROM TRADE.
IN AN ERA OF ECONOMIC INTERDEPENDENCE, THE DATA ARE

COMPELLING

35,000 U.S. BUSINESSMEN LIVE ABROAD, 6,000 U.S. COMPANIES HAVE OVERSEAS OFFICES AND 20,000 FIRMS

ARE ENGAGED IN EXPORTING.

WHILE A GREAT DEAL MORE STUDY NEEDS TO BE DONE ON

BUSINESS LANGUAGE NEEDS, THE FEW STUDIES WE HAVE NOW

INDICATE A SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH LANGUAGE

SKILLS. IN A 1975 STUDY OF 6,000 FIRMS BY OLYMPUS RESEARCH
CORPORATION, A TWENTY-THREE PERCENT RESPONSE IDENTIFIED
OVER 60,000 JOBS REQUIRING A SECOND LANGUAGE. A SURVEY

JUST COMPLETED BY THE OHIO MODERN LANGUAGE ASSOCIATION

OF BUSINESSES IN CINCINNATI, COLUMBUS, AKRON AND TOLEDO
HAD A MAJORITY OF THE FIRMS RESPONDING INDICATING THAT

A LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY WAS VALUABLE FOR SOME OR ALL OF

THEIR PERSONNEL. PERHAPS THE BEST STUDY TO DATE IS
ACE'S BUSINESS AND INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION WHICH NOTES,
AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT ABOUT THE ONLY THING BUSINESSES
SENDING INDIVIDUALS OVERSEAS AGREE UPON IS THE VALUE

OF LANGUAGE TRAINING.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS COIN IS THAT DOMESTICALLY

IMMIGRATION, REFUGEES, TOURISM AND IMPORTING HAVE ALL

PRODUCED JOBS IN INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION (THERE ARE 72 TRANSLATION BUSINESSES LISTED IN THE D.C. YELLOW PAGES), SOCIAL SERVICES, SALES, HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND SO FORTH.

THIS IS NOT TO SAY, OF COURSE, THAT BUSINESSES ARE HIRING INDIVIDUALS SOLELY FOR THEIR LANGUAGE SKILLS. THEY ARE,

HOWEVER, SERIOUSLY LOOKING FOR LANGUAGE SKILLS AS A SUPPLEMENT. THESE ARE SKILLS WHICH SHOULD BE, BUT ARE NOT,

PROVIDED BY OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.

LEGISLATION SUCH AS S. 530 IS VITALLY IMPORTANT TO

ADDRESSING OUR NATIONAL NEEDS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES. PERHAPS

EVEN MORE THAN IN OTHER EDUCATIONAL AREAS, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT MUST ASSUME A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN ADDRESSING

THE NATIONAL DILEMMA IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL

STUDIES. SINCE THIS IS AN ISSUE OF IMPORTANCE TO NATIONAL
SECURITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, STATE AND LOCAL LEADERS
WILL CERTAINLY LOOK TO NATIONAL LEADERS FOR DIRECTION AND

INCENTIVES. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN SOME HEIGHTENING OF

AWARENESS. THE LAST TWO SECRETARIES OF EDUCATION HAVE

FORCEFULLY SPOKEN OF THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGE STUDY.
THE FINDINGS OF THE PERKINS COMMISSION CLEARLY DELINEATED
THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM, AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT THE

NATIONAL COMMISSION ON EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION WILL

ELABORATE IT. THIS WEEK IS NATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGE

WEEK BY PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION

A TRADITION BEGUN

BY PRESIDENT CARTER. BUT AT THIS POINT, WE ARE STILL

"JAWBONING" THE PROBLEM (TO BORROW FROM THE JARGON OF ANOTHER DISCIPLINE).

WHILE NATIONAL ATTENTION IS IMPORTANT, THIS APPROACH TAKES TIME, AND WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT LOCALITIES, WITH VERY LIMITED FINANCIAL RESOURCES, WILL

MOVE TO ADDRESS WHAT THEY ACCURATELY PERCEIVE AS A NATIONAL

AND INTERNATIONAL CONCERN WITHOUT SOME FEDERAL COMMITMENT.

ONE ESTIMATE IN A RELEASE BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCING

THEIR RE-INSTITUTIONAL LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS WAS THAT THE

COST TO EXPAND LANGUAGE PROGRAMS TO IMPLEMENT LANGUAGE

REQUIREMENTS IS $125 PER STUDENT. THE COST IS EVEN HIGHER FOR SMALL COLLEGES AND THE LESS COMMONLY TAUGHT LANGUAGES. CONSEQUENTLY, IT IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO ASSIST EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES AND INSTITUTIONS AT ALL LEVELS WITH

THE COST OF INSTRUCTION, MATERIALS AND TRAINING. EQUALLY IMPORTANT, HOWEVER, IS THAT THESE FUNDS PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF A COMMITMENT TO OVERCOMING A NATIONAL EMBARRASSMENT

WHICH THREATENS OUR SECURITY AND ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS.

THE URGENT NEED FOR INCENTIVES, AT ALL EDUCATIONAL LEVELS, CANNOT BE OVERSTATED. OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE, HOWEVER,

IS THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO CUT BACK EXISTING PROGRAMS

WHICH PROVIDE FUNDING FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION.

THE ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSED ELIMINATION OF TITLE VI

FUNDING FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND AREA STUDIES PRESENTS YET ANOTHER THREAT TO THE STATE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY IN THIS COUNTRY. THE ZERO FUNDING LEVEL FOR FY 84, WHICH WOULD BE DECREASED FROM $26 MILLION IN FY 83, IS CLEARLY A MOTION WHICH OVERLOOKS THE POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES IN THE LONG-TERM ECONOMIC AND STRATEGIC

INTERESTS OF OUR NATION.

TITLE VI CURRENTLY SUPPORTS NINETY NATIONAL RESOURCE

CENTERS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES,
WHERE NEARLY 80% OF THE NATION'S FOREIGN LANGUAGE TRAINING
IN THE LESS COMMONLY TAUGHT LANGUAGES OF AFRICA, ASIA,
LATIN AMERICA, THE SOVIET UNION, AND EASTERN EUROPE TAKE
PLACE. ALTHOUGH FEDERAL FUNDS HAVE NEVER SURPASSED TEN
TO FIFTEEN PERCENT OF THE OPERATING COSTS OF THE CENTERS,
SUCH FUNDS HAVE BEEN VITAL IN ATTRACTING FURTHER FINANCIAL

SUPPORT FROM INSTITUTIONAL, STATE, AND PRIVATE SOURCES.
THE ABSENCE OF FEDERAL FUNDING COULD SEVERELY JEOPARDIZE

SUPPORT FROM THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

THE PLANNED ELIMINATION WOULD TERMINATE FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT FOR SOME 700 GRADUATE STUDENTS ALREADY ENGAGED IN AFRICAN, ASIAN, LATIN AMERICAN, MIDDLE EASTERN, SOVIET AND EASTERN EUROPEAN LANGUAGE STUDIES. SUCH STUDIES ARE UNIQUELY COSTLY AND LONG-TERM DUE TO THE DESIRABILITY OF SPENDING A PORTION OF TIME CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN THE COUNTRY OF SPECIALIZATION.

THE BUDGET WOULD FURTHER END SUPPORT FOR A MINIMUM

OF 35 GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES PROGRAMS AS WELL AS HALT THE NEW MATCHING GRANTS PROGRAM

IN BUSINESS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES, AN AREA WHERE
INITIATIVES ARE VITAL.

AT A TIME WHEN LANGUAGE CONCERNS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED AS IMPORTANT AND WE HAVE SEEN A SLIGHT AND TENUOUS REVIVAL IN DEMAND FOR THEM, WE CAN ILL-AFFORD TO LOSE THE VERY