Now we're talking: a university program bridges the communication divide.(University of Maryland)

Security Management, February, 2006 by Lawrence, Marta

BUILDING A FUNCTIONAL Arabic language program in the United States has been nearly as difficult as building a tower to the heavens. The University of Maryland's Center for Advanced Study of Language (CASL), however, is developing the building blocks to put this national security goal within reach, turning babble into understanding.

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One of the pillars of the CASL language program is a battery of aptitude tests that will predict a person's native ability to achieve proficiency in foreign languages. By predicting success in learning situations, these tests will help the government target limited language resources to the most promising candidates.

The type of training used to learn language is also critical. For example,...

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