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Related Pieces
Piece Description
In recent years, the FBI and CIA have been looking for Americans who speak what could be called the "languages of national security." These languages, which include Arabic, Punjabi, Russian, Hindi and others, aren't the same ones college students in the U.S. are trying to learn. And that's a problem.
Broadcast History
Aired November 17, 2004 on PRI's "The World."
Transcript
Melby: Nobody said learning Arabic was going to be easy.
Hisham Khalek (15 seconds): And for about a second you are blocking the windpipe at the top in the back of your mouth and then blowing out. KKUUHH. KKUUHH. Try it. KKUUHH.
Class: KKUUHH
Despite the difficulty, more American students are trying to wrap their tongues around Arabic. According to the Modern Language Association, about 10,000 college students were enrolled at last count. That’s more than double the number of people studying Arabic prior to the September 11th attacks.
That may seem like an encouraging since the government desperately needs people who can speak more than just European languages. But it’s really more complex than that.
Richard Brecht (5 seconds): Arabic has gotten all the headlines, but it’s not the only target that we have to pay attention to.
That’s Richard Brecht. He’s with the Center...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
HOST INTRO: Intelligence data on suspected terrorist activity is extremely perishable. That’s why the FBI isn’t supposed to linger when it monitors non-English conversations. Within 24 hours, all of its “highest priority cases” are supposed to be translated into English. A Justice Department investigation released in September found the agency repeatedly comes up short on this post-9/11 priority.
Part of the problem is a shortage of talent. The FBI, CIA and other government agencies, often can’t find enough Americans who speak the languages they need. From Minneapolis, Todd Melby reports.
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