Special Attention
Unfortunately, keeping up can be difficult for some students. In fiscal year 2003, for example, 9.2 percent of the Arabic students in MAS were “academically disenrolled” for academic reasons and 20 percent for administrative reasons.
But dropping students from the program is not something the school’s staff members like to do, Campbell said. In fact, if the quality of an individual’s work begins to decline, staffers step in immediately to offer help.
“If someone is doing poorly, you can’t just say ‘listen more’ or ‘try harder,’ you have to find out why the student is having difficulty and then address those issues,” she said. “We try to identify the student’s strengths and weaknesses, to find out why that person is having difficulties. We then work to bolster positive skills, and we suggest strategies that will allow the student to improve.”
A student’s poor performance in class may stem from family problems, military discipline issues or even ill health, rather than the language itself, Campbell said. Military leaders, chaplains or other nonacademic counselors provide assistance when students need it.
“The goal for the academic staff and military leaders is the same,” Campbell said. “We all want to do everything we can to ensure the students’ success in language training.”
An Important Skill
For many DLIFLC students, overcoming the challenges of learning Arabic is about more than personal pride or intellectual achievement, Vassallo said.
“Sure, the workload can be exhausting and it’s sometimes hard to stay motivated. But we all know how important Arabic is to the Military and the nation, and we want to get it right,” she said. “If we make a mistake when we get to the field, it could cost lives. It’s that simple.”
