Army Language School (DLI) | An Army of Linguists (TBP)

This episode of The Big Picture explores the American Army Language School, currently the Defense Language Institute (DLI) in Monterey, California, where soldiers acquire the skill to wield the “weapon of words.” The goal of this school was to teach language and customs of a particular country to officers and enlisted prior to their next assignment. They referred to this as the “school of 24 tongues” and soldiers spent 46 weeks learning a language, culture, and customs of a foreign country. These countries included Korea, Russia, China, Italy, France, and Germany. . These soldiers take on the intense challenge of second language acquisition to serve as translators, interpreters, and interrogators. Many of the teachers were women, including a Mongolian Princess, and all of the instructors were native speakers of the language they taught. Once they become fluent in their assigned languages, soldiers are trained to work with foreign allies and partners in places like NATO and the United Nations. The episode closes with a recruitment advertisement to encourage other soldiers to become part of “an army of linguists.” 01:15 Captain Carl Zimmerman introduces the Army Language School at the Presidio of Monterey, California 02:10 American soldiers reading to each other in Russian and Chinese 03:30 Mission of the Army Language School 04:49 Academic Dean of the School Dr. Lee Hamilton and his assistant Mr. A. Kosski, and the teachers they hire 05:11 A Mongolian princess and daughter of a general in the Chinese nationalist Army teaches Mandarin to American soldiers 05:24 Former artillery officer in the Russian Imperial Army and 10-year POW in Russian concentration camp teaches Russian to students 05:55 Introduction to the diverse students from all ranks across the Army and Air Force 06:34 Language Training Overview: A 46-week course 07:52 American soldiers begin Korean courses 10:00 Language Acquisition Techniques 12:50 Cartoon Method Training Aids 14:03 Sand Table Training Aids 15:21 Interrogation Training 16:22 Foreign Newspapers and Magazines 16:34 Singing Training 17:42 Folklore, Customs, and Culture Training 19:38 History and Military Tactical Term Training 20:07 Life After Graduation 20:44 The Mutual Security Agency and foreign officers from 32 countries at Fort Benning, Georgia for training 23:08 Demonstration of American Weapons 23:58 Fort Benning Airborne School; Practice Falling through the sky 25:42 Soldier’s Recreation and Relationship Building 26:31 This “Army of Linguists” serve as American ambassadors around the world 27:57 Closing remarks from Captain Carl Zimmerman 111-TV-200 #ArmyLanguageSchool #DefenseLanguageInstitute #MilitaryHistory #ColdWarDocumentary #LanguageLearning #ForeignRelations