Direct Funding Initiative Proposal for Embassy

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000821

SIPDIS


FOR FSI/SLS/CTT ILDIKO COSSICH

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AMGT LO
SUBJECT: Direct Funding Initiative Proposal for Embassy
Bratislava Language Program

Ref: State 166935


1. SUMMARY: Embassy Bratislava would like to continue
offering Slovak language learning opportunities for eligible
family members (EFMs) and State Department officers and
specialists who did not receive FSI training, as well as
courses to maintain the investment of FSI training put into
other officers. We would like to continue on a yearlong
basis our post-funded language class program, and supplement
this with short immersions in Bratislava and the countryside
and a continuation of our video-development series. The
total cost of these programs, after Post contribution is
accounted for, will be $21,480, with classes as the highest
priority.


2. POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE PROGRAM: Aaron Schwoebel, Post
Language Officer, e-mail SchwoebelAM@state.gov, phone (421-
2) 5922-3232


3. CURRENT POST LANGUAGE PROGRAM: Bratislava now provides
four different level of instruction, each with two hours of
class per week. Students are in Beginner, Advanced
Beginner, Advanced Intermediate, and Conversational classes.
The Beginner and Advanced Beginner classes are EFMs and
officers/specialists who had no previous language training,
or only the FAST course. Advanced Intermediate students
generally came to post with a 2/2 and are trying to maintain
or improve their proficiency; Conversational students
generally came to post with a 3/3. It is important to note
that it is quite easy for officers to fall back on English
in Bratislava, and it is vital to provide continued Slovak
language training to encourage them to maintain their skills
and use them in meetings and public events (especially
outside Bratislava) in order to promote goodwill and mutual
understanding. Spouses, meanwhile, spend more time among
Slovaks and need basic Slovak to get around town, purchase
goods for the home, and so on.


4. POST CONTRIBUTION: Post is committed to spending $6,000
of Program and ICASS funds on the language program, broadly
speaking. However, individual lessons for the new
Ambassador, who is highly committed to learning Slovak in a
short period of time, will at the current rate use $3,000 of
these funds. Therefore, $3,000 will be put towards the
budget items for language classes, immersion, and videos
listed below.


5. DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROGRAM: Embassy Bratislava does
use post funds on the language instruction program, but asks
for Direct Funding support in order to keep all class
running 12 months a year. Also, we would like to have
immersion programs available for non-FSI trained officers
and EFMs to enhance post-acquired learning, plus some
additional immersions for FSI-trained officers to brush-up
on their language skills. Finally, we would like to
continue the video series began last FY.


6. TARGET AUDIENCE: Language Classes: Primarily EFMs and
employees without language training; also employees who wish
to enhance and maintain language skills previously acquired.
Immersions/Field Trips: EFMs and employees who have gone
through some basic language training and want to rapidly
build on that in a real-world environment; also employees
who wish to enhance and maintain their skills in a dedicated
environment. It should be noted that the Marine Security
Guards currently pay for their own language class using the
same contract-teacher as the PLP.


7. DETAILED BUDGET, LISTED BY PRIORITY:

INSTRUCTION ($9,480):
Post is using available funds to continue to provide
language instruction in Fiscal Year 2006, with an emphasis
on beginners (EFMs and officers who did not receive language
training at FSI). We would like to continue the program
through the summer transfer season, as more officers and
EFMs will be arriving, and many new ones have arrived this
year and need significant training to master basic
interactions. Thus we request funding to augment post
resources and keep the classes running 12 months. Classes
would continue to be divided into four levels: Beginner,
Advanced Beginner, Advanced Intermediate, and
Conversational. $15 an hour, times 8 hours (2 per class) a
week of instruction and a matching 8 hours a week of
preparation time = $12,480 for the year. Post funds will
cover approximately $3,000.

IMMERSIONS AND FIELD TRIPS ($4,000):
Post would like to maintain a consistent schedule of field
trips and immersions during the year, to provide a
significant improvement in confidence and in fluency to
students studying in the Beginner and Advanced Beginner
classes, and to help maintain skills for the Advanced


classes. Field trips, oriented towards encouraging Beginner
students in their first few months, would consist of an
outing in the company of native speakers, to introduce them
to the community. Immersions, oriented towards Beginner
students with some vocabulary and grammar under their belts,
as well as more advanced students, would range from one to
four day trips outside of Bratislava, using Slovak with the
teacher and with "real people" in a variety of settings.

VIDEOS ($8,000):
Last year post contracted to have 8 videos produced of
people having standard conversations in Slovak (shopping,
restaurant ordering, small talk) in real settings around
Slovakia. These were modeled on similar videos produced
elsewhere in the region, which covered 16 episodes. The 8
videos have been received recently, and should be widely
used in the Embassy community. Although they are expensive,
they will be useful for many years to come, and so Post sees
value in continuing to program to the completion of the 16
episodes. At $2,000 each, Post would like to do 4
additional videos this year.


8. Post appreciates the opportunity to submit this proposal
for FSI's Post Language Program Direct Funding Initiative,
and looks forward to FSI's favorable consideration.

VALLEE


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