DLI vs. College major or minor

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by mojaveman

I studied German in college for a year but have to agree with some of the others that 'immersion' is the best way to learn a foreign language. Sitting in Gasthauses and drinking beer with the natives did more for me than sitting in a college classroom. Watching television and reading newspapers works well too.

#13 is a NOGO too.

[alelks]

I can tell you this. During the cold war I took a 3 month and a 6 month Arabic course at the SWC language school. About the only thing we were doing for a few years was going out the the deserts in the US and support cycle. They couldn't fill the slots to DLI so I put in for a slotand went out there for a year of Arabic. Three months into the course everyone in the class knew just as much as I did.

HaHa! I remember the Bonfire parties too. It was always the SF guys and the Seals that threw the parties.

DLI for the win as far as language goes for sure.

[csquare]

I study Czech in 10th's language training, which was pretty good. But not as good as the year+ I spent out at DLI. We had 2 instructors per student. Then as soon as I returned to Devens, went over to Prague for 7 months working in the military laison team. Complete immersion is the way to go.
In college, my wife took Spanish for a couple of semesters; now, she is lucky to understand the menu at a local Mexican resturant here in San Antonio.

[Cherry]

I took Korean at SWCS language school (SOLT). Very valuable training. I took Japanese in College for 2 years and SOLT was much more effective. I can't speak for DLI however - but the courses are much longer than their SOLT counterparts. I believe the Korean course at DLI is 18 months - 3 times the length of the SOLT course. Right now Arabic is a 6 month course at SWCS as well and everyone that I know who is in or was in Arabic said the course was more valuable than any other language training they received in college or otherwise.

Originally Posted by csquare

In college, my wife took Spanish for a couple of semesters; now, she is lucky to understand the menu at a local Mexican resturant here in San Antonio.

Tell her Spanish comes easier with a high level of Tequila in the blood system.

[Surgicalcric]

And now reply #19

It is very simple. If you are not SF qualified DO NOT answer questions in the Special Forces Questions forum.

Questions?

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by Surgicalcric

And now reply #19

It is very simple. If you are not SF qualified DO NOT answer questions in the Special Forces Questions forum.

Questions?

Beat me to it, but thanks.
One more time but in a different color (who knows . . . color blindness?)
Special Forces Questions
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a forum where civilians can "ask" the Special Forces soldiers past and present "Special Forces" related questions.
Those questions are then answered by Special Forces soldiers, period.
Questions asked by the general public should NOT be answered by the "general" public.
If you do not have the title of "Quiet Professional" you may ask a question, but leave the "answers" to the QP's.

[head]

I'm not going to compare them, but took Spanish in college, SOLT in Arabic, and never been to DLI. I can get by in Spanish but it's more due me living in a house full of Spaniards for a while and also living in Tucson. I was pretty good in Arabic, but haven't been to a country that used it... tried picking up Pashto and Dari instead. About halfway through Language School, an MI LT started taking the course with us - she had a degree in Arabic and worked some deal to attend our training so she "could get paid." Man.. with us halfway through, most of our Arabic was at least as good as hers and, I repeat, SHE HAD A DEGREE IN ARABIC. Yeah, she knew all the conjugations and knew some more words, but we could still out loga her arabia [sic]...

If you want to get a college degree before you go SF, you should get it in something useful that can be an added skill to a team... cause when you tell your team you have a degree in Arabic, don't be surprised if there's a few guys that will immediately show you how much that degree was worth. Of course, that could happen with any degree, but my point is that everyone in SF has to go through language training - they don't have to go through computer training, mechanic training, cooking school, whatever.

ETA: Also, I sent my military training transcripts back to my old university - 18 credits in Arabic. Not too bad.

Originally Posted by Dozer523

#8 is a NOGO too.

Unless a mod steps in, we've got to cut Blacksmoke a break for #8, he's the one who started the thread.

I've had no language training since 1991, thinking I'd let Spanish slide awhile, was in Peru in 1996, 3 months worth. Spanish there is a bit different, at least in Cusco it was. Picked up an Arabic cource just this last little while. I visit an Iraqi family 2-3 days a week, short 2 hr visits. Finding myself reading a lot of Children books, and watch streaming Arabic news.

Be careful what you want, if your not careful, you may find yourself in the middle of it.

Making the "gh" sound in the back of the throat, is like hacking up my lung or listening to a Cobra snake defending her nest. Maybe thats how the sound started, "hey Al-bob, Asmaa-joey is making the snake sound again". "Hey Asmaa-joey, are you all right?". "Hey Al-bob, you better get the Iman over here, Asmaa-joey aint looking to good."

[mojaveman]

Originally Posted by Dozer523

#13 is a NOGO too.

Ich bin SF! Ich bin SF!

[f50lrrp]

Originally Posted by mojaveman

Ich bin SF! Ich bin SF!

Ich auch bin SF!