Hey Miss Parvati !

Quote Originally Posted by parvati View Post
It is not fair and I have not passed a language test in a certain language despite being fluent because of I spoke too colloquially. The tester was a total snob and none of that would have mattered in a deployed environment. Sometimes it is just based a who scores the test. The DLI website and the "helpful phrases" modules they have for various languages are not really colloquially accurate, you hear some words and think that people just don't speak like that.
Great point ! I attended a quick Estonian course at Inlingua in Arlington due mostly to having less than 13 weeks before deployment. With that I was sent to State's FSI for testing where I was very unwelcome. My test results at 1+ were insulting although the administrator was Finnish and refused to believe that I had studied for only 13 weeks (of a 45 week course). As my instructors were all real Estonians, they taught me to communicate in social situations, not recite a dictionary.

It would be very difficult for State to conclude that their 45 week program was inferior to a 13 week course right down the street. It has always been assumed that I got the short end of the deal.

Once on station, I would be faced with purported 3+ FSI graduates

Give me a break !

Regards, Stan