Language assignment at DLI

classified9 · 05-14-2014, 08:44 AM

Good morning,

I was inquiring as to when and how CTI's are assigned their language of study at the DLI?

Thinking about picking up Rosetta Stone just so I don't get stale this summer but obviously would hate to do that and then get assigned a different language. If I put in say 4 months of Rosetta Stone in Russian would they let me have Russian at the DLI if I proved I could partially speak it? I scored a 108 DLAB.

Thanks

jzhaun · 05-14-2014, 12:52 PM

Your language is assigned in bootcamp, and it's totally dependent on what classes are starting in the 2 to 3 months after you get out of bootcamp. Sometimes there will be lots of options, sometimes there will be few. Within those constraints, they will give you what you want. They originally gave me my 2nd choice (because they didn't have my 1st choice available), but when I got hurt at bootcamp I missed the start for that class and they got me my 1st choice instead.

The only exception I've heard of to this rule is: people who have enough experience in a language to take a DLPT in it and do fairly well might be able to petition to join a class that has already started. But 4 months of Rosetta Stone probably isn't going to get you that far, these were people who had either studied the language for years or grew up speaking it at home.

So basically, you might get lucky, you might not.

amberdelane · 12-08-2014, 12:04 PM

I know this is from May, but I was hoping to get an idea of what language I may get with a DLAB score of 108. I don't want to be blindsided in basic.

Thank you!

FlyNavy · 12-08-2014, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amberdelane

I know this is from May, but I was hoping to get an idea of what language I may get with a DLAB score of 108. I don't want to be blindsided in basic.

Thank you!

Think of being a CTI like a blank slate.

You tested into a certain range of languages. While you're at boot they'll take a look at what you scored and where you fit, what classes are about to start, and what kind of linguists the Navy needs at the moment.

It's not about you as an individual, its really more about what's going on within the Navy at the time you're coming through the pipeline.

/r
CTT1

chemelle1 · 12-08-2014, 06:56 PM

What languages are available in general?

jzhaun · 12-08-2014, 10:24 PM

Dlab score over 100: Spanish.
Dlab score over 105: Spanish, Russian, Farsi, Hebrew (rarest language)
Dlab score over 110: Spanish, Russian, Farsi, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, Arabic (variants including Iraqi dialect, levantine dialect, modern standard Arabic)

Waivers do exist, but the one guy I knew who got Chinese with a 109 dropped pretty early.

There are cooler languages like Indonesian, and Hindi available for 2nd tours. I have also heard of people fluent in Spanish taking Portuguese.

05-14-2014, 08:44 AM	#1
classified9 Active Duty Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 297 Rep Power: 37	Language assignment at DLI Good morning, I was inquiring as to when and how CTI's are assigned their language of study at the DLI? Thinking about picking up Rosetta Stone just so I don't get stale this summer but obviously would hate to do that and then get assigned a different language. If I put in say 4 months of Rosetta Stone in Russian would they let me have Russian at the DLI if I proved I could partially speak it? I scored a 108 DLAB. Thanks __________________ "Don't give up. Don't ever give up." - Jimmy V

05-14-2014, 12:52 PM	#2
jzhaun Active Duty Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 627 Rep Power: 127	Your language is assigned in bootcamp, and it's totally dependent on what classes are starting in the 2 to 3 months after you get out of bootcamp. Sometimes there will be lots of options, sometimes there will be few. Within those constraints, they will give you what you want. They originally gave me my 2nd choice (because they didn't have my 1st choice available), but when I got hurt at bootcamp I missed the start for that class and they got me my 1st choice instead. The only exception I've heard of to this rule is: people who have enough experience in a language to take a DLPT in it and do fairly well might be able to petition to join a class that has already started. But 4 months of Rosetta Stone probably isn't going to get you that far, these were people who had either studied the language for years or grew up speaking it at home. So basically, you might get lucky, you might not.

12-08-2014, 12:04 PM	#3
amberdelane Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	I know this is from May, but I was hoping to get an idea of what language I may get with a DLAB score of 108. I don't want to be blindsided in basic. Thank you!

12-08-2014, 06:56 PM	#5
chemelle1 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 27 Rep Power: 8	What languages are available in general?

12-08-2014, 10:24 PM	#6
jzhaun Active Duty Join Date: Jun 2012 Posts: 627 Rep Power: 127	Dlab score over 100: Spanish. Dlab score over 105: Spanish, Russian, Farsi, Hebrew (rarest language) Dlab score over 110: Spanish, Russian, Farsi, Hebrew, Chinese, Korean, Arabic (variants including Iraqi dialect, levantine dialect, modern standard Arabic) Waivers do exist, but the one guy I knew who got Chinese with a 109 dropped pretty early. There are cooler languages like Indonesian, and Hindi available for 2nd tours. I have also heard of people fluent in Spanish taking Portuguese.