MSI Press Blog

    Today's excerpt comes from Communicative Focus  by Boris Shekhtman and Dina Kupchanka -  Communication between Native Speakers and Non-native Speakers and the Essence of Speech We are interested in communication between native and non-native speakers for one very important reason: this is the kind of communication for which all teachers are essentially preparing students. Regardless of the level of our students, whether they are beginners or already near-native speakers, if they want to use their second language, they nolens-volens enter this type of communication. We need to help them to participate in this communication with dignity and power and to close the gap between their language skills and those of native speakers. In order for us to prepare our students in this way, we must be knowledgeable about the specific nuances of verbal communication between native and non-native speakers.     The most obvious difference between the language perfor...

  Military language learners train for mission readiness, not academic mastery. Their programs—especially under the U.S. Department of Defense’s Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC) framework—are designed for operational fluency, cultural intelligence, and rapid deployment. They don’t necessarily learn better than university students, but they learn faster, harder, and with higher stakes. 🎖️ Why military students learn differently Military language learning is shaped by discipline, urgency, and mission context. 1. Operational necessity Language learning supports: intelligence collection, coalition building, humanitarian operations, and cultural engagement. Mistakes can have strategic consequences, so training emphasizes accuracy under pressure . 2. Immersive intensity Programs like the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California, run: 6–8 hours/day of instruction, 5–7 days/week, for 6–18 months depending on language difficulty...

  In LREC studies— Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture —language is not simply one pillar among three. It is the connective tissue that makes regional expertise intelligible and culture transmissible. Without language, LREC collapses. With language, it becomes a powerful framework for understanding how people live, think, and interact across diverse contexts. 1. Language as the Gateway to Regional Expertise Regional expertise is never just a collection of facts about a place. It is the ability to interpret a region’s dynamics, histories, and social patterns from the inside out. Language is what grants access to that “inside.” It unlocks primary sources. You cannot understand a region’s political debates, literature, or local scholarship without the language in which they are written. It reveals nuance. Regional idioms, metaphors, and linguistic norms often encode values and assumptions that outsiders miss. It enables participation. True regional expertise requires engaging...

  International businesspeople learn language for negotiation, trust, and market insight. Their learning is pragmatic, fast, and relationship-driven—less about grammar, more about persuasion and cultural fluency. They don’t necessarily learn better than university students, but they learn what matters most for success in global commerce. 💼 Why businesspeople learn differently Business language learning is shaped by profit, partnership, and persuasion. 1. Transactional urgency They learn because deals depend on it: understanding contracts, reading market signals, and building rapport across cultures. Mistakes can cost millions, so they focus on precision in context , not textbook perfection. 2. Targeted vocabulary Their learning centers on: negotiation phrases, financial terminology, and cultural etiquette. They often hire tutors or use immersive executive programs tailored to their industry. 3. Relationship-driven fluency Businesspeople learn to: read tone and body language, a...

  International businesspeople learn language for negotiation, trust, and market insight. Their learning is pragmatic, fast, and relationship-driven—less about grammar, more about persuasion and cultural fluency. They don’t necessarily learn better than university students, but they learn what matters most for success in global commerce. 💼 Why businesspeople learn differently Business language learning is shaped by profit, partnership, and persuasion. 1. Transactional urgency They learn because deals depend on it: understanding contracts, reading market signals, and building rapport across cultures. Mistakes can cost millions, so they focus on precision in context , not textbook perfection. 2. Targeted vocabulary Their learning centers on: negotiation phrases, financial terminology, and cultural etiquette. They often hire tutors or use immersive executive programs tailored to their industry. 3. Relationship-driven fluency Businesspeople learn to: read tone and body language, ada...