Abstract

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), although it is a domestically oriented intelligence service, must contend with foreign state, terrorist, and criminal entities. Foreign language capability is integral to countering many of these threat actors. The FBI has developed its foreign language workforce and associated infrastructure in response to the evolution of its mission. This was a learning process for the FBI and progressed from utilization of personnel who had language skills, or who were trained on an ad hoc basis, to establishing a dedicated workforce of linguists. This evolution highlights the need for organizations to assess needs and build toward workforces defined by subject matter expertise, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. As the FBI’s history in the field of language illustrates, expertise will eventually become a necessity. Workarounds, whether in language, information technology, or any other field, will only ultimately delay the development of capabilities.

摘要

联邦调查局 (FBI) 虽然是面向国内的情报部门，但必须与外国、恐怖分子和犯罪实体抗衡。外语能力是对抗许多此类威胁行为者不可或缺的一部分。FBI 已发展其外语劳动力和相关基础设施，以响应其使命的演变。这是 FBI 的一个学习过程，从使用具有语言技能或接受过临时培训的人员发展到建立一支专门的语言学家队伍。这种演变凸显了组织需要评估需求并建立由主题专业知识定义的劳动力，而不是采取一刀切的方法。正如 FBI 在语言领域的历史所表明的那样，专业知识最终将成为必需品。变通办法，无论是在语言、信息技术还是任何其他领域，最终只会延迟能力的发展。