Mapping TW2K Language Assets to the USG ILR Scores

[Damocles]

Originally Posted by kato13

Korean is hard to learn, but Chinese is much harder. It might merit its own ultra difficulty class (perhaps with Arabic)

The USG does not formally recognize such a difference. Students taking a standard course of Chinese at FSI are required to achieve a 2/1 score prior to being posted in a Chinese language speaking slot (typically mainland China, but also Singapore, KL, Taiwan, and Vancouver). In comparison, Korean students are required to achieve only a 2/0 score following an equivalent number of weeks of language training (36 weeks for entry on duty training). In both cases, the amount of training is the same, the location is the same (Arlington, VA), and the difference is so negligible as to not warrant a modification of the rules listed above.