U.S. Military in Communication with China - The Role of Chinese Language Training Programs in Shaping Future Capabilities - Dissertation

Sep 30, 2026

U.S.-China relations are described as the most consequential bilateral relationship, creating a need to identify cooperative avenues and strengthen China’s role in addressing global problems. The dissertation argues that asymmetry in trade, educational exchange, and information flow favors China and cannot be solved by quantity alone, requiring U.S. emphasis on quality. It proposes shifting military language outcomes from proficiency toward expertise for Foreign Area Officers, enabling effective engagement through a “3rd space” concept supported by domain development. It critiques reliance on DLPT results for driving DoD language programs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages177

Reading Time7 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

The need for quality over quantity in language development

From DLPT proficiency metrics to operational expertise

The role of Foreign Area Officers and the “3rd space”

Pipeline timing: challenges before FAO accession

Proposed redesign linking specialties with language and culture

U.S. Military in Communication with China: The Role of Chinese Language Training Programs in Shaping Future Capabilities Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Kurt D. Fife, M.A. Graduate Program in East Asian Languages and Literatures The Ohio State University 2017 Dissertation Committee: Professor Galal Walker, Advisor Professor Xiaobin Jian Professor Marjorie Chan The views expressed in this document are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, the United States Department of Defense or the United States Government. This material is declared a work of the U. S. Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Abstract The U.S.-China relationship is “the”most consequential bilateral relationship in the world. As the U.S. and China engage, even if both sides do not see eye-to-eye on all issues, it is extremely important to find areas of cooperation that are able to have a positive influence on the world. In its role as a superpower, [the U.S. is](the U.S. is) constantly taking on problems that are global in nature, and there is an increasing need for China to play a greater role in addressing global issues. There is an undeniable element of asymmetry in the U.S.-China relationship where the Chinese seem to have the upper hand when it comes to trade, educational exchanges, and ultimately, the amount of information flow from one country to the other. This asymmetry can never be overcome by quantity. The only alternative is for the U.S. to focus on quality. This focus on quality will result in the need to develop individuals who are trained to understand, appreciate, and interact with Chinese counterparts at an advanced level. Constructive and stable military-to-military ties between our two countries is vital to our relationship’s success and could be the key to alleviating some of the asymmetry in the relationship. This means that the U.S. military needs the vision to develop many of its operators and leaders not only to possess “expertise” in their respective military career fields, but also to be able to function with “expertise” in Chinese language and culture while practicing their individual careers. The preponderance of our Chinese language-trained military members serve in the“intelligence community,” but there is a group of military members known as Foreign Area Officers (FAO) whose focus is developing language and cultural expertise that might ultimately aid in national security efforts through direct engagement with Chinese counterparts. The Department of Defense (DoD) wants these FAOs to function as our “experts”and to conduct the necessary face-to-face interactions with Chinese counterparts. Currently, the DoD focuses on a form of assessment created by the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, called the Defense Language Proficiency Test (DLPT) . This test is used worldwide, throughout government agencies, and is the only official measurement for a member’s language proficiency in listening and reading. This project shows how the DLPT focuses on “proficiency” without the ability to capture what a member can “do” using the language. Ultimately the DLPT drives the foreign language program in the DoD since all goals, decisions, and projections are based upon DLPT results. This project draws heavily upon the author’s personal experiences and those of other military members, in order to make the case that the U.S. military needs to shift from “proficiency” to “expertise”with our FAO force in order to be truly effective. The concept of a “3rd space” is introduced and operating in the “3rd space” is recommended as the goal for our FAOs in the U.S. military. Furthermore, crucial to this concept is the fact that the ability to operate in the “3rd space” is evidence of “expe

FAQs

Why does the dissertation emphasize shifting from “proficiency” to “expertise”?

It argues that the Defense Language Proficiency Test measures proficiency in listening and reading but does not capture what a member can actually do using the language. The dissertation claims a more effective approach is to develop operational expertise for engagement with Chinese counterparts.

What is the “3rd space” concept in the project?

The dissertation introduces “3rd space” as the recommended operating goal for Foreign Area Officers in the U.S. military. It links the ability to operate in this space to evidence of expertise and identifies “domain” as a key concept for building it.

What issue does the project raise about FAO accession timing?

It states that FAO accession happens at roughly the seven to twelve-year point in an officer’s career, which delays deliberate Chinese practice and reduces the time the officer can benefit during the approximate three and a half years of FAO training.

Sep 30, 2026

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