The years since the establishment of the school in 1941 have been a time of growth and modernization. When the first Japanese course was taught, a few battered orange crates were used as desks and chairs and the instructors were hard put to find pencils and paper. To meet expanding space requirements and to replace old buildings, the DoD undertook a building program designed to support future needs of the Institute. This extensive program had the goal of providing adequate facilities to instruct, house, and support students in foreign language educational programs. The plan has resulted in new classrooms, dormitories, and support facilities, such as childcare, physical fitness, and logistic support centers.
Today the DLIFLC is one of the best-equipped facilities for language instruction in the U.S. Most classrooms have computers, closed-circuit television, and videotape equipment. Students make use of extensive audio and computer language laboratory facilities and the latest state-of-the-art audiovisual learning aids.
Twenty-two languages are presently taught by the DLIFLC, located at the Presidio of Monterey. In addition, approximately 85 languages can be taught by contracting with other government and private organizations in the Washington, D.C. area, such as the State Department’s Foreign Service Institute School of Language Studies (FSISLS).
Resident education at the Presidio of Monterey is conducted in eight language schools: Asia I (SAA), Asia II (SAB), Asia III (SAC), European I (SEA), European II (SEB), Middle East I (SMA), Middle East II (SMB), European and Latin American (ELA); as well as the School of Continuing Education (SCE) and the Operation Enduring Freedom Task Force (OEF TF).
Facilities to support resident students at the Presidio of Monterey include over 500 classrooms, more than 1,200 language lab positions, 17 permanent dormitories, and two dining facilities.