Instructing Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture

Authors

  • Jeffrey Watson U.S. Military Academy, West Point
  • Dawn Bikowski Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center

Abstract

This special issue of Applied Language Learning is dedicated to innovative projects related to Instructing Language, Regional Expertise, and Culture (LREC). Since the passage of the Defense Language Transformation Roadmap (U.S. Department of Defense, 2005), the Department of Defense (now  Department of War, DoW) has dedicated significant resources to building skillsets related to world language proficiency, cross-cultural competence (3C), and regional expertise. These resources led to new LREC programs across the DoD schools, training institutions, and service academies. This Introduction to the Special Issue provides an overview and history of LREC in military service academy language schools and departments, showcases the importance of LREC to the field and education of military linguists, and highlights main contributions from each of the 12 articles in the issue.

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Published

2026-06-29

Issue

Vol. 35 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Introduction to the Special Issue