- The Joint Language University
- Special Operations Forces Teletraining System (SOFTS)
- STARTALK
- HEADSTART2
The Joint Language University
Why Register?
For complete, unfettered access to our entire site, you must first register with your “.mil” or “.gov” email address. All of our materials are completely free and available to current federal and DOD employees. Sign up today for:
- 10,000+ catalog items including targeted language training, assessment objects and Area & Culture training
- One-click access (no login required) to our licensed resources
- A detailed training history, tracking current and completed courses
- Formal certificates of completion with your name, course title and date
- And much, much more…
What is the JLU?
We are a language training portal serving U.S. Government employees and members of the U.S. armed forces who need to acquire, maintain, enhance, or refresh their language skills. We regret that access is limited to current employees and service members.
For more information, click here.
About SOFTS
SOFTS is a foreign language and culture training program that allows students to participate in real-time class sessions online from anywhere in the world. Students and instructors meet in a virtual classroom, utilizing live streaming audio and video along with sharing tools to provide all of the same resources as a traditional brick-and-mortar classroom. The program is designed to support operators in the Special Forces community, but classes are available to any active duty, reserve, or civilian personnel on a space-available basis.
Eligibility:
- Special Forces operators from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Air Force are eligible to request new courses that are not on the schedule.
- Any active duty, reserve, or civilian personnel from the Department of Defense or other government agencies are eligible to participate on a space-available basis. Note, retired personnel and contract employees are not eligible.
Security:
SOFTS Online and the virtual vConnect classroom are fully encrypted and secure. Read More
More questions? Check out our FAQ Page
For my information, click here.
The Center for Applied Linguistics is pleased to announce the launch of STARTALK Career Pathways. This interactive website, the result of a STARTALK workforce development media project, features dynamic and engaging web-based resources to help heritage learners explore federal career paths that use their language skills: https://www.cal.org/connecting-language-learners-to-federal-careers/.
The podcast and video series introduce students to language learners like themselves who are using their language skills in fulfilling federal careers. Along with their supporting resources, these media help learners envision concrete steps towards a career in the federal workforce. An interactive guide also shows language programs how to use these resources in the classroom.
These materials highlight language learners with a family connection to their languages, but all language students can benefit from the advice and information about federal career opportunities. These materials will be helpful for students in high school and college as well as recent graduates.
Build a foreign language foundation with HEADSTART2
Headstart2 is a self-study introduction to your target foreign language. The course consists of two units containing ten modules each. Unit One (Sound and Script) teaches the basics of the target language in twenty interactive tasks. Unit Two (Military) consists of a total of fifty mission-specific tasks. These tasks are designed according to military training format and include scenarios covering public safety, medical situations, basic command, cordon and search, and even gathering intelligence. Headstart2 also features over 100 PDFs with writing drills that provide the user with the opportunity to practice writing the target script.
Other features include animated capstone military scenarios, culture notes, grammar notes, a writing tool, a sound recorder, a glossary, and a cultural resources section. Headstart2 exposes users to more than 1,000 key terms and phrases, and provides users with important communication tools that they need in preparation for deployment.
Headstart2 is available for a growing number of languages. New languages will be added to the menu as they become available.
For more information, click here.