American diplomats reflect the diversity of the U.S. and the world. In their posts abroad, they make a special effort to connect directly with people by studying foreign languages.
Some diplomats grow up speaking multiple languages, while others learn them on the job.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken lived in Paris as a child and speaks French fluently. As America’s top diplomat, he delivers speeches entirely in French to French audiences.
Some American diplomats know several languages due to their families’ diverse backgrounds. Some are immigrants to America or born to immigrant parents and raised in the U.S. Some of them speak one language at home and switch to English at school and work.
Any U.S. citizen can become a U.S. diplomat. Knowing foreign languages early in a diplomatic career is an advantage, but not a requirement. The U.S. State Department has a special institute to train U.S. diplomats to speak foreign languages.
The Foreign Service Institute offers instruction in over 65 languages. Diplomats study for several months to several years to prepare for assignments at U.S. embassies around the world. All instructors are native speakers of the languages they teach, ensuring that American diplomats learn and practice with authentic voices.
After months of language immersion and exams, U.S. diplomats graduate from the institute and begin working abroad. They discuss bilateral cooperation with government officials, manage exchange programs, and interview visa applicants. They also make new friends and memories.
At a reception hosted by the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, American diplomats heading to Dhaka recited a poem in Bengali.
In Algiers, Algeria, public diplomacy officers at the U.S. Embassy are proficient in the Algerian dialect of Arabic.
In Riga, Latvia, American diplomats speak to audiences in Latvian. They stand out for their unique language skills among the foreign diplomatic corps and receive praise from Latvians.
In Vietnam, a former U.S. ambassador filmed a music video with a famous local rapper. They celebrated the Lunar New Year and rhymed together.
In Yerevan, Armenia, American women at the U.S. Embassy celebrated International Mother Language Day by reciting a popular poem in Armenian.
In Kinshasa, the U.S. ambassador interacts directly in French with people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He often expresses appreciation for the local culture and shares insights from his workday on Twitter. His account is one of the most popular in the country.
Every day, these American diplomats and thousands of others build friendships and bridges between nations through direct communication.
They may make some grammatical mistakes along the way, but in true American spirit, they work hard and keep trying.
Source: share.america.gov