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The United States Military Academy at West Point is a four-year, undergraduate institution that educates and trains its students (cadets) to become future leaders in the US Army officer corps. The Department of Foreign Languages (DFL) at West Point plays an integral role in developing cadets’ cultural and linguistic competencies in preparation for potential overseas deployments while serving in the Army. DFL offers cadets the opportunity to major in eight different foreign languages. Among these are Spanish and Portuguese, two robust second language (L2) programs whose current annual enrollments are 487 and 393 cadets, respectively (out of a total population of 4,000 cadets). Besides language instruction for general proficiency, the Spanish and Portuguese curricula also offer embedded training modules, independent courses, and immersion programs centered on how to negotiate specific military tasks within the target languages. These L2 touchpoints fall under the umbrella of Languages for Specific Purposes (LSP) and are designed to prepare our cadets for future interactions with foreign militaries and cultures in a variety of global regions, including Latin America, Europe, and Africa. This essay details West Point’s Spanish and Portuguese LSP models, focusing on their phased, cumulative design and overall effectiveness as specialty curricula within DFL.
