Cross-Cultural Communication
The Japanese-American U.S. Army Intelligence Unit that helped win WWII
The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California, traces its roots to the secret World War II U.S. Army intelligence unit comprised of Japanese-Americans – the Military Intelligence Service (MIS).
Then, as now, we needed to succeed militarily and also communicate with other cultures and nations.
The MIS was started in late 1941 as a unit to train Japanese-Americans (Nisei) to conduct translation and interrogation activities. MIS men came mostly from Hawaii and the West Coast.
Top Five Tips for Working with an Interpreter
If you ever have to work with people who don’t speak any of the same languages as you, you will probably have to use an interpreter to make yourself understood. Interpreters are a highly valuable resource for cross-cultural communication -- but when things go wrong, they can go very wrong.
Human perception key in hard power, soft power, smart power
Back in 2009, news reports explained that a U.S. intelligence operative in Afghanistan had provided Viagra to an older tribal and community leader who had several younger wives. The story triggered humor, concern and insight about working closely with indigenous populations in Afghanistan elsewhere.
This case shows us that interacting with indigenous people – so that they may consider being friends of Americans instead of enemies – can be approached in various ways, conventional and unconventional.
Fighting ISIS Over Cups of Tea
What’s in a Word? Cultural Adaptability and Basic Language Learning
Shared Studios Breaking Down Borders
Cultural Readiness in the Special Forces
Understanding Asia: US Companies In Action
Storytelling affects human biology, beliefs, behavior
Read any good books lately? How about a compelling TV drama or movie? We all like a good story, and good stories can affect us in significant ways.
As a result, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has been researching how storytelling affects you, me and other people around the world.