Defense Language Institute Signs First CRADAVolume 96 No. 4 -- October, 1996
![]() The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) has just received approval of its first CRADA, signed in August with Fairfield Language Technologies, Inc. (FLT), developers of The Rosetta Stone, a multimedia CD-ROM language learning product which currently exists in seven languages. Through joint efforts blending DLIFLC's linguistic expertise with FLT's capabilities in programming and development, the CRADA will result in a Vietnamese version of The Rosetta Stone. In a classic win-win scenario, FLT and its customers will have access to a new language learning product sooner than otherwise, and DLIFLC and other government entities will enjoy the usual benefits that accrue to the government under CRADAs. In addition to generating these CRADA-specific benefits, this agreement demonstrates that the benefits of technology transfer are not limited to the industrial sciences, but extend also to the world of humanities and education. Located on the Monterey Peninsula 100 miles south of San Francisco, the Institute has been teaching foreign languages to soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines for over 50 years, continuously developing cutting-edge expertise in the fields of foreign language education and testing. Over 2000 resident students are learning 24 languages in 6-hour-a-day classes for up to 63 weeks. A relative newcomer to the world of technology transfer, DLIFLC was authorized by the Department of the Army in October 1993 to function as a government-operated laboratory for purposes of technology transfer. The fundamental objective of DLIFLC's participation in the Federal Laboratory Program is to identify DLIFLC-developed technology and expertise which may be of interest to private sector partners and enter into CRADAs with such partners to mutual advantage. DLIFLC's ORTA is ready and able to talk with interested parties about CRADA possibilities that can lead to new product opportunities in the field of foreign language learning and assessment, whether for the consumer market, the educational sector, or the corporate world. For more information, contact:
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