To ensure that its diplomatic corps can communicate in the languages of host countries, State requires that FSOs assigned to LDPs at overseas posts meet minimum specified competency levels for both speaking and reading. As of September 30, 2016, State had 4,461 overseas positions worldwide that required language proficiency and 872 overseas positions where proficiency was preferred but not required, known as language- preferred positions. State categorizes foreign languages according to the time required for a native English speaker to learn them: Category I—World languages (e.g., French and Spanish) Category II—Difficult world languages (e.g., German) Category III—Hard languages (e.g., Russian and Urdu) Category IV—Super-hard languages (e.g., Arabic and Chinese) According to State documents, the time it takes to achieve general proficiency depends on the difficulty of the language. World languages require 24 to 30 weeks, difficult world languages require 36 weeks, hard languages require 44 weeks, and super-hard languages require 88 weeks to achieve general proficiency. State groups countries of the world into areas of responsibility under six geographic bureaus: Bureau of African Affairs (AF) Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs (EAP) Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs (EUR) Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA) Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (WHA) The number of overseas LDPs varies significantly by bureau, with the highest number (1,491) at WHA posts and the lowest (233) at SCA posts. Most LDPs requiring category I and II languages are at AF, EUR, and WHA posts, while most LDPs requiring category III and IV languages are in EAP, EUR, NEA, and SCA. Three of the four super-hard languages (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) are spoken in the countries in EAP’s area of responsibility; the remaining super-hard language (Arabic) is widely spoken throughout the NEA area. The percentages of Foreign Service positions that are LDPs also vary by geographic bureau, with the highest percentage under WHA. Figure 1 shows the geographic bureaus’ areas of responsibility and numbers of LDPs relative to the numbers of Foreign Service positions. State uses the foreign language proficiency scale established by the federal Interagency Language Roundtable to rank an individual’s language skills. The scale has six levels, from 0 to 5—with 0 indicating no practical capability in the language and 5 indicating highly articulate, well-educated, native-speaker proficiency—to identify a language learner’s ability to speak, read, listen, and write in another language. General professional proficiency in speaking and reading—3/3 (speaking/reading)—is the minimum level required for most Foreign Service generalist LDPs. According to State’s fiscal years 2016-2020 Five Year Workforce and Leadership Succession Plan, this level of proficiency provides officers with the ability to participate in most formal and informal discussions of practical, social, and professional topics. Some entry-level Foreign Service generalist and most Foreign Service specialist LDPs are designated at or below the 2/2 level. Table 1 shows the language skill requirements for each proficiency level. The difference between the second and third proficiency levels—the ability to interact effectively with native speakers—is significant in terms of training costs and productivity for certain languages. For example, State provides about 44 weeks of training to bring a new speaker of a language classified as super-hard, such as Arabic, up to the second level. Moving to a level-3 proficiency usually requires another 44 weeks of training, which is generally conducted at field schools overseas. In contrast, State provides 24 weeks of training to bring a new speaker of most “world” languages to a level 3. State primarily uses language training—typically at the FSI—to meet its foreign language requirements. FSI’s School of Language Studies offers training in about 70 languages. State also offers full-time advanced training in super-hard languages at a few overseas locations, including Beijing, China; Seoul, South Korea; and Taipei, Taiwan, among other locations. In addition, overseas posts offer part-time language training through post language programs, and FSI offers distance learning courses to officers overseas. Since October 2008, State has reduced the number of LDPs staffed by FSOs who do not meet language requirements by 8 percentage points, from 31 to 23 percent. However, State continues to face notable shortfalls in meeting its foreign language requirements for overseas LDPs that may adversely affect diplomatic operations. State officials we met with in Washington, D.C., and at overseas posts identified various challenges that may affect State’s ability to address its foreign language shortfalls. Additionally, according to FSOs we interviewed, both language proficiency and gaps in proficiency have, in some cases, affected State’s ability to, for example, properly adjudicate visa applications, effectively communicate with foreign audiences, and perform other critical diplomatic duties. The percentage of overseas LDPs staffed by FSOs who did not meet the positions’ language proficiency requirements has decreased since October 2008 (see table 2). As of September 30, 2016, 23 percent of overseas LDPs were staffed by FSOs who did not meet both the speaking and reading proficiency requirements for their positions; According to State officials, State granted language waivers to most of these FSOs. In contrast, as of October 2008, 31 percent of FSOs in overseas LDPs did not meet these requirements. However, the proficiency shortfall widens when unstaffed positions are included. As of September 2016, 69 percent (3,077 of 4,461) of overseas LDPs were staffed by FSOs who met both the speaking and the reading requirements, while 31 percent (1,384 of 4,461) of LDPs either were staffed by FSOs who did not meet the positions’ requirements or remained vacant. State officials noted that, among other factors, the overall increase of LDPs from 2008 through 2016 contributed to the slow progress in improving the rate of LDPs filled by FSOs who meet the positions’ requirements. State officials also noted that many of the new LDPs require proficiency in hard or super-hard languages, which entails 44 to 88 weeks of training. The officials further stated that, given the absence of an existing cadre of foreign-language speakers who can be staffed to LDPs, many positions may go unstaffed. While language proficiency gaps vary among posts, State faces some of its largest proficiency gaps in several priority languages. According to State M/DGHR officials, State designates languages as priority for various reasons. For example, Mandarin Chinese, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Hindi, Urdu, Korean, and Arabic—languages spoken in China, Iran, India, Korea, and throughout the Near East—are priority languages. State defines priority languages as languages that are of critical importance to U.S. foreign policy, are experiencing severe shortages or staffing gaps, or present specific challenges in recruiting and training. In addition, officials from State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs identified Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, among others, as priority languages, citing the need for language-qualified entry-level professionals to provide consular services in countries where these languages are spoken as well as reduced entry- level hiring and resultant staffing gaps in LDPs worldwide. As figure 2 shows, as of September 2016, the largest proficiency gaps for priority languages were in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, and Urdu. According to State data, 36 percent of LDPs requiring Arabic (106 of 291 LDPs), 53 percent of LDPs requiring Dari (9 of 17 LDPs), 36 percent of LDPs requiring Farsi (9 of 26 LDPs), and 44 percent of LDPs requiring Urdu (12 of 27 LDPs) were staffed by FSOs who did not meet the proficiency requirements for the positions. State continues to face proficiency gaps worldwide, most notably in priority languages categorized as hard or super-hard. Some of the most significant gaps are found in NEA, AF, and SCA (see fig. 3). In NEA, 144 of 392 LDPs (37 percent) were staffed by officers who did not meet the positions’ proficiency requirements; 88 LDPs were vacant. In AF, 118 of 349 LDPs (34 percent) were staffed by officers who did not meet the positions’ proficiency requirements; 38 LDPs were vacant. In SCA, 66 of 210 LDPs (31 percent) were staffed by officers who did not meet the positions’ proficiency requirements; 23 LDPs were vacant. State officials we interviewed said that several challenges, including some that are unrelated to language proficiency, may affect the department’s ability to staff LDPs with officers who meet both the speaking and reading requirements for the positions. According to these officials, language proficiency shortfalls are partially attributable to the following factors: Long training periods. Training to achieve general proficiency in hard and super-hard languages can take up to 2 years. According to State officials, this may result in a position going unfilled, given the absence of an existing cadre of foreign-language speakers who can be staffed to LDPs. FSOs we spoke with stated that the length of time it takes to achieve a 3/3—the minimum standard for general proficiency—in a hard or super-hard language may discourage some officers from applying for positions that require proficiency in these languages. According to State, for an FSO with no previous language experience, achieving a 3/3 generally takes 44 weeks of study for a hard language and 88 weeks for a super-hard language. Heritage-speaker restrictions.