Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a private, nonprofit organization working to improve communication through better understanding of language and culture. Established in 1959, CAL is headquartered in Washington, DC. and has earned a national and international reputation for its contributions to the fields of bilingual education research, English as a second language research, literacy acquisition, and foreign language education research; dialect studies; language policy; refugee orientation; and the education of linguistically and culturally diverse adults and children.