defence force school of languages maintaining language skills: the australian approach to supporting...

Defence Force School of Languages

Maintaining Language Skills:The Australian approach to supporting

Defence language capability

BILC Conference

Czech Republic, May 2012

LTCOL Giles Gorman

Defence Force School of Languages

Defence Force School of Languages

Scope

• Policy responses– Requalification

Requirements

– Language Proficiency Allowance

– Refresher Training

• Computer Mediated Learning

• Service Enhancement Programs– Language Study Tours

– Advanced Language Study Tours

– Long Term Schooling

Defence Force School of Languages

Policy Responses

• Language is an adjunct Skill– ‘Just in time’ training

– ‘Just in case’ training

– Skills maintenance: an individual responsibility

• Incentive– Language Proficiency Allowance

• Quality Assurance– 2 year time limit on qualification

Defence Force School of Languages

Requalification Testing

• Purpose: Defence linguists are required to requalify every two years to retain formal recognition of skills in LOTE

• Method: Biennial testing of Speaking, Listening, Reading and Translating

• Endstate: ‘On-call’ linguists are job ready

Defence Force School of Languages

Language Proficiency Allowance• Purpose: to encourage and assist members to maintain

proficiency in an approved foreign language

• Method: Annual cash payment

• Endstate: Maximise number of ‘on-call’ linguistsLevel of Language Proficiency

Degree of Language Difficulty

Lower Intermediate Higher Advanced

  $ $ $ $

Group 1 995 1,993 2,989 3,988  

Group 2 1,496 2,989 4,982 6,968  

Group 3 1,993 3,988 6,968 9,956  

Defence Force School of Languages

Refresher Training

• Purpose: to refresh and requalify language-qualified personnel at Intermediate level (2+)

• Method: 2 week residential course including biennial testing serials

• Endstate: maximum number of trained linguists available

26 Courses in 201215 languages

Defence Force School of Languages

Service Enhancement Programs

• Independent of DFSL– Service designed and administered

• Substantial investment– Both time and money

Defence Force School of Languages

Language Study Tours• Purpose: to enhance, maintain, and strengthen existing

language skills of qualified linguists• Method: 21 day country visit incorporating 7 days one-on-one

language tuition and 14 day in-country cultural travel component.

• Endstate: Linguists with colloquial language skills and enhanced knowledge and appreciation of the target country language and culture.

55 Serials in 2012

Defence Force School of Languages

Advanced Language Study Tours• Purpose: to substantially strengthen existing language skills

of qualified linguists

• Method: 20 weeks in-country intensive language training and 2 week travel component.

• Endstate: Linguists with formal and colloquial language skills and enhanced knowledge of the culture, society, geography, political and military environment.

13 Serials in 2012 : Farsi (Dubai), Pashtu (Dubai),

Chinese (Beijing), Arabic (Amman),

Thai (Khon Kaen) and Indonesian (Bandung)

Defence Force School of Languages

Long Term Schooling

• Purpose: to prepare senior linguists for professional employment

• Method: 12 months in-country language tuition at university.

• Endstate: Linguists with very high formal and colloquial language skills able to attempt national certification for professional interpreting and translating.

4 serials in 2012 : Arabic (Amman), Chinese (Beijing),

Indonesian (Bandung), Vietnamese (Hanoi)

Defence Force School of Languages

Computer Mediated Learning (CML)

• New area of interest– CML is limited by student learning network capability

• Blending DFSL Course Materials– Make available to Alumni for skills maintenance

• Advanced Level– Monitoring developments at Australian Education Institutions

• Integration of virtual environments such as ‘Second Life’ into curriculum

• Basic level – Interactive speaking / listening 3D game

Defence Force School of Languages

Interactive speaking / listening 3D game

The TI Simulator is designed to supplement DFSL’s task-based LOTE Tactical Interaction courses. It incorporates cutting edge learning technologies including: virtual training environments, speech understanding, artificial intelligence, dialog modeling, and game-based learning.

Within the DFSL program, the TI Simulator will prepare students for live role-plays, provide valuable training between deployments, and sustain their skills while overseas.

DFSL and the Army Simulation Wing have partnered with US-based Alelo Inc. to develop a Tactical Interaction Simulator.

Defence Force School of Languages

Conclusion

• DFSL response to Life Long Learning

1. Policy responses

• Requalification Requirements

• Language Proficiency Allowance

• Refresher Training

2. Computer Mediated Learning

3. Service Enhancement Programs

• Language Study Tours

• Advanced Language Study Tours

• Long Term Schooling

Defence Force School of Languages

Questions?