1 / 14

Maintaining Language Skills: The Australian approach to supporting Defence language capability

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. Scope. Policy responses Requalification Requirements Language Proficiency Allowance

alexa
Download Presentation

Maintaining Language Skills: The Australian approach to supporting Defence language capability

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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’ linguists

  6. 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 2012 15 languages

  7. Service Enhancement Programs • Independent of DFSL • Service designed and administered • Substantial investment • Both time and money

  8. 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

  9. 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)

  10. 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)

  11. 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

  12. Interactive speaking / listening 3D game DFSL and the Army Simulation Wing have partnered with US-based Alelo Inc. to develop a Tactical Interaction Simulator. 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.

  13. Conclusion • DFSL response to Life Long Learning • 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

  14. Questions?

More Related