Slide 1

The role of research in the process of designing, developing and evaluating the ADF LOTE Tactical Interaction Course Dr. Elizabeth Thomson Director of Studies Defence Force School of Languages Slide 2 Scope The drivers of changeThe drivers of change The LOTE capability modelThe LOTE capability model The research processThe research process Needs analysis Discourse analysis Development of curriculum Pedagogical approach Assessment Evaluation ConclusionConclusion Slide 3 The drivers of change A change in operations: from peace time (1975- 1999) activities to Continuous Operations (1999 2011)A change in operations: from peace time (1975- 1999) activities to Continuous Operations (1999 2011) Iraq / Afghanistan East Timor / Solomon Islands Indonesia / Pakistan / PNG / Tonga / Haiti / Japan The Defence requirement shifted to foreign language skills to enable the work of defence personnel in overseas, non- English speaking theatres of operation.The Defence requirement shifted to foreign language skills to enable the work of defence personnel in overseas, non- English speaking theatres of operation. A recognition that one size doesnt fit allA recognition that one size doesnt fit all Language for Specific Purposes For different usersFor different users Learning in different contexts Learning using different styles Life long learning. Development of the LOTE Capability ModelDevelopment of the LOTE Capability Model Slide 4 Adaptive Campaigning The philosophical and conceptual framework underpinning Adaptive Campaigning is the five mutually reinforcing and interdependent lines of operations: Joint Land Combat Population Protection Information Actions Population Support Indigenous Capacity Building Slide 5 The LOTE capability model 1.Culturally enabled users 2.Vocational users 3.Analyst - trade specific 4.Professional users -operational 5.Professional users - strategic 6.Military LOTE trainers 7.Military interpreter/translator (NAATI) (NAATI) 1.Force Protection 2.Tactical Interaction 3.Military Communications Skills 4.Operational Engagement 5.Strategic Engagement 6.Language Teacher Training 7.Translator/Interpreter Training Slide 6 Researching the need: Duty Task Inventory HOW?HOW? By surveying and interviewing soldiers, officers and commanders in tactical contexts across all operational areas; By validating the interviews by convening focus groups of returnees to confirm/amend/deny tasks. KINDS OF TASKS ACROSS THE FIVE LINES OF OPERATIONS:KINDS OF TASKS ACROSS THE FIVE LINES OF OPERATIONS: Convey pleasantries and courtesies Establish rapport with adults/ children Determine security status of an area Enforce curfew Conduct convoy escort Stop an illegal action Liaise with indigenous forces Establish Key Point Protection (KPP) and Vital Asset Protection (VAP) Control and detain an armed combatant or suspicious person Manage detainees/ displaced persons / refugees etc KINDS OF LANGUAGE GENRES REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE TASKKINDS OF LANGUAGE GENRES REQUIRED TO PERFORM THE TASK Putting the wordings to the doings. Identifying and name the genre - OPERATIONAL DIRECTIVE Slide 7 Researching the text: Discourse analysis Defining the Genre (Text Type): Operational Directive PurposeTo give a series of instructions in order to complete defence specific tasks or operations Text Structure(Opening statement)^Instructions n ^(Question answer sequence n )^(Statement-response sequence n )^(Instructions n )^(Closing statement) ModeSpoken Language features Imperatives positive & negative; direct/indirect Declaratives Polar and wh-interrogatives Prepositional phrases of location and time Task specific vocabulary VariationsVariations occur in relation to tenor (interactants): Some directives do not involve seeking cooperation and involve instruction only with no engagement with listeners Other directives may seek cooperation from listeners through modalised opening and closing statements and indirect imperatives Slide 8 Operational Directive Example Opening statementAust: This area is closed. Instruction Go back. Statement - response sequence Local: I want to pass through. Aust: You cant enter. Question answer sequence Local: Why? Aust: Someone is shooting. Local: Can I wait here? Aust: No. Instruction Go back that way and dont come back. Slide 9 Developing the TI Curriculum: The Tactical Interaction (TI) course at the Defence Force School of Languages is a course focusing on basic speaking and listening skills to provide defence personnel with the language skills to:The Tactical Interaction (TI) course at the Defence Force School of Languages is a course focusing on basic speaking and listening skills to provide defence personnel with the language skills to: perform routine workplace activities with local security personnel and civilians when on tactical deployment build rapport and establish working relationships with people in the local community where they may be deployed reflect on their own identity and understand their own values and socialisation and that of people from different cultures deliver relevant tactical language training to their unit while preparing for or during deployment These deployment tasks involve:These deployment tasks involve: providing members of the local populace with basic information and behavioural directions in both civilian and military contexts. engaging members of the local populace in basic hearts and minds dialogue, mostly in civilian contexts, as a means of gaining their confidence and respect. The language other than English (LOTE) is:The language other than English (LOTE) is: incidental to the daily job in a foreign deployment an ancillary skill which supports the primary tasks of deployed staff. The LOTE TI course provides:The LOTE TI course provides: basic spoken communication to a limited (1+ ADLPRS), supported by minimal listening skills (1+ ADLPRS) limited civilian and military vocabularies (250 wds - all classes) sufficient cultural awareness to utilise the limited language skills appropriately no written component minimum reading skills (in transliteration) restricted to numbers and social sight signs. Slide 10 TI Course Learning Outcomes The Tactical Interaction course has eight modules.The Tactical Interaction course has eight modules. The LOTE training consists of six CLOs characterised asThe LOTE training consists of six CLOs characterised as Workplace specific tasks based on the FIVE lines of operation in Adaptive Campaigning model; the FIVE lines of operation in Adaptive Campaigning modelthe FIVE lines of operation in Adaptive Campaigning model using only the required macro-skills Addressing the genre of Operational Directive in a tactical context routine and predictable I need to get some help. Wait here. In a Red, Green and Amber (complexity) order revisiting the operational directive genre at new levels of complexity in terms of monologic/potential threat; compliance and complicated (more than one interactant with a complex set of problems. The Intercultural Awareness training and the train the trainee training are each there own moduleThe Intercultural Awareness training and the train the trainee training are each there own module The CLOs and MLOsThe CLOs and MLOsThe CLOs and MLOsThe CLOs and MLOs Slide 11 Researching the Pedagogical approach Pegagogical considerations: Pegagogical considerations: o Students have the workplace expertise. o Teachers have the LOTE. o Students need to independently maintain their newly acquired skills prior to deployment o Students need to be tactical ambassadors, requiring intercultural competence o Students need to pass on their language skills and knowledge to comrades in their units It was determined that the course would adopt a joint construction pedagogy, joint construction pedagogy,joint construction pedagogy, 1.utilising student and instructor expertise in a collaborative learning context in and outside the classroom; 2.the grammatical load to be early in the learning, with the lexical load distributed throughout as new workplace contexts are addressed, with the bulk of speaking/listening practice to be two thirds of course time. 3.speaking/listening practice to move from staged classroom roleplays to outside workplace scenarios in situ using military realia. 4.Summative assessment to be amber scenarios at the ADLPRS level of 1+ Slide 12 Teaching-learning cycle According to Brumfit (1984:23) [m]ethodology is an attempt to both understand and intervene in the process of language learning. The teaching-learning cycle requires teachers to have explicit knowledge of the structure, grammar and vocabulary of texts and how the texts relate to the socio-cultural contexts of their use, in this case the TI situations.The teaching-learning cycle requires teachers to have explicit knowledge of the structure, grammar and vocabulary of texts and how the texts relate to the socio-cultural contexts of their use, in this case the TI situations. Teachers are able to integrate the types of activities that are common in language classrooms into the cycle that aims to systematically lead students towards control of texts.Teachers are able to integrate the types of activities that are common in language classrooms into the cycle that aims to systematically lead students towards control of texts. The role of the teacher is to explicitly intervene in the learning process through organising systematic phases of teacher-centredness and learner-centredness in the classroom.The role of the teacher is to explicitly intervene in the learning process through organising systematic phases of teacher-centredness and learner-centredness in the classroom. The cycle recognises that learning occurs through social interaction in the classroom where learners knowledge and skills are acknowledged and used to develop discourse skills (de Silva Joyce 2011).The cycle recognises that learning occurs through social interaction in the classroom where learners knowledge and skills are acknowledged and used to develop discourse skills (de Silva Joyce 2011). Slide 13 The teaching / learning cycle Slide 14 Dari TI CLO 3: MLO 3.1 Building the field Activity 1 Managing detainees aCommands iAs a class list eight commands in English you might need to deal with detainees. ________________________________________________________ Slide 15 Slide 16 Building the field.. Slide 17 Modelling the text iiYour instructor will provide these into Dari. Write the Dari translations here.iiYour instructor will provide these into Dari. Write the Dari translations here. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Slide 18 Modelling the text Slide 19 Joint Construction bA detainee scenariobA detainee scenario As a class write a scenario for dealing with the detainees that would occur in different countries.As a class write a scenario for dealing with the detainees that would occur in different countries. __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ Slide 20 Slide 21 Individual Construction dRole-playdRole-play Work with a partner. Go back to the scenario from Activity 1b. Use the direct and indirect commands from Activity 1c and any suitable vocabulary and phrases you know to prepare a dialogue for the scenario. When you are ready role-play the dialogue for the class. The class and your instructor will correct any errors.Work with a partner. Go back to the scenario from Activity 1b. Use the direct and indirect commands from Activity 1c and any suitable vocabulary and phrases you know to prepare a dialogue for the scenario. When you are ready role-play the dialogue for the class. The class and your instructor will correct any errors. ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________ Slide 22 Individual Construction Slide 23 Assessment: a complementarity between proficiency and competency Scenario based followingScenario based following CLO 3 (red) formative in the classroom CLO 5 (green) formative in the classroom CLO 6 (amber) summative in the field The operational directive is rated against the ADLPRS proficiency scale (1+)The operational directive is rated against the ADLPRS proficiency scale (1+) Scenario example:Scenario example:Scenario Slide 24 Evaluation Course Pilots (Aug-Nov, 2011)Course Pilots (Aug-Nov, 2011) Arabic & Dari complete (9 & 10 wks)Arabic & Dari complete (9 & 10 wks) Tetun (8 wks), Solomon Island Pijin (5 wks) and Tok Pisin (5wks) .ongoingTetun (8 wks), Solomon Island Pijin (5 wks) and Tok Pisin (5wks) .ongoing Evaluation methodEvaluation method 1.Conduct of the pilot report from the Consultancy responsible for leading the development and delivery of the pilot 2.Staff evaluation survey 3.Student evaluation survey Slide 25 Results PositivesPositives Professional development workshops and weekly delivery review meetings went really well with staff; Students (13) survey feedback: agreed to strongly agreed that the course objectives were metthat the course objectives were met that timetable and structure were effective and paced realisticallythat timetable and structure were effective and paced realistically that the instructors were effectivethat the instructors were effective that the materials were effective, fair, appropriate and assisted learningthat the materials were effective, fair, appropriate and assisted learning that they wished to return to DFSL to continue their language studythat they wished to return to DFSL to continue their language study that they could do their job in the LOTE and apply it to situations not addressed in the course.that they could do their job in the LOTE and apply it to situations not addressed in the course. Slide 26 Results PositivesPositives Staff (5) survey feedback: agreed to strongly agreed that the course objectives were metthat the course objectives were met that timetable and pace were effective and realisticthat timetable and pace were effective and realistic that the assessments were fair, appropriate and matched learning outcomesthat the assessments were fair, appropriate and matched learning outcomes that the activities and resources assisted learningthat the activities and resources assisted learning that the course was pitched at the right level for the students and were motivated by experiencethat the course was pitched at the right level for the students and were motivated by experience that overall they were well supported and the course was good.that overall they were well supported and the course was good. Slide 27 Issues to address: Staff understanding of the pedagogy, their buy-in and ownership of the new curriculum and conduct of the assessment within the prescribed process was patchy and affected the students experience;Staff understanding of the pedagogy, their buy-in and ownership of the new curriculum and conduct of the assessment within the prescribed process was patchy and affected the students experience; Not all development was complete prior to piloting which added stress;Not all development was complete prior to piloting which added stress; Course documentation (DAS, LGs, TGs & course outlines) were still evolving during the pilots, resulting in some change of direction and additional planning (CLOs 7 &8)Course documentation (DAS, LGs, TGs & course outlines) were still evolving during the pilots, resulting in some change of direction and additional planning (CLOs 7 &8) Students need some expectations management as they arrived with a different set of expectations.Students need some expectations management as they arrived with a different set of expectations. Unit commanders need to be socialised to understand the new course and what students can do. They are not commanders linguists.Unit commanders need to be socialised to understand the new course and what students can do. They are not commanders linguists. Slide 28 Conclusion The Tactical Interaction (TI) course at the Defence Force School of Languages is a course focusing on basic speaking and listening skills to provide defence personnel with the language skills to:The Tactical Interaction (TI) course at the Defence Force School of Languages is a course focusing on basic speaking and listening skills to provide defence personnel with the language skills to: perform routine workplace activities with local security personnel and civilians when on tactical deployment perform routine workplace activities with local security personnel and civilians when on tactical deployment build rapport and establish working relationships with people in the local community where they may be deployed build rapport and establish working relationships with people in the local community where they may be deployed reflect on their own identity and understand their own values and socialisation and that of people from different cultures reflect on their own identity and understand their own values and socialisation and that of people from different cultures deliver relevant tactical language training to their unit while preparing for or during deployment deliver relevant tactical language training to their unit while preparing for or during deployment Slide 29 Conclusion Additionally,Additionally, The course is being delivered in a shorter time frame, saving training time by 2-4 weeks per course and course costs. Students were not only having meaningful (rather than rote) exchanges, they were also proficient enough to display their personalities when performing tactical tasks. All graduates felt that they had had a transformative experience and wanted to return to continue further language study. From here?From here? More pilots, more refinements, new development of the Operational Engagement course. Slide 30 Thank you Questions?