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The SHAPESHAPE Update

BILC Seminar – Varna, Bulgaria / October 2010

Chrystelle PetitjeanSHAPE Language Testing Centre

Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe

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Que se passe-t-il en Belgique? Wat is er aan de hand in België?

Since 1st July 2010, Belgium holds the EU Presidency…

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BUT…

Bart de Wever, N-VA

Elio Di Rupo, PS

Even though we had new elections on 13 June, these two guys do not seemto be able (or willing?) to reach an agreement,

SO…

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still

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Belgium is still waiting for a new government !

Wanna be our Prime Minister?

Belgian Prime Minister

- June 24 tests * 10 certificates

July 64 tests 33 certificates

- August 37 tests 47 certificates

- September 71 tests 8 certificates

- TOTAL 196 tests 98 certificates

6* Testing one skill is considered as one test

- Entry Tests

Pass: 13 Fail: 26 Total: 39 66 % FAILED!

- Re-Tests

- Pass: 3 Fail: 3 Total 650 % FAILED!

7Does not include the volunteer tests and the civilian

tests

- Test Failures deficient skills:

Listening: 8Speaking: 9Reading: 6Writing: 17

For the 26 who failed!

14 candidates failed 1 skill, 10 failed 2 skills, 1 failed 3 skills

and 1 failed 4 skills!8

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What’s been happening…

-Approval of the new SHAPE Directive (SD) 75-4 (30 June 2010)

- Implementation of the new PE (Peacetime Establishment) on 1st August 2010

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Talking about the new PE…

Some interesting facts…

-FRENCH OF-4 working as a briefer in the Public Affairs Office (PAO) requires SLP 4444 with a desirable 5555… she briefs in French! (No Frenchrequirement…);

-NCOs who need SLP 3333… ;

-Some Job Descriptions (JDs) without any SLP… (How are we supposedto know?);

- The list goes on…

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And finally…

Let me introduce one of our new problems…

NATO Special Operations Headquarters

- Located on SHAPE in Belgium

- Offers courses at NSTEP NATO SOF Campus located at Chièvres Garrison, Belgium

The NSHQ is the single point of direction and coordination for all NATO SpecialOperations-related activities in order to optimize employment of Special Operations

Forces to include providing an operational command capability when directed bySACEUR.

PROBLEMS!!-Like other posts, personnel are being assigned to NSHQ with substandard language levels

-NSHQ personnel are often deployed to Afghanistan, in “hot” areas where a lack of language skills can mean the difference between life and death!

-EX: One Colonel (XX Army) requiring SLP 4444 arrived with a certificate from his nation stating he was SLP 3333. SLTC tested him with the results of SLP 3232!

MORE PROBLEMS!!-NSHQ offers Special Operations courses at Chièvres Garrison

- CJFSOCC Staff Officer Course - CJFSOCC Planning Course - CJFSOCC Joint Operations Center Course - Signal Intelligence Overview Course - etcetera…

-The courses have a mandatory SLP requirement of 3333

-Students are arriving at the campus with poor language skills, thus wasting time, resources and LOTS of money!

SOLUTION-SLTC will be called upon to test students at the beginning of courses when course administrators feel that it is necessary

OBVIOUS BEST SOLUTION

- NATIONS SHOULD SEND PERSONNEL WITH THE CORRECT SLPs!!

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Questions? Questions?

TO:Mike @ SHAPE

Dear Mike,

My question is…

Write your questions on the back of a 50 Euro note and send to…