Download - Netherlands Defence Staff Dr. C.J. Helsloot Language Coordinator [email protected] BILC Seminar Varna, October 2010 Aligning training and testing in.

Netherlands Defence Staff

Dr. C.J. Helsloot

Language Coordinator

[email protected]

BILC Seminar Varna, October 2010

Aligning training and testing in support of interoperability

The present status in The Netherlands

Ministry of Defence2BILC Seminar, Varna

L’Infinito

[…]

E il naufragar mi e’ dolce in questo mare.

Giacomo Leopardi, 1819


The scenario framework: 2010-2030


Aligning testing and training in support of interoperability

Presupposes that:

• Language training takes place at different levels;

• Language training is task-specific;

• Language tests are available;

• Language training & testing is regulated and registered.


Aligning testing and training in support of interoperability

Presupposes the existence of:

• a Language Policy

• a Defence Language Institute


Present status in the Dutch Armed Forces

There is a Language Policy documentaccepted in 2007

by the Defence Administration

but

there is no Defence Language Institute



No Defence Language Institute

No implementation of the policy



Language Policy document (BR 8.03; 2007)

• English is a basic military skill for (almost) all personnel• Development of a STANAG 6001 test for English• Registration of the languages known by all personnel• Analysis of the language needs within all Staff and Ops

commands• Investing in languages other than English, e.g., French,

Mandarin, Hindi, Russian, Arabic, Spanish• Use of language learning technologies


Language within the Dutch armed forces: past & present

The Dutch armed forces consists of

70,000 employees 50,000 soldiers and 20,000 civilians

Staff 2,000Support Command 10,000Defence Materiel Organisation 7,000

Army 26,000Air Force 8,000Navy 10,000Marechaussee (MP) 7,000



Which languages?

Military Academy: English (once also French)Officers

Military School: EnglishNon-commissioned Officers



Which languages?(non-individually taught)

Russian until 1990

English since 1994

[German (Cold War; 1995 German/Dutch Corps)]

Serbo-Croatian between 1998 and 2002

Pashto between 2007 and 2010

French since 2008



English Classes

•Initial education Officers Netherlands Defence Academy (NLDA): 80 hours (only first year, only 36 contact hours)NCO’s Royal Military School (KMS): 22 hours

• Secondary educationPre-deployment refresher courses:

30 hours (professional level) or 60 hours (functional level)Medical personnel course Writing

Air Force school: air traffic controller course, F16 technician course

Navy school



Language Teaching PersonnelEnglish: 12 full positions (fte)French: 0,5Russian: 1,5Dutch: 1,5

Research personnel: 2Support personnel

Office for Interpretation: 3Office for Translation: 8



No English language education for:CiviliansPrivates/Corporals

ConclusionAt least 65% of employees of the Dutch military forces does not get any English language education.

Lessons Identified ISAFEnglish proficiency is mostly insufficient at all ranks.



Moreover,

English proficiency is insufficient not only within the military,

but throughout the Dutch society.

Who’s to blame?


Language policy in the Netherlands

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW)Primary school

Since 1986: English is compulsory at primary schools from the age of 10 years.

Barcelona Convention 2002, 2 FLs at an early age.

In 2008, the Dutch Council of Education (Onderwijsraad) advised teaching English much earlier, from 4 or 6 years.

Although not yet compulsory, in 2010 about 200 primary schools have initiated Early Bird programmes.



Secondary school

Only since 1998 English is compulsory at all levels

Pre-university school (VWO): 12-18Higher general secondary school (HAVO): 12-17Lower vocational level (VMBO): 12-16

German or FrenchArabic, Turkish, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Frisian



NEW

Secondary school• From 2012 on, there will be a minimum requirement:

an insufficient mark for English is not allowed, almost insufficient, must be compensated

Content and Language Integrated Learning• Bilingual secondary schools (NLD-ENG)112 pre-university education25 higher general secondary education20 lower vocational education

• National agency, European Platform, in charge of the quality control



NEW

Intermediate Vocational EducationCommunity College

English is compulsory, from 2010 onwards

Catching up


Language within the Dutch armed forces: present & future

NEWMinistry of Education and the Ministry of Defenceintroduced military curricula

Intermediate Vocational Education(16-18 years)

Security and Craftmanship

Level 1 (Corporals): 90 contact hours of EnglishLevel 2 (NCOs): 150 contact hours of

English



NEW

Pilot Survival course (SLP 1)through blended-learning

Willem van der Plaat

2009Digital course: Pashto for the Military



NEWClasses in English (CLIL)

• From 2011 at the Defence Institute of Intelligence and Security

Out-in-the-field English, guided by language experts and highly proficient military

content-based instructions



Language Policy document (BR 8.03; 2007)

English is a basic military skill for (almost) all personnelDevelopment of a STANAG 6001 test for EnglishRegistration of the languages known by all personnelInventory of the language needs within all Staff and Ops commandsInvesting in languages other than English, e.g., French, Mandarin, Hindi, Russian, Arabic, SpanishUse of new language learning technologies


Language within the Dutch armed forces: future

Since 2008Defence Language Platform

By 1 Oct 2010, Project Team Language

to draw up a plan for a

Defence Language Institute


Language within the Dutch armed forces: future

Defence Language Institute

Education & training

Research & Development

Collaborationjoint &

combined

Testing & Registration


The scenario framework: 2010-2030


Questions

Which countries have a defence language institute?

How are they organised? What are their aims and objectives?

Are there models available regarding planning & control?

I would be happy to get answers.