Netherlands Defence Staff
Dr. C.J. Helsloot
Language Coordinator
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
Ministry of Defence3BILC Seminar, Varna
The scenario framework: 2010-2030
Ministry of Defence4BILC Seminar, Varna
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.
Ministry of Defence5BILC Seminar, Varna
Aligning testing and training in support of interoperability
Presupposes the existence of:
• a Language Policy
• a Defence Language Institute
Ministry of Defence6BILC Seminar, Varna
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
Ministry of Defence7BILC Seminar, Varna
Present status in the Dutch Armed Forces
No Defence Language Institute
No implementation of the policy
Ministry of Defence8BILC Seminar, Varna
Present status in the Dutch Armed Forces
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
Ministry of Defence9BILC Seminar, Varna
Ministry of Defence10BILC Seminar, Varna
Ministry of Defence11BILC Seminar, Varna
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
Ministry of Defence12BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: past & present
Which languages?
Military Academy: English (once also French)Officers
Military School: EnglishNon-commissioned Officers
Ministry of Defence13BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: past & present
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
Ministry of Defence14BILC Seminar, Varna
Ministry of Defence15BILC Seminar, Varna
Ministry of Defence16BILC Seminar, Varna
Ministry of Defence17BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: past & present
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
Ministry of Defence18BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: past & present
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
Ministry of Defence19BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: past & present
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.
Ministry of Defence20BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: past & present
Moreover,
English proficiency is insufficient not only within the military,
but throughout the Dutch society.
Who’s to blame?
Ministry of Defence21BILC Seminar, Varna
Ministry of Defence22BILC Seminar, Varna
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.
Ministry of Defence23BILC Seminar, Varna
Language policy in the Netherlands
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
Ministry of Defence24BILC Seminar, Varna
Language policy in the Netherlands
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
Ministry of Defence25BILC Seminar, Varna
Language policy in the Netherlands
NEW
Intermediate Vocational EducationCommunity College
English is compulsory, from 2010 onwards
Catching up
Ministry of Defence26BILC Seminar, Varna
Ministry of Defence27BILC Seminar, Varna
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
Ministry of Defence28BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: present & future
NEW
Pilot Survival course (SLP 1)through blended-learning
Willem van der Plaat
2009Digital course: Pashto for the Military
Ministry of Defence29BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: present & future
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
Ministry of Defence30BILC Seminar, Varna
Present status in the Dutch Armed Forces
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
Ministry of Defence31BILC Seminar, Varna
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
Ministry of Defence32BILC Seminar, Varna
Language within the Dutch armed forces: future
Defence Language Institute
Education & training
Research & Development
Collaborationjoint &
combined
Testing & Registration
Ministry of Defence33BILC Seminar, Varna
The scenario framework: 2010-2030
Ministry of Defence34BILC Seminar, Varna
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.
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