SURVIVAL LEVEL LANGUAGE TRAINING but Operationally Focussed THE

SURVIVAL LEVEL LANGUAGE TRAINING but ‘Operationally Focussed’

THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT ? § TNA of SLP 1 Linguists in Iraq and Afghanistan § Wide variety of roles for and expectations of a Survival level linguist § Relevance of language learned against tasks carried out on operations § No single Operational Performance Statement (OPS) practical

What is the Low Level Linguist in theatre? § Point of contact with § § native population Lead communicator on military tasks A source of intelligence ‘The British point of view’ Winner of ‘Hearts and minds’

What does the Linguist need to be? § A good listener § With time a good § § speaker Culturally aware Requiring low level skills of co-operation and negotiation

Designing an ‘Operationally focussed’ Survival level course § Simple. Training Objectives (TOs) e. g. • TO 1 To listen and comprehend Pashtu on operations to SLP 1 • TO 2 To speak Pashtu on operations to SLP 1

Designing an ‘Operationally focussed’ Survival level course § More Complex Enabling Objectives (EOs) starting off with the basics of language learning • EO 1 Greet and introduce oneself • EO 2 Talk about what you do and where you are from • EO 3 Recognise letters of the alphabet

Designing an ‘Operationally focussed’ Survival level course § Moving to more complex… • • • EO 7 Give and receive directions EO 8 Deal with a request for aid or help EO 9 Extract a description of a person, place or thing

Designing an ‘Operationally focussed’ Survival level course § Finally, to specific military tasks • EO 11 To disarm, search and arrest an • • • individual EO 15 To conduct a house search EO 16 To conduct convoys and manage drivers EO 18 To negotiate a simple task

Development of Scalar EO 10 Extract a description of an event KLP 10. 8 Ascertain in which direction KLP 10. 7 Ascertain how many KLP 10. 6 Ascertain who KLP 10. 5 Ascertain when KLP 10. 4 Ascertain where KLP 10. 3 Ascertain what KLP 10. 2 Grammar points KLP 10. 1 Vocabulary

Development of Scalar EO 10 Extract a description of an event KLP 10. 8 Ascertain in which direction KLP 10. 7 Ascertain how many KLP 10. 6 Ascertain who Ask Who was involved? Who are they? Who were they?

Using the Scalar to develop the English base materials § All materials scenario- or military taskbased § Listening comprehensions reinforced by very similar written passages, exercises, transacting business and interpreting tasks § Emphasis on repetition within the EO

Listening the most important skill § All material presented first in recorded form § Large chunks of spoken text § Student listens and deciphers text § Only then text broken down into ‘bite size’ pieces

Piloting it in Pashtu! § Apart from small Pashtu script requirement all English materials rendered into phonetic Pashtu § Establishing and maintaining a consistent phonetic version § Complexities of target language required ‘rephrasing’ of English source

Piloting it in Pashtu § § Pashtu Pashtoo Pushtu

Problems § Only 10 weeks to § § teach quite complex material Balance between introduction of new materials and the need to reinforce old Piloted on Pashtu - a language yet to be standardised

Lessons Identified § Need to pilot on a standardised language § Time for course must be adequate to meet the needs of the course

Validation of the ‘Operationally focussed’ Survival level course § Exam success only proof of students’ and instructor’s ability § Validity of course itself? Ex-val required to validate choice of objectives Post Operational De. Brief

Questions?

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