1Personnel Policy Directorate Ministry of Defense The Bulgarian Strategy for Developing English Language Training and Testing ( ) IN ACTION (Standardizing the Standards of Teaching and Testing in the Military)

2Personnel Policy Directorate

3 Presentation Overview Legal basis for implementing the ELT and testing strategy for the Bulgarian Armed Forces (BAF), 2006 to 2010 Standardization of STANAG 6001 testing for the BAF Challenges to implementing the Force Goal EG 0356

4Personnel Policy Directorate Legal Basis Documentation Strategy for ELT and testing for the Bulgarian Armed Forces (BAF), 2006 to 2010 Ministerial Order establishing  Steering group  Working groups  Commission for oversight of ALCPT usage  Identification of Test Control Officers  Guidance on administering of ALCPT

5Personnel Policy Directorate Legal Basis (Cont) Order of the Chief of the GS for relocation of IMET Labs Plan for implementation of the Strategy, 2007 to 2010, endorsed by Deputy Minister Ministerial order on procedures for ALCPT placement, progress and final test and Book Quiz administration  Selection criteria  Pre-testing  Entry, inter-mediate and final ALCPTs

6Personnel Policy Directorate Curricula for General Military English courses: developed and trialed Curricula for Specialized English courses: being developed Curricula for Military English courses for Cadets and graduate students: developed Projects for SACs: being developed Distance learning courses for ELT: 24-week 2nd Level course being piloted and two 6-week refresher courses for 3rd and 4th levels being developed. [demo clip] Activities of Working Groups

7Personnel Policy Directorate Trainees in ELT in 2006 Training Structures Trained Military and Civilian Personnel Total MoDBulgarian Armed Forces OfficersNCOsCiviliansOfficersNCOsCiviliansEnlisted Military Schools Military Units Private Organizations

8Personnel Policy Directorate Equipment for ELT Language Laboratories: 33 (20 in the military academies and 13 in the military units) with approximately 500 lab positions  IMET: 17 Labs  MoD funded: 13 Labs  Government of Netherlands: 3 for military units $ $500,000 from FMF program for upgrade and expansion of IMET labs in military academies funded) Self Access Centers: 4 (3 from the PEP Project and 1 MoD funded)

9Personnel Policy Directorate Training Materials ALC materials and tests available in all ELT institutions ALC materials and tests available in all ELT institutions Surplus ALC materials redistributed to military bases Surplus ALC materials redistributed to military bases $750,000 from FMF program for ALC materials and tests; 1 st shipments received in March/April $750,000 from FMF program for ALC materials and tests; 1 st shipments received in March/April Materials previously provided through the PEP program Materials previously provided through the PEP program Materials previously and currently provided from MoD Materials previously and currently provided from MoD

10Personnel Policy Directorate Language and Information Technology Training Center (LITTC) in Shumen Established in September 2005 Established in September 2005 First courses trialed in April 2006 First courses trialed in April 2006 Opening in September 2006 Opening in September 2006 Formal dedication in September 2007 Formal dedication in September 2007 Number of students (2006): 174 Number of students (2006): 174 Number of students (2007): 213 (current-103/ projected in Sept ) Number of students (2007): 213 (current-103/ projected in Sept )

11Personnel Policy Directorate LITTC Center for basic ELT in BAF – Levels1, 2 and 3 courses Center for basic ELT in BAF – Levels1, 2 and 3 courses Staff Staff  Director: Land Forces officer  Civilian teachers of English: 25  IT teachers: 5  Administrative staff: 5

12Personnel Policy Directorate LITTC (cont) Level II 24-position labs: 3 Level II 24-position labs: 3 Level IV 15-position labs: 3 Level IV 15-position labs: 3 SAC with 12 positions SAC with 12 positions ELT classrooms: 15 ELT classrooms: 15 Instructor offices: 11 Instructor offices: 11 Dormitory rooms for 300 students under renovation (2007 MoD funded) Dormitory rooms for 300 students under renovation (2007 MoD funded) Renovated dining facility (2006 MoD funded) Renovated dining facility (2006 MoD funded) Athletic facilities to be renovated as a future MoD funded project in 2008 Athletic facilities to be renovated as a future MoD funded project in 2008

13Personnel Policy Directorate Standardizing the Standards in STANAG 6001 Testing Perspectives Perspectives  In-country  Regionally  Internationally

14Personnel Policy Directorate In-country Standardization Independent testing body (professional testers) Independent testing body (professional testers) Standardized criteria Standardized criteria  Standardized test documentation  Standardized test format  Standardized administration procedure  Standardized scoring procedures High test reliability and validity High test reliability and validity High inter-rater reliability High inter-rater reliability

15Personnel Policy Directorate Test Reliability ReadingMeanMedianModeSt.D.Alpha No items No cases A B ; 33; C LISTENINGMeanMedianModeSt.D.Alpha No items No cases A B C

16Personnel Policy Directorate Latest Statistics for Reading

17Personnel Policy Directorate Latest Statistics for Listening

18Personnel Policy Directorate Inter-rater Reliability RATER1RATER2 RATER1 Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N 1. 10,811 **, RATER1 Pearson Correlation Sig. (2-tailed) N,811 **, **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

19Personnel Policy Directorate Regional Standardization Piloting new Bulgarian test versions in the region: Albania, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia Piloting new Bulgarian test versions in the region: Albania, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia Piloting other countries’ STANAG tests in Bulgaria: Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia Piloting other countries’ STANAG tests in Bulgaria: Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia Bilateral relations: visit to Romanian MoD/ HRMD in March’07 Bilateral relations: visit to Romanian MoD/ HRMD in March’07  Opportunity to discuss testing issues and further promote standardization

20Personnel Policy Directorate International Standardization Within BILC Within BILC  Consultants from DLIELC (U.S), Canada, the Netherlands  The BAT work group: how nations apply the STANAG 6001, opportunity to tune up national efforts

21Personnel Policy Directorate International Standardization (Cont) Outside BILC Outside BILC  EALTA/ILTA conferences, seminars, colloquia correlating our efforts to the world leading testing experience

22Personnel Policy Directorate Personnel Tested in 2006 Personnel Tested in 2006 Language Personnel tested failedpassed English % 80 % % 4%40742% % % % 71% 0 More than 54% of those tested achieved L2 and higher

23Personnel Policy Directorate Language Proficiency IAW STANAG 6001 Language L 1 L 1-2 L 2 L 2-3 L 3 L 3-4 L4Total English

24Personnel Policy Directorate Current STANAG Session April/May 2007 Applicants L 1 L 1-2 L 2 L 2-3 L More than 67% of those tested achieved L2 and higher

25Personnel Policy Directorate EG 0356 Challenges Ministerial order No OX – 59/ , List of key positions in the MoD and BAF: 1804 (4% met the EG 0356 requirements) Ministerial order No OX – 59/ , List of key positions in the MoD and BAF: 1804 (4% met the EG 0356 requirements) In 2005: 1140 personnel received ELT of which 753 from the key positions In 2005: 1140 personnel received ELT of which 753 from the key positions In 2006: 1007 personnel received ELT of which 705 from the key positions In 2006: 1007 personnel received ELT of which 705 from the key positions Current status of meeting the EG 0356 requirements Current status of meeting the EG 0356 requirements  15 % HRF;  12 % LRF;  74 % MHQ

26Personnel Policy Directorate Trainees from Key Positions (2006 by Category) OfficersNCOsEnlistedCivilians High readiness forces Low readiness forces Multinational HQ staff Total

27Personnel Policy Directorate EG 0356 Challenges (Cont) BILC and NTG concerns BILC and NTG concerns  Defense Council of the Republic of Bulgaria – discussed the issue of high language requirements; an offer to be forwarded to the NTG JSSG for more realistic requirements  Local Commanders and Human Resource Offices Involvement in the process of appointment to positions

28Personnel Policy Directorate Responding to the Challenge ELT in the units to enhance language capabilities on-site ELT in the units to enhance language capabilities on-site Redistribution of lab equipment and ALC textbooks to key units Redistribution of lab equipment and ALC textbooks to key units Procurement of computers for Distance Learning at key units Procurement of computers for Distance Learning at key units

29Personnel Policy Directorate Thank you for your attention ???