SURVIVAL LEVEL LANGUAGE TRAINING but ‘Operationally Focussed’

THE OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT ?  TNA of SLP1 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  SimpleTraining Objectives (TOs) e.g. TO1 To listen and comprehend Pashtu on operations to SLP 1 TO1 To listen and comprehend Pashtu on operations to SLP 1 TO2 To speak Pashtu on operations to SLP 1 TO2 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 EO1 Greet and introduce oneself EO1 Greet and introduce oneself EO2 Talk about what you do and where you are from EO2 Talk about what you do and where you are from EO3 Recognise letters of the alphabet EO3 Recognise letters of the alphabet

Designing an ‘Operationally focussed’ Survival level course  Moving to more complex… EO7 Give and receive directions EO7 Give and receive directions EO8 Deal with a request for aid or help EO8 Deal with a request for aid or help EO9 Extract a description of a person, place or thing EO9 Extract a description of a person, place or thing

Designing an ‘Operationally focussed’ Survival level course  Finally, to specific military tasks EO11 To disarm, search and arrest an individual EO11 To disarm, search and arrest an individual EO15 To conduct a house search EO15 To conduct a house search EO16 To conduct convoys and manage drivers EO16 To conduct convoys and manage drivers EO18 To negotiate a simple task EO18 To negotiate a simple task

Development of Scalar EO10 Extract a description of an event KLP10.8 Ascertain in which direction KLP10.7 Ascertain how many KLP10.6 Ascertain who KLP10.5 Ascertain when KLP10.4 Ascertain where KLP10.3 Ascertain what KLP10.2 Grammar points KLP10.1 Vocabulary

Development of Scalar EO10 Extract a description of an event KLP10.8 Ascertain in which direction KLP10.7 Ascertain how many KLP10.6 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 task- based  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  Pashto  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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