Teaching and Testing SLP 3:Variations on a Theme

BSprA PresentationBSprA Presentation

Ann Beck, S 2 (1)

NATO/PfP 2004 BILC Professional Seminar

Riga, Latvia

October 4 – 7, 2004

OTHER

Flensburg SStratAufkl

Hamburg FüAkBw

Hamburg UniBwH

Daun FmAufklRgt 940

Frankenberg EloKaBtl 932

Bad Ems ZNBw

Donauwörth EloKaBtl 922

München-Neubib. UniBwM

Sonthofen SFj/StDst

Fürstenfeldbruck SWGeoPhys

LANGUAGE SCHOOLS/INSTITUTIONS

Hürth BSprA,

Naumburg BSprA

Berlin BSprA, Intermin FU

Bonn BSprA, Intermin FU

Strausberg Kombi WBV Ost

Wiesbaden Kombi WBV West

Tauberbischofsh. Kombi WBV Süd

Koblenz Kombi BWB

ARMY

Bückeburg HFlgWaS

Hannover OSH

Münster USH

Delitzsch USH

Idar-Oberstein OSH

Weiden USH

Calw KSK

Müllheim D/F Brig

Feldafing FmS/FSHElT

AIR FORCE

Heide III./LwAusbRgt 1

Appen USLw

Fürstenfeldbruck OSLw

Kaufbeuren TSLw 1

NAVY

Bremerhaven MOS

Flensburg-Mürwik MSM

Foreign Language Instruction Foreign Language Instruction within the Language Service within the Language Service of the Bundeswehrof the Bundeswehr

What do we mean by SLP 3?What do we mean by SLP 3?

LevelLevel Requirements in accordance with Requirements in accordance with STANAG 6001, 2003 STANAG 6001, 2003 : :

Good (Minimum Professional)Good (Minimum Professional)For Listening (L), Speaking (S), Reading (R) and For Listening (L), Speaking (S), Reading (R) and WritingWriting (W) (W)

Competence within a general social and professional-Competence within a general social and professional-specialist range including not entirely familiar subject specialist range including not entirely familiar subject areasareas

  

SLP 3 Certification within the SLP 3 Certification within the Language Service of the BundeswehrLanguage Service of the Bundeswehr

Pretest: General Bundeswehr ExaminationsPretest: General Bundeswehr Examinations((for English, French and Russianfor English, French and Russian))or standardized diagnostic tests (or standardized diagnostic tests (for Czech, German, for Czech, German,

Italian, Polish, Portuguese, SpanishItalian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish))followed byfollowed by

SLP exams (SLP exams (Listening,Speaking, Reading, Writing)Listening,Speaking, Reading, Writing), or, or Successful completion of a level 3 course, Successful completion of a level 3 course,

including SLP examinationsincluding SLP examinations

 

Admission to an SLP 3 courseAdmission to an SLP 3 course

Pretests: satisfactory score on a general Pretests: satisfactory score on a general Bundeswehr examination or diagnostic testBundeswehr examination or diagnostic testoror

Valid certification of having completed a Valid certification of having completed a level 2 course within the last three years, orlevel 2 course within the last three years, or

SLP examinations conducted in home SLP examinations conducted in home country for admission to German course in country for admission to German course in GermanyGermany

What is a Level 3 Course?What is a Level 3 Course?

Basic grammar points have been covered Basic grammar points have been covered Grammar on level 3 = brushing upGrammar on level 3 = brushing up

A course leading to SLP 3: needs-based A course leading to SLP 3: needs-based curriculum, topics negotiated with participants curriculum, topics negotiated with participants from prescribed topic areas. Culminating in SLP from prescribed topic areas. Culminating in SLP 3 3 finalfinal examinations and certification. examinations and certification.

A course requiring SLP level 3 skills, e.g. 2-week A course requiring SLP level 3 skills, e.g. 2-week seminars for select groups – with background in seminars for select groups – with background in subject matter. No final examinations.subject matter. No final examinations.

 

Language training as a component of a job-related/ mission-oriented military course

Intensive language courses of varying length (e.g. 3 months per level for English, all levels; 6 months for Russian 0 - 1)

"Kombi-Courses" Language for special purposes

Types of coursesTypes of courses

How long does it take to reach SLP 3?How long does it take to reach SLP 3?

The time allotted for attaining SLP 3 The time allotted for attaining SLP 3 depends on the estimated level of depends on the estimated level of difficulty of the language:difficulty of the language:

I. EasyI. Easy

II. Moderately difficultII. Moderately difficult

III. Difficult to very difficultIII. Difficult to very difficult

Level I: EasyLevel I: Easy(for the German student)(for the German student)

Afrikaans Danish Dutch English (9 months) French (9 months) Italian (9 months) Norwegian Spanish (9 months) Swedish

Time to SLP 3: Time to SLP 3:

7 – 9 months7 – 9 months

20 – 25 hrs/week20 – 25 hrs/week

Level II: Moderately difficultLevel II: Moderately difficult

• Albanian Albanian • Dari Dari • FarsiFarsi• German as FL (12 months)German as FL (12 months)• Greek Greek • Hindi Hindi • Indonesian Indonesian • LatvianLatvian• Slavic languages (Russian = 12 months)Slavic languages (Russian = 12 months)• Swaheli Swaheli • Urdu Urdu

Time to SLP 3: Time to SLP 3:

9 – 12 months9 – 12 months

20 – 25 hrs/week20 – 25 hrs/week

Level III: Difficult to very difficult Level III: Difficult to very difficult

• AmharicAmharic• Arabic Arabic • ChineseChinese• FinnishFinnish• Georgian Georgian • HebrewHebrew• HungarianHungarian• Japanese Japanese • KoreanKorean• ThaiThai• TurkishTurkish• VietnameseVietnamese

Time to SLP 3: Time to SLP 3:

18 – 21 months18 – 21 months

20 – 25 hrs/week20 – 25 hrs/week

(written production often (written production often much lower than 3 and much lower than 3 and limited to Latin script )limited to Latin script )

BSprA CurriculaBSprA CurriculaTopic AreasTopic Areas

Topic Areas for 3-month SLP 3 Courses (English and Romance Languages)

and "Kombi-Courses" (En and Fr) alternating 2-week classroom phases with 3 – 6 mos. self-study (Military topics integrated as needed)

1. Education and Social Issues2. Political and Economic Matters3. Law and Administration 4. Culture and Communication5. Science and Technology

Examples of topics/topic areas emphasized Examples of topics/topic areas emphasized during two-week classroom phases of SLP 3 during two-week classroom phases of SLP 3

"Kombi-Courses" in English"Kombi-Courses" in English

1. Crime2. Mass Media3. Family and Society4. Environment5. Multicultural Societies and Religions6. Social Welfare7. Science and Technology8. Traffic and Transport

BSprABSprA Topic Areas, Level 3 Topic Areas, Level 3

Topic Areas, SLP 3 Courses Slavic Languages

1. Society and the State2. Political and Economic Matters3. Education and Social Issues4. Culture and Communication5. Science and Technology6. Defence and Defence Policy

BSprA Topic Areas, Level 3BSprA Topic Areas, Level 3Topic Areas, SLP 3 Courses German

1. Social Issues (Employment, Economics)2. Culture3. Science and Technology4. Politics and History5. Defence and Defence Policy dealt with by German military specialists

from Army, Air Force and Navy and by "mediator", a language teacher with military background

Level 3 Course: Russian*Level 3 Course: Russian*(0 – 1 = 6, 1 – 2 = 3, 2 – 3 = 3; 0 – 3 = 12 months)(0 – 1 = 6, 1 – 2 = 3, 2 – 3 = 3; 0 – 3 = 12 months)

1. Small classes, typically military attachés, often 1. Small classes, typically military attachés, often with Russian language training background with Russian language training background 2. Team: lang. teacher and military specialist 2. Team: lang. teacher and military specialist teacher (usually one native speaker, one non-teacher (usually one native speaker, one non-native)native)3. Military issues play greater role than on lower 3. Military issues play greater role than on lower levelslevels4. Training based on needs of mil. attachés 4. Training based on needs of mil. attachés

(* Similar for other Slavic languages: Bosnian, (* Similar for other Slavic languages: Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Polish, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Macedonian, Polish, Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian and Ukrainian)Serbian, Slovakian, Slovenian and Ukrainian)

Level 3 Seminar:Level 3 Seminar:English for Special Purposes, e.g. Tax admin English for Special Purposes, e.g. Tax admin

and auditorsand auditors(SLP 3332 and background in subject area required)(SLP 3332 and background in subject area required)

1.1. 2-week seminar for investigation officers, 2-week seminar for investigation officers, internal company audits (usually 12 internal company audits (usually 12 students/course) students/course)

2.2. One teacher: does research in specialist One teacher: does research in specialist area, designs curriculum in cooperation with area, designs curriculum in cooperation with user agenciesuser agencies

3.3. Uses state-of-the-art media for Uses state-of-the-art media for student/teacher research and professional student/teacher research and professional contactscontacts

4.4. No final examinations; motivation sufficientNo final examinations; motivation sufficient

Level 3 Course:Level 3 Course:German as a Foreign Language German as a Foreign Language

(0 - 1 = 3, 1 - 2 = 3, 2 - 3 = 6; 0 – 3 = 12 months)(0 - 1 = 3, 1 - 2 = 3, 2 - 3 = 6; 0 – 3 = 12 months)

1.1. Course for general staff officers, preparatory to Course for general staff officers, preparatory to attending command and staff college in Hamburg attending command and staff college in Hamburg (ca. 60/yr)(ca. 60/yr)

2.2. Team of 3 teachers: lang. teacher, military adviser Team of 3 teachers: lang. teacher, military adviser earmarked for general staff in appropriate branch earmarked for general staff in appropriate branch (Army, Navy, Air Force), "mediator"(Army, Navy, Air Force), "mediator"

3.3. 6 months, 28hrs/wk for level 2 to 3: 12 hrs/wk mil. 6 months, 28hrs/wk for level 2 to 3: 12 hrs/wk mil. instruction; 3-weeks hands-on experience in instruction; 3-weeks hands-on experience in German counterpart unitsGerman counterpart units

4.4. Personal counseling sessions as integral part of Personal counseling sessions as integral part of coursecourse

ChallengesChallenges

Conducting teacher and examiner training Conducting teacher and examiner training for all languages and locationsfor all languages and locations

Improving curriculum design and Improving curriculum design and coordinating curricula of various schoolscoordinating curricula of various schools

Optimizing access to and use of media in Optimizing access to and use of media in all schoolsall schools

Meeting the demand for specialized Meeting the demand for specialized seminars (ESP and other languages) seminars (ESP and other languages)