1. NATO BILC May 2013
LTCOL Fiona Curtis

2. DITC Mission
To contribute to Australian Defence’s international engagement objectives by providing training and support through the Defence Cooperation Program.

3. Role of DITC
To enhance the training provided in Australia to South East Asian and South Pacific defence forces and other selected overseas defence personnel.

4. Functions
To provide Australian cultural and military familiarisation courses to, and pre-training administrative preparation of, personnel from overseas countries.
To identify and promulgate the level of Australian English required for students to be accepted for training on courses provided by the Australian Defence Organisation.
To provide appropriate Australian English language courses for foreign teachers of English.
To provide technical support to overseas military English language schools in accordance with direction from HQ and the approved DITC activities schedule.

5. DITC Students
667 students to date for FY 2012/2013
Indonesia                112
Papua New Guinea    73
Philippines                   68
Pakistan
Thailand 59
Malaysia 54
Vietnam 44
Tonga 34
Cambodia 27
China 11
Kiribati 10
Samoa 10
Vanuatu 10
Approximately 900 students per year from more than 40 nations across South West Pacific, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

6. Staff composition: 9 X ADF, 7 foreign seconded officers and 26 civilians (teachers and support staff).

7. PERFORMANCE TESTING using the AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFILING SYSTEM (ADFELPS)

8. ADFELPS is used:
to match prospective students with appropriate courses to maximise the benefits they will gain from any training they undertake in Australia;
to determine English language profiles (entry requirements) on all (approx 300) courses which Defence Cooperation Program (DCP) students are eligible to attend in Australia; and
to determine English language proficiency levels in Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing of individual students who are nominated to attend training on DCP courses.

9. Test Types Proficiency Test Achievement Test Diagnostic Test
Language needed for future use
Language learned in a given course
Specific language elements
Placement Test
Entrance Test
Mastery Test
Language taught at different levels of future courses
Language defined as criteria for acceptance
Specific and defined knowledge, usually by objectives

10. Performance Testing at DITC using ADFELPS
Multi-purpose proficiency test instrument for:
selection of candidates for entry to ADF training courses
measuring English language proficiency (Speaking, Listening ,Reading ,Writing )
General English in a military context second language proficiency
Entry or Placement on appropriate English improvement courses
Achievement (exit levels) on language improvement courses

11. ADFELPS Test Instruments
Speaking (interview kit)
3rd edition
Listening Test
25 equated tests versions
Reading Test
25 equated test versions
Writing test
38 versions
ADFELPS Screening Test
discriminates up to level 5
5 versions

12. The Tests Developed and validated at DITC
Copyright test materials owned by DITC
Other countries use it:
for recruitment of personnel
as an incentive in pay/promotion
to screen potential lELTS test candidates
Distributed to DCP Regional Defence Language Schools for no cost to receiving units; Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, PR China, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Middle East (Jordan, UAE, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia) Vietnam, 11 South West Pacific states

13. ADFELPS AND ITS ESTIMATED EQUIVALENT
ECL
PEARSON TE
TOEFL
STANAG
IELTS
ICAO 9
4 - 5
8 - 9 6 8 7 5 3
6.5 4
2 - 2+
1 - 1+ 2
≤ 45
≤ 34
≤ 4 1
≤ 23
ADFELPS AND ITS ESTIMATED EQUIVALENT SCORE ON OTHER TESTS BASED ON DESCRIPTORS AND STATISTICS
ADFELPS – Australian Defence Force English Language Profiling System
ECL – English Comprehension Level
PEARSON TE – Pearson Test of English
TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language
STANAG – NATO Standardization Agreement
IELTS – International English Language Testing System
ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organisation
ADFELPS – Australian Defence Force English Language Profiling System
ECL – English Comprehension Level
PEARSON TE – Pearson Test of English
TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language
STANAG – NATO Standardization Agreement
IELTS – International English Language Testing System
ICAO – International Civil Aviation Organisation

14. ADFELPS Rater Training
ADFELPS Rater Training Course (ARTC)
English language proficiency rater accreditation course (two weeks)
Scheduled once a year – max 24 per course
Currently 19 accredited DITC raters and 78 accredited DCP raters

15. Information Booklet

16. English Language Proficiency Summary of Level Descriptors (on a scale of 1 to 9)
(Click here to open file)

17. ADFELPS Level 7 Descriptors
(Click here to open file)

18. ADFELPS Level 7 Speaking Interview Sample
(Click here to open file)

19. ADFELPS LEVEL 7 Writing Sample
(Click here to open file)

20. Validation of Listening and Reading Versions
Use statistical packages (Winsteps, Rasch analysis & Facets)
Access to statistically significant number of candidates for trialling sometimes problematic

21. Maintaining Valid Ratings for Speaking and Writing
ADFELPS Rater Training Course
Comparing in-country & DITC scores (by test versions and raters)
Yearly re-accreditation mandated for all trained, practicing raters
Double ratings
selective pairing of raters according to facets output

22. ADFELPS Profiles

23. ADFELPS Profiles Database of all DCP courses
Maintained at DITC and updated annually
Distributed to all Australian Embassy Defence Sections on CD Rom (pdf format)
Individual course profiles describe entry English proficiency levels required ‘for successful course completion’
Determined by questionnaire or visit to training centres and validated by post-course survey on student performance

24. Course Profile
(Click here to open file)

25. Summary
Valid and reliable English proficiency test system owned by ADF
Strong reputation with consumers
Cost effective (low staff overheads)
Multi-purpose
Meets aspects of regional engagement objectives

26. Questions?

27. Find Us… DITC Homepage DITC Virtual On-line language learning

28. CO DITC LTCOL Fiona Curtis
RAAF Williams, Laverton, Victoria 3027, AUSTRALIA
Tel: