College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright BILC SEMINAR 2013 UK PRESENTATION Selai Safi DEFENCE SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES

TASK-BASED APPROACHES IN: LANGUAGE FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES (LOP) Exercises in Language training outside the classroom: o Exercise FIRST WORD (FW) o Exercise SECOND WORD (SW) o Exercise FLASHMAN (FM) 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 2

LANGUAGE FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES (LOP)  To inject a degree of operational realism  To replicate the pressure of the theatre on the students  To set information and time deadlines 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 3

Preparation  A business case is submitted to OC  Buildings are booked through the QM  Rifles and kit are booked through the QM  Equipment and meals are booked through the QM  A working party is formed to erect the tents and install tables 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 5

Execution  The students are briefed on their roles in the exercise: these help them get into the mind-set of their likely roles in-theatre  They carry weapons and wear appropriate kit  They are to demonstrate appropriate operational linguistic skills  They are to display cultural and behavioural awareness around native speakers 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 6

Exercise First Word  A one day internal exercise  A practice of low level operational linguist activity outside the classroom environment  Ideally at the 20-week point 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 8

Phases of Ex FIRST WORD VCP phase  Stop the tutors at the front gate  Ask a list of questions  Record the answers and give a report to the DS 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 9

Round Robin Phase  Walk in (30 minutes)  Radio Ex (30 minutes)  Telephone Ex (30 minutes) 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 10

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The Shura  An indoor activity  Seating arrangements as in Afghanistan  Students are briefed on their tasks 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 13

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Ex SECOND WORD (SW)  Exercise SW is a one day exercise This exercise however is designed to follow the structural format of Exercise FW.  Ideally run at the 40-week point  The materials and language used are at a higher level.  The concurrent activity during the Shura activity is interpreter training. 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 16

Exercise Flashman (FM)  Exercise FM is two day exercise  Ex FM is run between weeks of the course  Ex FM tests language ability in a military context  Ex FM practises common operational military scenarios  Ex FM gives the students confirmation of their own language skills. 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 17

Day one  The Shura 12 students and 12 Native-Speakers (NS!)  Extended situational interpreting  Extended transacting business  Extended information retrieval 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 18

Day One: Afternoon Physical Tasks  2-mile loaded march  Round-robin  Writing-exercise (after midnight!) 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 20

Day Two  The Open Shura  Extended situational interpreting  Extended transacting business  Telephone conversation  The Final Shura 8/27/2015 College of Management and Technology © Crown Copyright 21

QUESTIONS