Mobile apps for NATO-oriented language learning: A beginning By Peggy Garza and Greta Keremidchieva

Introduction PfP Consortium’s Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) WG Projects for NATO-oriented language learning E-learning English Skills for Staff Officers (ESSO) English Language Training Enhancement Course (ELTEC) M-learning MoLe Mobler cards

Needs Analysis for English Language Training Enhancement Course (ELTEC) Purpose To identify the critical language tasks and language shortfalls of NATO staff officers Participants NATO School, ACT, Bulgarian staff officers Methodology Questionnaires and interviews Findings Listening, speaking, writing most critical skills NATO abbreviations and acronyms NATO jargon spoken by native and non-native speakers

Communication Task/ Language Analysis NATO Staff Officer Work Language Skills STANAG 6001 Level Functions Acronyms/ Abbreviations Time Constraints Additional Factors Professional e-mail communication Reading Writing Levels 2, 2+ Respond to inquiries Request assistance Organize meetings Communicate information and updates to a group Assign work tasks V/R, SA,ASAP, LTC, CPT, CAN F, OPLAN, IAW,AAP-6, JP 3.09.3, COL HUN A, Bi-SC D 75-7, JCAS MOA, OR 5 Self-paced NATO formats and protocols Errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation are visible Professional telephone communication Listening Speaking Request information or assistance Follow up on tasks, request status report Communicate specific information or give instructions SHAPE, PfP, SOP, HQ SACT, JFTC, NRF, KFOR, MC, MP, ADL, NATO PE or CE, ISAF, SACEUR Time-sensitive NS and NNS (variety of accents) Non-face to face communication Participation in meetings Levels 2, 2+, 3 Understand briefings, situations reports, etc Present arguments in support of decisions Make comments/ask questions WG, AAR, COA, SITREP, CONOPS, ROE, IED, HUMINT,FOB,UXO, DACOS OPR, PTC

Recent NATO Research “Cultural barriers for the adaptability of the military in multinational operations” Conducted by CAPT (N) Prof Yanakiev, Rakovski National Defense Academy, Bulgaria Communication and cultural difficulties lead to isolation and a perception by native speakers that partners are not mission-ready Specifics: Insufficient knowledge of specialized English, abbreviations and acronyms (referred to as the third NATO language) Native speakers do not adjust their language to the multinational environment Differences in the national military cultures and military decision-making processes Differences in leadership styles: direct (task-oriented) vs. indirect (social, consensus-building) approaches

Needs Analysis for Medical Terminology for Multinational Missions Purpose To determine if there is a need for non-specialists to know medical terminology when dealing with medical emergencies To investigate the feasibility of using a mobile device to provide linguistic assistance in the field Methodology Focus groups with military personnel who had deployed Questionnaires and interviews Findings Mobile devices would be very helpful, especially in describing injuries/medical conditions in English Medical emergencies are stressful, language fails under stress Pre-deployment training does not cover medical terminology

More About the Projects E-learning M-learning

An Online Course for Enhancing Interoperability in NATO Staff Work ENGLISH LANGUAGE TRAINING ENHANCEMENT COURSE

Enhance communication skills for professional activities E-learning ELTEC Rationale E L T C Enhance communication skills for professional activities Build competence and confidence to participate in meetings Provide learning content based on authentic communication situations Incorporate authentic activities and learning by doing

ELTEC Course Structure Module 1 Oral Communication (phone calls) 2 Written Communication (memo, notes, email) 3 Participation in Meetings 4 Military Briefings

Course Design Considerations L T C NATO STANAG 6001 language proficiency scale Authentic NATO materials Activities and feedback Self-paced activities and immediate feedback

ELTEC Usability Data PfP Learning Management System (LMS): 117 + 985 = 1102 users ELTEC is available at the NATO School LMS, at the BiH Peace Support Operations Training Center (PSOTC), and PfP wide NATO, JADL LMS: 818 users Total: 1920 users Available at: pfp.ethz.ch

Research Findings on M-Learning M- learning is perceived as flexible, personalized, and engaging. It is multimedia-based, interactive, granular, ubiquitous, and may be context-specific. M-learning is appropriate for informal, self-organized learning, both individual and collaborative. It could be combined with other forms of learning and training. Other types of assistance may be delivered by mobile devices, such as on-line access to dictionaries and services, performance support in filling in the forms, multimedia information transfer.

MObile LEarning (MoLe) Research Project on Medical Terminology Assistance for Multinational Partners in Coalition Operations

MEDEVAC Scenarios with pictures Bites chemicals etc First Aid

ADL WG Project: Mobler Cards Developed by Swiss ISN Piloting Mobler cards for use with ADL courses Introduction to NATO Building Defence Institutions Research Question: Can Mobler cards be used effectively for NATO-oriented language learning?

Mobler Cards Features Always within reach, always ready to use Task-centered design Can immediately use existing question pools Support thinking, not guessing Allow progress not quick wins Designed to work with any LMS as long as it supports question pools

Mobler Cards Features Multilingual Free and open source Continuity of learning Question types: Multiple choice (single answer) Multiple choice (multiple answer) Ordering questions (vertical) Numeric question