The Bureau for International Language Coordination

Julie J. Dubeau

BILC Chair

Opening Briefing

Stockholm, Sweden

14 October, 2013

Outline

• What is BILC?– Membership, Secretariat, Mandate– Programme of work

• Seminar Theme : Design

• Updates

BILC

BILC was established in 1966 as an advisory body to NATO.

The founding members are France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

1967: Belgium, Canada, Netherlands1975: SHAPE and IMS/NATO (non-voting members) 1978: Portugal 1983: Turkey 1984: Denmark and Greece1985: Spain 1993: Norway 1999: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia2008: Albania, Croatia

Partner countries routinely participate. All nations are welcome to attend and/or observe. The BILC Chair presides over the Steering Committee which meets at the spring conference.Voting members are the heads of NATO delegations.

Senior AdvisorDr. R. Clifford

SecretaryJ. Vasilj-Begovic

LanguageTraining Assessments

K. Wert

LanguageTesting Programmes

P. Garza

BILCSteering Committee

ChairJ. Dubeau

AssociateSecretaries

GRB (1966-1981)DEU (1982-1996)USA (1997-2008)CAN (2008-2014)XXX (2014-

BILC’s Mandate

Mission: To promote and foster interoperability among NATO and PfP nations by furthering standardization of language training and testing. To support the Alliance's operations through the exchange of knowledge and best practices, IAW established procedures and agreements.

Vision: To achieve levels of excellence where progress made by one is shared by all.

NATO Language Context:Complicated and Complex!

• Each nation is responsible for own training / testing program

• No common tests - only a common standard - STANAG 6001

• Nations certify their military with SLPs based on own STANAG–based tests.

• Varying interpretations of standard?

• SLPs of job descriptions may not reflect actual language requirements

• Language is #1 shortfall on deployments: 2010 JALLC Report

BILC Programme of Work

• Plan the 3 annual main events : - Annual BILC Conference,

- BILC Professional Seminar, and- STANAG 6001 Testing Workshop;

• Organize & deliver specialized seminars & workshops;

• Conduct research / special projects, & support nations;

• Lead cooperative assistance visits to requesting NATO & Partner countries (language training & testing programmes);

• Report to NATO HQ, NTG, ACT and others as required.

BILC Main EventsBILC Annual Conference in Spring:

2013 hosted in Tbilisi by Georgia

“NATO speak: English in Multinational Settings”

Steering Committee met daily68 participants, 23 presentations + 5 Study groups

SG #1 - What is NATO Speak?SG #2 - Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication within Multi-

National SettingsSG #3 - On-line Language MaintenanceSG #4 - Standardizing the Application of STANAGs Across

Foreign LanguagesSG #5 - Questionnaire Deployment Lessons Learned

What is NATO Speak?• It is the language used in each NATO location

which encompasses the acronyms, abbreviations and terminology used, an understanding of the organizational mission and culture and the jargon appropriate to that location.

What should it be?• It should be clear communication in plain English

which facilitates interoperability and effective accomplishment of NATO missions.

Definitions

BILC Main EventsBILC Annual Conference in Spring:

Next Conference in Bruges, Belgium, 4-9 May 2014

Theme: “Forging Effective Partnerships to Optimize

Operational Success”

Some sub-themes (list to be expanded):

- Micro Level Civilian and Military Collaborations- Harmonizing Performance and Proficiency Training- Collaborative Educational Frameworks- Civilian and Military Instructional Partnership

BILC Main Events

BILC Professional Seminar in Fall

2012 hosted in Bled by Slovenia

“BACK TO BASICS: RECIPES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SUCCESS”

73 Delegates, 28 Presentations + Daily Panels

Next Professional Seminar will be hosted by Germany in Ellwangen, 12-17 October 2014,

Theme TBD

BILC Professional Seminar, Bled, SloveniaOctober 21-25, 2012

BILC Main Events

STANAG Testing ConferenceNew name!! STANAG 6001 Testing WorkshopLast hosted 3-5 September, 2013 by Mike!! (SHAPE) in Mons

STANAG 6001 TESTING: INTEGRATING TEST DEVELOPMENT STAGES

Next STANAG 6001 Testing Workshop will be hosted by Austria at Castle Rothschild at Reichenau/Rax 8-12 September 2014

BILC Main Events

BILC ProgrammesAssistance to National Testing Programmes:

– Planned: Russia Nov 2013– Potential: Algeria, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Greece

Language Testing Seminar (LTS): 2 weeks, 2X per yearAdvanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS): 3 weeks,

2X per year - Offered to graduates from the LTS

NEW! Language Standards and Assessment Seminar (LSAS)

Cooperative Language Training Assessments– Planned: Russia June 2014

BILC / Russia - NRC Work Planhttp://www.nato-russia-council.info/en/articles/20130911-nrc-linguistics-experts/

What is design?

And why do we care?

de·sign

Noun - an outline, sketch, or plan, as of the form and structure of a work of art, an edifice, or a machine to be executed or constructed…

Verb - to prepare the preliminary sketch or the plans for (a work to be executed), especially to plan the form and structure of: to design a new bridge…

good design

bad design

bad design

DesignIn an educational context:

• Design is the process by which instructional strategies (methods, media, environments) are selected, described (and costed for a learning event).

• Development is the process by which effective instructional design materials that support the design of IT&E are produced or acquired.Source: CAF Campus ‘Learning Without Boundaries’ Operation Framework, 2013

MSLETP (English)

PL 1 PL 2 PL 3 PL 4 PL 5 PL 7 PL 8 PL 9 PL 10 PL 11

PL 5 / PL 6 / PL 7

24 months max (local training) 18 months max

(local training)

PL1 / PL 2 / PL 3 / PL 4

English modular courses

Level A

Advanced English CourseLevel C

AAA Profile BBB ProfileCBC Profile

10 weeks between PL 3 weeks

Progress Levels (PL) generally include 150 hours (five weeks) of training in a classroom

RefresherB Profile

Consolidation

English modular courses Level B

Refresher A Profile PL5 / PL 6 / PL 7 Refresher B Profile /PL 8 / PL 9/PL 10/PL 11/Consolidation

Posting for up to 11 months

Posting for up to 11 months

PC 401 PC 402 PC 403

PL 6

Continuous French Course Level B (CECLB)

Continuous English Course Level C (CECLC)

12 months max (local training)

Continuous courses

entry points

Annex A4705-1 (CDA)

Feb 2013

Updates

• BILC Secretariat status• Ownership of the STANAG 6001• LNA – NATO IMS/SHAPE/ACT???• Statement from BILC re IS equivalency table

– IS meeting

• WG on Level 4 - Final report– Will produce prototype of L4 test

• WG on Translation & Terminology – ongoing• BILC Website design & ownership

BILC Website www.natobilc.org

Enjoy the 2013 Professional Seminar!!

“Diligent Design: Building Blocks to Maximize Learning”

QUESTIONS ??