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, Netherlands
1975: SHAPE and IMS/NATO (non-voting members)
1978: Portugal
1983: Turkey
1984: Denmark and Greece
1985: Spain
1993: Norway
1999: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland
2004: Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia
2008: 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.
BILC
Steering Committee
Chair
J. Dubeau
GRB (1966-1981)
DEU (1982-1996)
USA (1997-2008)
CAN (2008-2014)
XXX (2014-
Senior Advisor
Dr. R. Clifford
Secretary
J. Vasilj-Begovic
Language
Testing Programmes
P. Garza
Associate
Secretaries
Language
Training Assessments
K. Wert
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 Events
BILC Annual Conference in Spring:
2013 hosted in Tbilisi by Georgia
“NATO speak: English in Multinational Settings”
Steering Committee met daily
68 participants, 23 presentations + 5 Study groups
SG #1 - What is NATO Speak?
SG #2 - Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication within MultiNational Settings
SG #3 - On-line Language Maintenance
SG #4 - Standardizing the Application of STANAGs Across
Foreign Languages
SG #5 - Questionnaire Deployment Lessons Learned
Definitions
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.
BILC Main Events
BILC 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, Slovenia
October 21-25, 2012
BILC Main Events
STANAG Testing Conference
New name!! STANAG 6001 Testing Workshop
Last 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 Programmes
Assistance to National Testing Programmes:
– Planned: Russia Nov 2013
– Potential: Algeria, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Greece
Language Testing Seminar (LTS): 2 weeks, 2X per year
Advanced 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 Plan
http://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
Design
In 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
Annex A
4705-1 (CDA)
Feb 2013
MSLETP (English)
PC 401
English modular
courses
Level A
PL 1
PL 2
PL 3
PL 4
Advanced English Course
Level C
English modular courses
Level B
PL 5
24 months max
(local training)
PC 403
PC 402
PL 6
PL 7
Refresher
B Profile
PL 8
PL 9 PL 10 PL 11
 10 weeks between PL
12 months max
(local training)
Consolidation
 3 weeks
18 months max
(local training)
Continuous French Course Level B (CECLB)
PL1 / PL 2 / PL 3 / PL 4
PL 5 / PL 6 / PL 7
Progress Levels (PL) generally include 150
hours (five weeks) of training in a classroom
Posting for up to 11 months
Continuous
courses
entry points
Continuous English Course Level C (CECLC)
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
AAA Profile
BBB Profile
CBC Profile
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 ??