NATO BILC
5-10 May 2013
LTCOL Fiona Curtis
DITC Mission
To contribute to Australian Defence’s
international engagement objectives by
providing training and support through
the Defence Cooperation Program.
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.
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.
DITC Students
Approximately 900 students per year from more than 40 nations
across South West Pacific, Asia, Middle East and Africa.
Staff composition: 9 X ADF, 7 foreign seconded
officers and 26 civilians (teachers and support
staff).
PERFORMANCE TESTING
using the
AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
PROFILING SYSTEM (ADFELPS)
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.
Test Types
Proficiency Test
Achievement Test
Language
needed for
future use
Language
learned in a
given
course
Diagnostic Test
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
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
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
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
ADFELPS AND ITS ESTIMATED
EQUIVALENT
A
D
F
E
L
P
S
ECL
9
8
90 - 100
PEARSON
TE
TOEFL
86 - 90
102 -120
79 - 85
94 - 101
STANAG
4-5
IELTS
ICAO
8-9
6
7
5
7
80 - 89
65 - 78
75 - 93
3
6.5
4
6
70 - 79
50 - 64
46 - 78
2 - 2+
5.5 - 6
3
5
46 - 69
36 - 49
35 - 45
1 - 1+
5
2
≤ 34
0
≤4
1
4
3
2
24 - 35
≤ 45
≤ 23
1
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 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
Information Booklet
English Language Proficiency
Summary of Level Descriptors
(on a scale of 1 to 9)
(Click here to open file)
ADFELPS Level 7
Descriptors
(Click here to open file)
ADFELPS Level 7
Speaking Interview Sample
(Click here to open file)
ADFELPS LEVEL 7
Writing Sample
(Click here to open file)
Validation of Listening
and Reading Versions
• Use statistical packages (Winsteps,
Rasch analysis & Facets)
• Access to statistically significant
number of candidates for trialling
sometimes problematic
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
ADFELPS Profiles
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
Course Profile
(Click here to open file)
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
Questions?
Find Us…
• DITC Homepage
• DITC Virtual On-line language
learning
• www.facebook.com/DefenceInternational
TrainingCentre
CO DITC
• LTCOL Fiona Curtis
• RAAF Williams, Laverton, Victoria 3027,
AUSTRALIA
• Tel: +61 3 9256 2818
• Email: fiona.curtis@defence.gov.au