Effective Integration of Language Training into Careers – the Austrian Approach

Austrian Armed Forces Language Institute

Mission of the AAF Language InstituteMission of the AAF Language Institute

To make the Austrian Armed Forces interoperable

through language proficiency

Desired End-state

INTEROPERABILITY

No purely general language trainingbut alsointercultural competence

andmilitary language training.

Military Skills

• General school system: English obligatory (Basics)

• Military school system:Advanced English language training (incl. military terminology)Offrs: level 3, NCOs: level 2

Austrian situationAustrian situation

• English proficiency level 3 for all• Military Academy graduates:

level 2+ or better • Officers from Cpt onwards:

level 3 or better

Concept for Officers (1)Concept for Officers (1)

• Following one-year volunteer training• Three-year BA programme• Second Lieutenant

(typically plt ldr)

Theresian Military AcademyTheresian Military Academy

• Military Academy cadets are required to choose a language for third-language training

• Preferably a language with prior knowledge to build on

• Unless there is any, French is taught to beginners

Concept for Officers (2)Concept for Officers (2)

• Advanced training in– French– Russian– Spanish– Italian– Croatian

• Beginners‘ training– French– Russian

LanguagesLanguages

• General Staff Course: Three-year PhD programme

• Career courses for Military Academy graduates (MA)

• Career courses for university graduates

National Defence AcademyEnglish as a Working Language

National Defence AcademyEnglish as a Working Language

• General Staff Course participants are required to choose a language for third-language training

• Preferably a language where a future appointment is likely (MilAtt, LO, PE & CE posts, …)

Concept for Officers (4)Concept for Officers (4)

• Beginners‘ training – French– Arabic– Chinese– Turkish

• Advanced training in– French– Russian– Croatian

LanguagesLanguages

Third language & Intercultural Competence:

Winning hearts and minds

Third language & Intercultural Competence:

Winning hearts and minds

• Local population and authorities

• Multinational units and headquarters

Improvement of interoperabilityImprovement of interoperability

AOO

Concept for NCOs (1)Concept for NCOs (1)

• German proficiency level 3 for all• English proficiency :

– Sergeant level 1 or better (incl. mil term)

– Staff Sergeantlevel 2 or better

– Warrant Officerlevel 2+ or better

Concept for NCOs (2)Concept for NCOs (2)

• other language training on demand

Att , SOF, Agencies ….

• Three-year validity• Renewable on the basis of

– either a short form of the test– or a minimum of six months‘

deployment to a country where the language is spoken natively or at a multinational HQ

Language certificatesLanguage certificates

Enhanced Language TrainingEnhanced Language Training

• Tactical English Course• Tactical French Course• Logistics English Course• Legal English Course• Air Operational English Course• Aviation English Course (ICAO)• Language Trainer Course

(English, German)• Pre-deployment Training

• Members of our Institute served abroad, be it in PSOs, be it as course participants.

• Experience contributes to language course design:– general language – military language

Staff experienceStaff experience

Tactical English CourseTactical English Course

Tactical English CourseTactical English Course

Tactical English Courses (TEC)

Module 1: Battle TechniquesModule 2: Staff officers

• MDMP• Briefing Training

Module 3: Commanding officers• CCIR• intent• criteria for success• planning guidance

STANAGs

Language Training for Special PurposesLanguage Training for Special Purposes

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Tactical French CourseTactical French Course

EnvisagedEnvisaged

• Logistics English Course, Medical English Course

Air Operational CourseAir Operational Course

Airspace Management

Aviation English Course(pre-planned)

Aviation English Course(pre-planned)

One Airspace ICAO

English & German

Language Trainer CourseLanguage Trainer Course

Language modules forOPERATIONS PREPARATION

• for multinational operations• for multinational exercises

++

Pre-deployment TrainingPre-deployment Training

Products:Products:Language survival books for service support

AAF Language InstituteAAF Language Institute

ENDENDof briefing ?of briefing ?

NO !NO !

WORKING GROUP WORKING GROUP MILITARY MILITARY

TERMINOLOGYTERMINOLOGYBased on Based on

STUDY GROUP 3STUDY GROUP 3BILC Conference Vilnius 2011BILC Conference Vilnius 2011

PRAGUE 2012PRAGUE 2012

ce VILNIUS May 2011ce VILNIUS May 2011

ATP-3.2.1: SitRep for the WGATP-3.2.1: SitRep for the WG1. AUT: The Employment of Land Forces2. GBR: Conceptual Frameworks for the Conduct of

Tactical Activities: Battlespace, Functional and Operational Frameworks

3. Types of Tactical Forces4. Tactical Planning Considerations5. EST: Tactical Offensive Activities6. DAN: Tactical Defensive Activities7. Tactical Stability Activities8. Tactical Enabling Activities9. CZE: Operations in Specific Enviroments and

Circumstances

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