When we think about typical language learners, it’s unlikely that members of the armed forces would come to mind for many people. But in today’s globalised and uncertain world, fluency in languages has transformed from a niche skill for military personnel into a strategic advantage.
Language instructors therefore play a critical role on the frontlines of national security, equipping our military personnel with the communication tools they need. These help them to navigate the complexities of multinational operations, peacekeeping missions and humanitarian campaigns.
This blog post takes a look at language learning in the military and considers some of the recent changes in pedagogy and approach. For clarity, this post focuses on military personnel who add language skills to their skill set in response to new job roles or career opportunities, rather than those who join in specific linguist positions.
The power of language skills
Effective communication skills are an essential asset for all military personnel. But it’s increasingly likely that their operations will take place on distant shores, where combatants and civilians will speak a different language to their L1.
Being able to communicate in that language is key for military forces to bridge obvious cultural divides, to foster trust and to pave the way for mission success. Military personnel with advanced language skills therefore become invaluable assets and global militaries are spending significant sums to rapidly train staff with language aptitude.
Military personnel with good language skills are able to:
- Gather vital intelligence: Understanding foreign broadcasts, documents and conversations provides a crucial edge in gleaning critical information that can inform strategic decision-making.
- De-escalate situations: The ability to communicate directly and effectively can prevent misunderstandings that could spiral into conflict. Language skills allow military personnel to build rapport, identify grievances and navigate tense situations with sensitivity.
- Build strong partnerships: Direct communication with local populations and allied forces fosters trust, cooperation and a sense of shared purpose. Language skills are instrumental in building lasting relationships that are essential for long-term success in foreign deployments.
- Better support humanitarian efforts: Effective communication is the cornerstone of providing efficient and culturally appropriate relief and assistance. Language fluency allows military personnel to understand the needs of local populations and ensure aid reaches those who need it most.
Getting onto the course
A significant number of language courses are run to support military personnel to build and develop such language skills. Not everyone who requests extra training gets onto the course and a number of standardised assessment tools are used to measure an individual’s potential for success. The Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) is, for example, used by US forces while the UK, New Zealand and Australian militaries use the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT).
Neither test determines if someone can learn a language. But rather provides a “prediction of how well, relative to other individuals, an individual can learn a foreign language in a given amount of time and under given conditions”.
Given the very specific nature of the work and language study required, military language programmes often seek additional evidence. This can involve more practical assessments which focus on identifying individuals who are both highly motivated and who demonstrate strong communication skills in their native language.
Typical course structure
As with any language study, there is a wide variety of course format and course content. But it appears that most initial language courses tend to follow a four stage process:
- Fundamentals: This section provides an introduction to the target language and key vocabulary across family, food, travel, shopping, everyday social situations etc.
- Military: This part of training builds specific knowledge relating to the military and the intended role. It would therefore focus on rank, weapons, equipment and organisational and operational vocabulary.
- In-country training: As the name suggests this part of training takes place in a country where the students’ L2 is spoken. Students are paired with different native speakers every day and assigned tasks, which should be undertaken in their L2. This element aims to build language fluency and develop key skills in a variety of real world situations.
- News: When posted to a conflict zone, the ability to understand and interpret news reports, social media posts and interviews is essential to gather intelligence and to understand community feeling. In this part of the course, students are routinely presented with real content to decipher and to then provide strategic recommendations on, often under significant time pressure.
The duration of each training course will also vary, depending on the language and intended job specification. The broad US military guidelines follow below for information:
- Category 1 & 2 languages – 36 week-long courses for French and Spanish.
- Category 3 languages – 48 week-long courses for Hebrew, Persian Farsi, Russian and Urdu.
- Category 4 languages – 64 week-long courses for Modern Standard Arabic, Chinese Mandarin, Japanese, Korean and Pashto.
The evolution of military language teaching methods
Military language training programmes have traditionally relied on intensive immersion experiences, often utilising the audio-lingualism teaching method. This approach, with its emphasis on drills and memorisation, traditionally laid a strong foundation for pronunciation and grammar. But language courses in the military are now shifting towards a more dynamic, practical and communicative approach.
These methods prioritise real-world communication skills, focusing on fluency, comprehension and cultural awareness. Students engage in simulated scenarios, role-playing exercises and group/pair discussions, allowing them to practise using the target language in a natural and dynamic way.
This, of course, closely reflects the way in which military personnel will actually use their language. Parroting grammar rules is not vital, rather they need to be able to think on their feet to communicate effectively in dangerous and dynamic situations. Incorporating simulated patrols, hostage negotiations or humanitarian aid interactions into training, enables students to practise using their L2 in high-pressure situations, building fluency, confidence and the awareness that’s crucial for mission success.
Although courses have evolved to make more use of educational technology such as language learning apps and interactive simulations, the digital landscape presents unique challenges for military language training. Such programmes often involve sensitive materials, making cybersecurity a paramount concern in the defence sector.
As a result, on-premises solutions, such as Sanako Study, are frequently favoured over cloud-based options. They offer:
- Data security: On-premises solutions offer greater control over data storage and access, minimising the risk of breaches and unauthorised access to sensitive information.
- Network reliability: Military networks prioritise stability and security. Cloud-hosted solutions can be vulnerable to outages or disruptions that could hinder training or compromise sensitive data.
- Compliance: Military organisations must comply with strict data protection regulations. On-premises solutions offer a more secure environment that allows for greater control over data management and compliance.
How can Sanako help language instructors in the government and defence sectors?
Military language instructors globally have found Sanako’s range of solutions invaluable in supporting teaching and learning. Client confidentiality prevents us from naming customers, but we already work with many international military education facilities.
In addition to the security features outlined above, Sanako Study helps educators manage their language classes more effectively and can easily improve students’ results by up to 30 %.
Feedback from users commonly highlights that Sanako Study enables them to:
- Monitor students’ live performance and progress without interruption
- Increases the time students spend speaking and actively learning during classes, which helps improve their overall motivation and results
- Build confidence in speaking skills. Students don’t feel embarrassed when they make mistakes – they can keep practising until they’re happy with their output
- Save time in sharing classroom exercises with students and in then automatically receiving their completed work
- Improve even the most difficult parts of language learning, like pronunciation and intonation, with model imitation and a wide array of discussion activities
- Divide the class into live groups to focus on the most important skills that the students need to master
Whatever language you teach and whatever approach you use to teach it, Sanako’s market-leading tools include a wealth of unique features that help language educators teach languages more efficiently and more successfully. It’s why the world’s leading military language training institutions choose Sanako as their preferred supplier to support in-person lesson delivery.
If you are interested in learning more about how Sanako products support language instructors and learners and would like to see how they could benefit your institution, book a FREE remote demo now to see them in action.