Language In Conflict

Requirements and Training Delivery

- Bridging the Gap

Major Caroline Taylor

Content

• Context

• Requirements

• Training Design and Delivery

• Training Outputs

• Conclusion

Security Paradigm Shift

• From deterrence during Cold War (‘being’)

= majority passive linguists in listening and reading skills

- To Engagement post-Sep 11 (‘doing’)

= increase in requirement for active skills – speaking

* Key capability gap identified in language (and culture) skills of military

Military Doctrine/Theory

• Initial War Fighting phase achieved relatively quickly (Regular Warfare)

• Followed by protracted irregular warfare including mix of insurgency, terrorism, civil war, sectarian violence

• Both operations ‘difficult’ and ‘complex’

• MILITARY SOLUTION? Counter-Insurgency?

Principles of Counter-Insurgency

1. Control population and track movements through use of checkpoints, identification checks and so on

• = reliant on communication in target language for large volume of infantry personnel (at lower levels) to control

- can’t always rely on LECs

Principles of Counter-Insurgency

2.Gain support of local population (‘winning hearts & minds’) e.g. by their active participation in local government and self-defence militias, providing information to authorities.

= reliant on communication at all levels by military to win hearts and minds

- can’t always rely on LEC’s

Principles of Counter-Insurgency

3. Obtaining precise info on the organisation & location of insurgent & terrorist gps

= almost entirely reliant on communication and understanding of target language by military personnel (at all levels) to gather info

- military must : cannot rely on LECs

Principles of Counter-Insurgency

4. Creating or improving the quality and quantity of military, paramilitary and law enforcement forces so competent to provide local security and stability

= reliant on communication in target language in order to train forces

Solution: LEC interpreters or military

Principles of Counter-Insurgency

5. Developing or assisting in the development of just & responsive governance and co-ordinated responses across all government agencies

= reliant on communication to mentor/advise

Solution: LEC interpreters and military

Historical British Involvement

• Empire/ Colonial

= Engagement

= linguistic capability in active and passive skills

= Could we learn from history?

Middle East North Africa

• Iraq - protectorate 1921-1932,

• Egypt - protectorate 1914-1922• Palestine - Mandate 1920-1948 • Aden – protectorate 1886-1963• Oman – residency 1891-1971• Bahrain (1880-1971), Kuwait (1899-1961), Qatar

(1916-1971), Trucial States (1892-1971)• British Somaliland 1887-1960

Famous British Arab Linguists

• Lt Col T E Lawrence (1888-1935)

• Gertrude Bell (1868-1926)

Involvement in Afghanistan

- Afghanistan Protectorate – 1879-1919

- First Campaign : 1839-1842

- Second Campaign: 1878-1880

- Third Campaign: 1919-1920

-British interest until 1947 and independence of India and Pakistan

Famous British Pashtu Linguists

• Capt Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890)

• Capt Sir George Roos-Keppel (1866-1921)

• Maj H G Raverty (1825-1906)

Effects of Engagement?

"The delight of a hill Pathan in being addressed by a Sahib in his mother Pashto is always genuine and irrepressible; his whole face, which ordinarily wears a fixed touch-me-if-you-dare almost defiant expression, breaks into one broad grin as he wonderingly asks you, "Eh, you talk Pashto, how did you learn it?" ….. The gain in personal influence, besides other advantages, which an ability to converse directly with the people gives an Englishman amongst Pathans is so obvious that I need not dilate on it."

'Bannu: or Our Afghan Frontier' (1876), S. S. Thorburn

And if you don’t…..

"He (a Pathan) is withal a proud man, prone to meet scorn with scorn, and ever ready to return blow for blow. That we cannot address him in his own language, and deal with him direct without the help of middlemen, he attributes to either of two reasons, incapacity to learn his language, or indifference to him, his people and his affairs." George W. Gilbertson in the preface to 'First Pukkhtoo Book' (1901)

Required Effects

• Influence (Win Hearts and Minds, advise, train, gather info)

• Control (gather info, movement control)

• Restructure and Development (advise/mentor)

• Power and Self Interest (gather info)

Requirements

- Meet required effects

- Meet ‘intelligent’ customer needs

- Defence Systems approach to training (DSAT) Process

- Products/Outputs

Change in, or review of, operations/business triggers a perceived need for training

NEEDS ANALYSIS

TRAINING DESIGN & DEVELOPMENTTRAINING

DELIVERY

Defence Systems Approach to Training - DSAT

The Activity

Needs Analysis MethodologyTriangulation

Post Holder

Direct Observation

Line Manager

Operational Performance Statement (OPS)

Formal Training Statement (FTS)

• Made up of 3 parts:– Training Performance Statement (TPS) – Work-Place Training Statement (WPTS)– Residual Training Gap Statement (RTGS)

Training Performance Statement -1100TO Training

ObjectiveConditions Standards Requirement Notes

C L A

8 Interpret consecutively

Given:

Relevant Dialect

Native Speaker

Three participants

Background noise

With:

Repetition

In

Simulated Medical

Simulated formal & informal exchange

Simulated Incident

Recognise and use:

8.1 A variety of relevant vocabulary

8.2 Past, present and future tenses

8.3 Common Familiar phrases

8.4 The imperative polite and impolite forms

8.5 Identify key words

8.6 Simple sentences.

8.7 Basic polite forms of address and greeting.

8.8 A range of discourse markers appropriate to function and level of language

Ask:

8.9Pre-determined questions and give pre-determined commands (on people (a to h), places and vehicles (scrim), medical terms.

C Informal interview could be a Shura

To be recorded to produce evidence of competence.

Limited ‘open’ questions and the majority should be ‘closed’ questions.

Define exchange

Assessment Specification –TO8 1100

REFERENCESAll OPS relating to this FTS:

DESCRIPTIONThe student will participate in 3 practical assessments on a rotational basis. The student is to ask pre-determined questions and give pre-determined commands in each of the scenarios. The student must be recorded. If possible a video recording will be made.The test item must be based on a simulated:Battlefield casualties andVehicle Check PointandA house searchThere will be 3 stands on this assessment. There will be 15 minutes per rotation. These assessments will be very procedural and highly predictable. Students will use a pre-determined set of questions or commands.GENERALThe assessment designer may consult the notes pages attached to the Training Performance Statement to glean more background information for the development of suitable test items. Where necessary individual OPS may be consulted.MARKING DETAILSThis assessment is critical. Students will be summatively tested on this training objective.PASS/FAIL CRITERIAThere will be 6 pieces of information in each rotation. The student must achieve 17/18 overall in the rotations. The student can only drop 1 mark throughout the 3 rotations. If the student misses a critical piece of information in any rotation they will fail this assessment.CONSEQUENCES OF FAILUREThe student must pass this assessment to pass Module 1.Students who fail to meet the requirements of combination will be provided with remedial programme of support.Students may re-sit once before entry to the Module 2 assessments.

Requirements - Issues

• Human factors involved in process• Capability generation (lower and higher level)• Aptitude required different for lower and higher

capability (intelligent application of MLAT)• Quantity v Quality linguists • NATO STANAG 6001 (general proficiency) as a

driver• Sponsor/Customer agreement on Formal

Training Statement (FTS)• Articulating Assessment requirements

Modularisation& Output Profile

• Module 1: 1100 – quantity linguist output (control)

• Module 2: 2210 – quantity linguist output (low level influence & gather info)

• Module 3: 3321 – quality linguist 1st tour

(gather info, influence, development)

• Module 4: 4432 – quality linguist 2nd tour

(as above)

Issues

• Experience/Expertise – military/civilian in application of requirement?

• Resources• General Proficiency or ‘focussed’ proficiency • Training Time• Training Location (in country?)• NATO STANAG 6001 as a driver?• Assessment• Learning from History?

Any Questions?

• References:- Cronin, P.M. (ed), The Impenetrable Fog of War. Reflections on Modern Warfare and Strategic Surprise, 2008.

- Jordan, D. et al, Understanding Modern Warfare, 2008.