ELW can provide:
· Learning at all levels in generic English language, in a military context, to prepare students for specialist training at other Defence establishments.
· Learning at all levels in military technical English to prepare students for specialist training at other Defence establishments. Examples of these include:
- Officer training at BRNC, RMAS and RAFC Cranwell
- Advanced Command and Staff Training at the Defence Academy
- Maritime
- Land
- Aviation
- Infantry
- Civil Engineer
- Electrical and Mechanical Engineer
- Logistics
- Artillery
- Armoured Recce
- Intelligence
· Learning for experienced teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in training methods and media specific to EFL.
· Training for military interpreters and translators who are native speakers of Arabic or Russian.
· Residence in a secure Defence establishment.
· Interaction with British Armed Forces personnel who are learning foreign languages.
· Full support by tutors, mentors and a dedicated Course Officer.
· Marked individual assignments and an end of course assessment
English Language Wing’s core business is to train foreign personnel in the English language, to prepare them to undertake courses at other Defence establishments in the UK. The aims of all our English language courses are:
· To help students to improve their military and general English
· To introduce students to British culture and history via cultural excursions
· To provide students with an insight into the organisation and workings of the British Armed Forces, including visits to British military units.
The Defence School of Languages is unique, because it is the only joint language training academy run by the UK Ministry of Defence. This means that it is run as a Defence establishment, with uniformed, serving officers and students. Classes are run strictly according to a timetable and students must undertake private study in the evenings. The majority of the EFL instructors are either serving personnel or former officers who are now experienced and qualified EFL instructors. The others are career EFL instructors.
ELW normally prepares each course to meet the precise needs of the customer. The starting point for the design is a needs analysis consultation. Our training delivery relies on a variety of modern methods and media and it is practically orientated so that the students are actively engaged in the learning process. On the basis of our internal validation, we constantly update our materials so that they reflect the current state of the Armed Forces. Class sizes are limited to 12 students and there is a high proportion of one-to-one tuition for conversational practice. Regular individual tutorials allow students to discuss their performance under training with an instructor. These sessions also allow the instructors to receive feedback about the training programme.
Students in ELW have 24-hour access to a modern resource centre with Internet access and web cameras. There is also an excellent library with books, CDs, DVDs, cassettes, newspapers, magazines and periodicals. British culture is often a key theme in our programmes and our proximity to London and Oxford greatly facilitates practical learning.
Assessment takes the form of internally devised weekly progress tests and an end of course IELTS examination or NATO STANAG 6001 Standard Language Profile examination at all levels.
Integration with British Armed Forces students who are learning foreign languages greatly helps our international students to feel part of the School. We arrange social events to foster the relationship between those learning Arabic, Pashto and European languages, and they also help each other with private study.
What ELW offers to students:
- Daily contact with British Armed Forces personnel on foreign language learning programmes.
- 24 hour access to multi-media language support centre with Internet.
- High level of personal support for each individual learner.
- Structured, military environment.
- Excellent gymnasium facilities
Modern methods and media.
- Residential, immersion training.
- Training design and assessment to meet customers’ specific needs
State-of-the-art classrooms with electronic presentation equipment.
- Ideal location between London and Oxford