Methods of professional foreign language training according to NATO Standardization Agreement

Introduction

Formulation of the problem in general.

Foreign language training is a topical issue in both Allies and Partner countries and considered to be the problem of national responsibility. However, linguistic compatibility is no less important for ensuring the effective participation of countries in NATO missions and Alliance activities than other forms of compatibility. The difficulties these organizations have to overcome in Central and Eastern Europe are due to the weak basic foreign language training of many servicemen. The need for effective communication is particularly shown during peacekeeping operations, where language misunderstandings can lead to errors that can lead to casualties in the worst cases.

Besides, the specific features of the professional activities of servicemen require them to be ready for effective interpersonal interaction with subordinates, colleagues, as well as with citizens in everyday life and extreme situations. This makes special demands on the formation of foreign language competence of the officer that is considered to be the result of professional foreign language training [8, p. 53].

One of the directions of modernization of language training, the result of which is the professional foreign language competence of servicemen, modern researchers (P. Bekh, N. Bibik, I. Bim, L. Maslak, N. Vovchasta, S. Goncharenko, I. Zimnaya, S. Nikolaeva, S. Kozhushko, O. Leontieva, E. Passov, O. Tarnopolskii. etc.) consider unification and standardization of foreign language education, including in the assessment of foreign language skills of cadets as well as students of military educational institutions by means of STANAG6001 language testing.

Analysis of recent research and publications. Ukrainian scientists G.Barabanova, O. Bernatska, N. Drab, G. Hryniuk, L. Lychko, L. Maslak devoted their works to the problems of improving the effectiveness of foreign language training in higher education; essence and structure of foreign language professional communicative competence is revealed in scientific works of A. Andrienko, G. Arkhipova, N. Gez, S. Kozak, O. Pavlenko, N. Prudnikova, Y Fedorenko, N.Chernova; issues of introduction of European educational standards in the educational process of higher education are analyzed by Kozlakova, S.Nikolaeva, and O. Pershukova.

The purpose of this article is to reveal the methods of professional foreign language training according to NATO standard STANAG 6001as well as the stages of professional foreign language training of officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Presenting the main material

The NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG 6001) is an international agreement on standardizing NATO's bilingual language assessment (English and French) between NATO member countries, adopted in the 1970s and reprinted in 2010 [4, p. 3]. professional foreign language military

Currently, 48 countries use the criteria for assessing knowledge of a foreign (English) language, proposed by the Bureau for International Language Cooperation BILC (The Bureau for International Language Cooperation) in STANAG 6001 document [6, p. 1].

It is necessary to mention that there is no single structure that would develop test materials of STANAG 6001 test. Each country is responsible for the design and criteria of the exam. There is no single structure or organization that has developed test tasks for STANAG, as each country is responsible for developing and running tests.

In order to improve foreign language training, officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine take foreign language courses at higher military educational institutions and military units of higher educational institutions to provide general and special language training for servicemen and employees of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Therefore, foreign languages are required to perform duties, military service (work) or study.

NATO's STANAG 6001 language tests determine the appropriate level of proficiency in a foreign language. A characteristic feature that distinguishes this type of test from others is that previous experience in learning a foreign language is not taken into account. The purpose of the NATO language test “STANAG 6001” is to assess how well the serviceman can use foreign language in a foreign language environment [9; p. 13]. NATO's STANAG 6001 language test is not based on curriculum or other educational programs, as its main purpose is not to test knowledge of certain aspects of language, such as grammar, vocabulary, etc., but to determine the level of foreign language competence in general [7, p. 1].

Let's consider in more detail the stages of professional foreign language training of officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and methods of work on each of them.

The first stage (organizational) provided the achievement of the following goals: distribution of groups according to the level of knowledge (according to the results of the diagnostic test); acquaintance with the main categories of the intensive special course ALC (American Language Course); creation a friendly atmosphere; review of the basics of the elementary level of knowledge in all types of speech activities for the group with an intermediate level of knowledge; formation of foreign language habits, skills, development of abilities of self-assessment and evaluation of subordinates.

The main purpose of the first month ELT (English language teaching) is to adapt officers to the conditions of studying at higher educational establishment by means of American Language Course methods with elements of communicative and interactive teaching methods, which included modeling real communication situations based on authentic materials.

One of the tasks of this stage is the formation of skills to make basic decisions in different social and cultural situations. As a form of training, we used discussions with officers, which allowed introducing professionally important concepts and categories by means of foreign language. Officers also assessed motivational activities and discussed problematic issues regarding the formation of professional foreign language competence of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The tasks included motivational orientation in the process of discussing the following topics: “Requirements to a professional serviceman”, “Motivational activities in a higher military educational institution”, “Advanced training of officers abroad”, “International exercises of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”,“Mainfeatures of STANAG6001”,“The role of tactical level officers in training cadets for international exercises”. In addition, motivational speeches by prominent people such as Admiral William McRaven [1], successful American businessman and inventor Stephen Paul Jobs [5] contributed to the formation of the motivational component of professional foreign language competence of the servicemen.

At the second (formative) stage, foreign language skills were developed, social and cultural information was introduced in the context of the topics by creating communicative learning situations close to real ones. In addition, a NATO-standard professional training course was introduced “Professional language training (STANAG 6001)”, the general military vocabulary was enriched by means of British textbooks Campaign1 and Campaign2 [2; 3].

One of the tasks of the officers was to prepare the following types of military briefings: informational, briefing-decisions, briefings with personnel, briefings of military operations (missions). While expressing their points of views, the means of English as well as BBC and CNN sites, creative projects such as video, essays, reports and presentations on a particular topic that deals with the specialty of the officer.

Conclusion

In this paper we revealed the methods of professional foreign language training according to NATO standard STANAG 6001. The paper also defined the stages of professional foreign language training of officers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as well as methods and techniques of work on each of them.

We suggested the most effective methods and techniques of teaching foreign language which would be helpful to pass STANAG 6001 test. Among them: communicative and interactive methods, discussions, motivational speeches of prominent people, briefings, news reports, creative projects such as video, essays and presentations on a particular topic that deals with the specialty of the officer.

References

1. Admiral McRaven leaves the audience speechless. URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBuIGBCF9jc (accessed: 15.01.2022).

2. Campaign 1. English for the Military. Simon Mellor- Clark, Yvonne Baker de Altamirano. Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2004.

3. Campaign 2. English for the Military. Simon Mellor-Clark, Yvonne Baker de Altamirano. Macmillan Publishers Limited, 2005.

4. NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 6001 (Edition 4) (2010). URL: https://cupdf.com/ document/ stanag-6001-edition-4.html(accessed: 17.01.2022).

5. Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. URL: https://www.youtube)wereused. com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc (accessed: 15.01.2022).

6. Zverev, Ilya. English Language Proficiency Assessment in the Military Context: Test Development and NATO STANAG 6001. URL: http://conference.fledu.uz/ru/2017/english- language-proficiencyassessment-in-the- military- context-test-development-and-nato-stanag-6001/ (accessed: 08.01.2022)

7. Концепція мовної підготовки особового складу Збройних Сил України: Наказ Міністра оборони України від 01.06.2009 р. № 267.

8. Маслак Л.П. Педагогічні умови формування культурологічної компетентності майбутніх офіцерів радіоінженерних спеціальностей: дис. ... канд. пед. наук: 13.00.04 «Теорія і методика професійної освіти». Житомир, 2010. 323 с.

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