Military English Tactical and Peacekeeping Operations

Book excerpt: Military English: English for Tactical and Peacekeeping Operations is a pre-deployment course for Army personnel who are to be sent on multinational peace support operations or on training courses in an English language speaking country, or are to be trained by English-speaking instructors. Your students should already have studied up to a pre-intermediate level [Common European Framework A2] before starting the course - that is they should be ready for an Intermediate/ B1 Level course. There are four components to the course: 1: A Coursebook (this component) with 200 lesson-units, providing over 200 hours of study materials including vocabulary learning tasks, reading and listening tasks, briefings, role plays and other speaking tasks. 2: A Workbook, which includes a grammar reference and study pages, peacekeeping reading tasks, writing tasks, abbreviations and acronym study pages, patrol report forms etc., consolidation tasks, a mini dictionary, key vocabulary pages, and key tactical verbs. 3: A Teacher's Book with full instructions on teaching the course, and coursebook and workbook task keys. 4: Downloadable colour pictures, maps, PowerPoint Presentations and audio files, and audio transcripts for use on phones, tablets or computers. These can be freely downloaded and shared with all students. Course Overview: There are three Phases to the Course. Phase One of the course is a series of intertwined threads of General English units, General Military English units and some Specialised Military English units. Phase Two is blocks of units of Specialised Military English, and General English with a Military Application. Phase Three revises and activates the Specialised Military English of Phase One and Two and adds Peacekeeping English. Course Aims: This course is designed to teach soldiers (enlisted men, NCOs and junior officers) how to operate effectively in multinational tactical and peacekeeping operations. By the end of the course the students should be able to do the following in English: Interpersonal Skills: Talk about their families * Talk about their careers * Talk about their homes * Talk about their leisure interests e.g. hobbies, sports, films and music * Socialise e.g. make arrangements to meet * Ask and answer questions * Give personal opinions on topics like personal equipment. Professional Skills: Understand and use common acronyms * Use the NATO/Phonetic Alphabet * Tell the time * Talk about the weather and climate * Talk about their army and unit structure and purpose * Talk about their training * Make radio calls including MEDEVAC/CASEVAC * Understand Tactical Combat Casualty Care * Understand land navigation * Describe rural and urban terrain * Describe people and clothing * Give a short professional briefing supported by visuals * Understand ROE * Describe bases * Understand and describe convoy operations * Understand and describe checkpoint operations * Understand and describe the use of observation posts * Understand and describe patrol operations * Understand [and give] orders [Patrol Orders, WARNO, OPORD] * Understand the differences between tactical and peacekeeping missions, patrols, ROE, OPs, checkpoints, and convoys * Understand and propose solutions to common survival situations * Understand and propose solutions to common tactical and peacekeeping problems * Write a short report. The course has an open and clear methodology, built in revision tasks and essential practice in the five core area for tactical and peacekeeping operations: understanding briefings and orders, convoy and checkpoint operations, and patrolling. Each Phase has built in tests, and the whole course builds up your students confidence in using Military English, and develops their listening and speaking skills so they can operate effectively in training situations and on missions.