Language Institute's mission reaches for the future

  • Published
  • By Janie Santos
  • Defense Media Activity-San Antonio
LACKLAND AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) --  With the buzzing of chatter, some in English, some in another tongue, and people moving about the building, the Defense Language Institute English Language Center here is a beehive of activity.

The international military students attending the resident program here have a purpose, and the instructors and professionals are dedicated to ensuring that all students attain their goal, according to DLI officials.

"The 1,000 or so students here are stepping stones to future American relationships within their country's military," said Army Lt. Col. Terry St. Peter, deputy commandant of DLIELC.

Outside his office was the newest graduate, a Southern Sudanese air force general officer. This graduation is important as the Department of Defense has stepped up operations in Africa with the formation of the U.S. Africa Command.

Many times, entering the school is the international student's first experience with Americans, Colonel St. Peter said.  The faculty and staff interact with students to further their careers, and building lasting partnerships is the primary mission of the institute.

Iraqi navy Captain Mahmammed said he is a believer of the school and its benefits. When he returns to Iraq, he said he'll gain responsibility and rank as he works with naval contracts and acquisition projects.

"This is a good opportunity and will help my country contribute to its advancement," he said. "And speaking without a translator will be good.

"I first scored 37 on my English (comprehension level) test; I now have an 80," he said with pride.

According to school officials, this is what he needs to be able to attend follow-on training at the Naval War College in Newport, R. I.

Captain Mahmammed not only is excited about attending the college to further his education, he will bring his wife from Iraq to be with him during his time in Rhode Island.

DLIELC is divided into three resident academic training areas: general English, specialized English and instructor development. Depending on the needs of the students, training can range from nine weeks (in specialized English, for example) to 52 weeks in general English if the student arrives with limited English knowledge.

Some students train to a predetermined English comprehension level in general English and then transfer to specialized English before going to follow-on training. They can go to an academic environment, as Iraqi Captain Mahmammed did, or to job-specific training, as did Afghan air force Major Khial Mohammed.

Afghan Major Khial Mohammed said he has wanted to be a pilot since the age of eight, and now is on the verge of attending undergraduate pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. He needs a slot to open as his scores on his comprehension tests are passing.

"When I first arrived here, all I knew was 'Hi, how are you,'" he said with a wide smile.

He was in the computer field after college graduation, but he said he wanted another career.

"I wanted to train as a pilot since my entire family is with the military," he said. "But, no one is a pilot."

He said his long-range goal is to continue his aviation training and ultimately become an instructor pilot.

"I am excited to go back to my country and help modernize the air force," Major Mohammed said. "Most of the people now only know about Russian aircraft."

He also has high praise for the DLIELC methods and materials.

"The teachers and staff are respectful to everyone equally," he said.

The schedules and instruction are tailored to meet the students' needs. A typical day may consist of six hours of instruction with one or sometimes two teachers, depending on the course. Some of the time may be spent in a computer-based language laboratory where the students practice what they've been taught.

All students have access to a learning resource center, which has a variety of multimedia software and includes a library. It's not all school work; extra-curricular activities also help with English language comprehension and speaking skills.  Captain Mahmammed said that he had many friends outside the base environment.

He also has a "pal" in a volunteer program known as AMIGO or American Members of International Goodwill to Others. This program provides interaction with volunteer sponsors from the local community.

The AMIGO program provides the students with an opportunity to better understand the American way of life with "field trips" to museums, ethnic activities, government institutions and other places of interest in the surrounding area.

"In many cases, I have learned a lot more than just the language," Captain Mahmammed said.

In addition to international students, DLIELC also has a resident program for U.S. Army recruits who aren't native speakers of English. These students come to DLIELC to improve their English skills before going to basic training.

The institute also has a non-resident program where instructors go to a country to teach. On any given day, approximately 60 DLIELC civilians are on assignments across the globe. All instructors have signed a mobility agreement, and will go where needed. Many even volunteer to go to the war zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Take fresh-faced Andrea Gjorevski.  She taught at two Texas high schools before joining DLIELC. After a year at the institute, she was on her way to Kabul, Afghanistan.

She worked at the base located at the Kabul International Airport teaching English to some of the Afghan pilots and Afghan commandos.

"After I got over the initial shock of being in a combat zone, I didn't feel like I was in a combat zone," she said. "I was in place working with the coalition forces, working with people who were very serious about their jobs."

She said this professional atmosphere made her more relaxed and not so worried. She also said it made her a better teacher since she could spend more time developing lessons and be more inventive since there was no Internet access available.

"We work together with the students to help them achieve the greater goal of peace and security in their country by giving them the foundation necessary to continue their efforts," Ms. Gjorevski said.

"One of the main reasons I volunteered is that the Afghan students are just wonderful," she said. "I genuinely wanted to be a part of their cause. They wanted help in English language training, and that's the small part that I could offer.

"We're giving them the language that the world uses to communicate," she said. "I think that's a small part of what we do, but it's an important role.

"We help them build that bridge to connect to the international community, she said. "We're also helping them professionalize their military, and that's partly why they are choosing to attend follow-on training."

In addition to the airport in Kabul, Ms. Gjorevski also taught at Camp Morehead with U.S. Army Special Forces. The Afghan commandos were invited to attend a qualification course, and they needed to learn English to participate.

Working in Afghanistan was "surreal," she said.  It's nothing like the news.

"I'm fascinated by different cultures so it was a very interesting experience."

Then there's seasoned DLIELC veteran, Laura MacKenzie who was an integral part of establishing an English language program in Iraq. She is now the chief of the General English Branch at DLIELC, and she was assigned in Iraq with the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq as bases were transitioning to the country's control.

"Serving in a combat zone was one of the highlights of my career," said Ms. MacKenzie, who has worked with DLIELC for 17 years. "It was an honor to serve in Iraq alongside the Air Force officers assigned to the Iraq mission at Phoenix Base in Baghdad."

In Iraq, she was in charge of all the English language training, which at the time was primarily for Iraqi air force cadets who needed to learn English so they could work with U.S. and coalition instructors at undergraduate pilot training.

"I visited all the sites where English language training was taking place," she said. "It's an evolving program as the drawdown occurs.

"While I was there, (Forward Operating Base) Rustamiyah was the beginning language training opportunity for the cadets," Ms. MacKenzie said. "The basic officer course also was taking place there where U.S. military personnel were helping the Iraqis with that program."

She and the team tracked the training to ensure that the Iraqi students were put in the right books and were making progress in their language training classes.

"Decisions had to be made for the best students to go into UPT because it had the highest requirement for English," she said. "We gave the students their American language course placement test, and those who scored the highest were then placed in UPT if they indicated a desire for an aviation career.  Others went into air traffic control and other fields related to aviation.

"When students were within 10 points of their required score, they went to Kirkuk Regional Air Base, and that's where UPT took place," she said. "It was quite motivational for them to be in the English classroom that was so close to the flightline."

She said she witnessed the progress the cadets made in their English classes.

"They were eager to learn and excited to speak English," Ms. MacKenzie said. "I found all of the Iraqis that I met to be friendly, generous and hospitable, and I was proud to have been a part of this partnership building effort."

"A part of my job was also to recruit Iraqi instructors because we are transitioning so that they will eventually be in charge of their own English language training program," she said. "We hired Iraqi instructors to fill some of the teaching billets, and they worked alongside the DLI instructors at the various locations.

"I think one of my best accomplishments was to have had the opportunity to work with Iraqi military transition officials that would take over the program so that they got a better idea and sense of Americans," Ms. MacKenzie said. "They needed to understand the timeline involved for language training and how important it is if we're going to continue to work together. English is the first step and communication is truly the key to understanding."

She's also been to other countries to teach English and help with their programs.  She spent three months in both Slovenia and Macedonia. She's also undertaken shorter assignments in Romania, Lithuania and Armenia.

"It was challenging in Iraq. I can't deny it was challenging, wearing a leg holster and having a weapon," she said. "Because I left the base a lot, they really encouraged me to have a weapon.

"The Iraqis want peace desperately, but there are still insurgents who are trying to make it seem worse than it is," Ms. Mackenzie said. "Suicide bombers are still a threat."

Both women went through the rigorous preparatory training before leaving, said Dawn Moore, the chief of the nonresident programs division.

She said instructors going to combat zones receive training for the combat zone in the same way that the military does.

Ms. Moore supports in-country English language training programs in ever-changing locations. The mobile training teams go to more than 25 different countries every year.

DLIELC's vision, officials say, is to build "bridges through communication and peace through understanding," through their programs.

And it appears they are succeeding as Afghan Major Khial Mohammed explains: "If everyone (who doesn't speak English) had access to the books and teachers at DLI, learning the language would be no problem."