“English language refreshment course” was completed at the university

Back in 2015, Ukraine set an ambitious goal, which, eventually, became a keynote in most of the state strategic defence documents. That was the transition of Ukraine to the NATO standards by 2020.

        And although, after a thorough examination of all current and future risks, the Annual National Cooperation Program with NATO has settled a deadline for 2024, the equation for 2020 is remaining.

     Among the main requirements declared in the Partnership Aims is teaching some professional disciplines, subjects and staff procedures in English and according to NATO standards. Furthermore, the English language proficiency of all university graduates must be at the SLP-2 (SMR-2) level.

        Towards this goal, the future training programs for servicemen at the L-3 Joint Operations Staff Officers Training Course, which are held at the National Defenсe University of Ukraine named after Ivan Cherniakhovskyi (hereinafter - the University), have been fundamentally adjusted, namely: conducting classes (not less than 60% of contact hours) in English.

       Another considerable task in the complex of innovations was to update the system of training at the ELT courses. After a careful elaboration of the curriculum of the L-3 Course, a teaching staff of the Foreign Languages Education and Research Center of the University has developed an “English Language Refreshment Course”. Its strategic goal is to ensure the improvement of communicative competence in listening, speaking, reading and writing at the SLP-2 (SMR-2) level of language proficiency in accordance with the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG 6001).

            The course is designed for four weeks of intensive training and self-study. The concept of the course was borrowed from the Bulgarian partners of Ukraine under the project of the Bureau of International Language Coordination (BILC) and is focused exclusively on the language training of candidates for leadership courses for the Joint Operations Staff Officers. The candidates for enrollment at the "English Language Refreshment Course" had to have an entry SLP-1+ (SMR-1+) language proficiency level.

          According to the student officers, the classes were held in an intensive format and covered formal-role communication in micro groups in combination with interactive trainings of listening, reading and writing. Teachers' pedagogical and philological skills, their deep knowledge of the subject and psychology, increased students’ motivation and contributed to the rapid updating of existing knowledge and to honing the communicative skills of students.

         The results of the final testing showed the readiness of all 19 students to continue their studies on the L-3 course in English. Training will be conducted by leading teaching staff of alma mater, who received special education or have been trained in European and Western military educational institutions. Fruitful cooperation of the University with foreign colleagues will guarantee the opportunity to involve foreign advisers and subject matter experts from partner countries in lectures and seminars.