Foreign Languages Education and Research Centre

The Foreign Languages Scientific and Research centre is an independent unit of the National Defence University of Ukraine, established to conduct educational and scientific activities in the field of language training to meet the needs of Ukraine’s security and defence sector.

Structure

• Foreign Languages Department (with educational and laboratory complex);
• Foreign Languages Courses;
• Language Testing Research Centre;
• Administrative and Support Cell.

Assigned Tasks:

• education and training to achieve a standardized language proficiency profile in foreign languages required by regulatory documents;
• PhD student officers language training;
• development of language tests for four types of language activities (listening, writing, reading, speaking) in three foreign languages: English (SLP 1, SLP 2, SLP 3), French, German (SLP 1, SLP 2) according to NATO STANAG 6001 for all higher military education institutions;
• language testing according to NATO STANAG 6001;
• scientific, scientific-technical, and innovative activities in the field of language training and language testing;
• development (improvement) of the regulatory framework in the field of language training and language testing;
• сooperation with international and partner educational, scientific, and research institutions of the defence forces of Ukraine providing training for teaching staff, testers, and research in the field of language training and language testing.

Main Achievements and the Most Significant Accomplishments

Since 2005, when the National Defence Academy of Ukraine became a partner of the NATO-Ukraine Professional Development Programme in conducting courses initiated by the British Council, the Foreign Languages Department has been conducting:

• English language course for civil servants of the Ministry of Defence and law enforcement agencies;
• advanced training for English language teachers at higher education institutions of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and higher education institutions of the defence forces under the ICELT programme of Cambridge University. Currently, the course is conducted for higher education institutions of the defence forces to share advanced experience in foreign language teaching.

The Language Testing and Research Center annually conducts “Advanced Training for Academic Staff on the Language Testing Issues in Accordance with NATO STANAG 6001” for higher education institutions of the defence forces. As a contact point on the part of Ukraine, the Center cooperates internationally with the NATO Bureau for International Language Co-ordination (BILC) in the format of international conferences, seminars, working meetings to improve the language training system for the personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by studying advanced experience in language testing.

The gained experience is being shared to the structural units of the defence forces of Ukraine that initiate language testing in accordance with NATO STANAG 6001.

The scientific potential of the Foreign Languages Education and Research Centre includes 2 Candidates of Philological Sciences, 5 Candidates of Pedagogical Sciences, 1 Candidate of Military Sciences, 1 Candidate of Social Communication, 1 Candidate of Political Sciences, and 3 Doctors of Philosophy; among them – 2 have the academic title of the Associate Professor and 2 - Senior Researcher.