Language Academy continues to grow into 9th year of success
By Lt. Col. Ann Peru Knabe, US Air Force
Canadian Corporal Laura Taylor looked around the room and told 10 students to think of three facts about themselves, write them down, but then change one to a lie.
The students, who were studying beginners English at CIOR’s Language Academy in Istanbul, chuckled.
“Yes, that’s right,” said Corporal Taylor. “I want you to include one lie, one statement that is NOT true.”
They chuckled again, and minutes later an officer stood up and hesitantly started talking in English.
“I have a wife. I have two children. I have no car,” he said told the class.
The students looked at each other, and some mumbled, while others laughed.
“Now,” said Corporal Taylor, “which one was of his statements was a lie?”
And so began a day of learning at CLA in Istanbul immediately following the CIOR summer congress.
This year’s course broke all attendance records: 93 students were joined by 17 faculty and staff. The success and growth of CLA has garnered interest and support from NATO. Students who attend from PfP and Mediterranean Dialogue countries have their costs subsidized by NATO.
Many of the staff and students returned to the program after encouraging experiences in previous CLA programs.
Maj. Heinz Tittmar, an Adjutants General Corps Reservist from the United Kingdom, first taught Intermediate English at CLA. In 2005 he returned, where he took beginning French. Major Tittmar then helped with two refresher courses in Poland. In 2006, he taught Intermediate English in Romania.
“I have always been a teacher or coach in my life, so this is a perfect opportunity for me,” said the major, who also served as a pentathlon coach in 1986. “I enjoy seeing people learning, and later excelling themselves. They are all so eager to learn here.”
Isabella Zanetto, CLA’s student coordinator, agrees that CLA offers staff and students a unique perspective that keeps them coming back. In her role as coordinator, she spends hundreds of hours reaching out to PfP and Mediterranean Dialogue countries recruiting students.
“It’s a challenge,” she said. “I use email a lot, and we communicate in English, so this means the students need some level of English to simply enroll, or at least know someone who knows English so they can read the emails to them.”
Ms. Zanetto uses a long list of personal emails with MOD and CIOR VP address. She’s collected the list throughout the last six years as she recruits students. Word of mouth also helps; happy students often recruit other military friends to come to next year’s course.
Ms. Zanetto estimates more than 500 students have participated in CLA since its inception in 2000, where the first CLA was help in the Czech Republic. She said the number of participating countries increases every year as CLA gains momentum.
“This is the 2nd year Ukranians are here,” she said. “And we have a lot of Macedonians returning from last year.”
This year CLA takes place at the Turkish Armed Forces Educational Foundation, Haydarpasa Dormitory, in the Kadikoy section of Istanbul. Language courses are divided in to seven sections: five English sections and two French sections. With the smaller sections, students connect better to their instructors and feel less inhibited while practicing English and French. Yet the popularity of the CLA program does have its downside.
“Right now our biggest challenge is recruiting enough instructors,” said Col. (ret.) Chip Holsworth, the 2008 Director of CLA. “We’d like to see representation from a number of countries. Right now we have four Canadian instructors and four from the UK, but only one from the U.S. Eventually we will have to cap our student count if we don’t have enough staff to offer a quality learning experience.”
The CLA director said the program is also providing concrete measures of success.
“During the last two years we’ve integrated testing at the end of the class,” he explained. “The results of each Reservists language test will be a NATO skill level. The students bring these credentials (skill levels) back to their commanders and civilian bosses. It seems to be very important to the students, and has led many of them to positions of greater responsibilities because they can speak a NATO language.”
Colonel Holsworth said CLA uses a new curriculum that combines reading, writing and speaking, which is helpful to students during the testing process. The students and faculty use a language textbook series called “Campaign”. The curriculum is designed around a military theme. The course also includes speakers who talk about NATO, CIOR and the UN, and the students enjoy a culture night sponsored by the host nation, Turkey.
This year is Colonel Holsworth last time as academic director. Next year Gerard Dreville, the current language academy committee secretary and assistant director, will take charge of the program as academic director.
CIOR’s new Secretary General, Lt. Col. Arthur Bolder of the Netherlands, met with faculty and staff early in the course.
“I am impressed,” he said after touring CLA in Istanbul. “The ability to communicate is the basis for any fruitful relationship. That is the reason why 8 years ago this academy was founded. Teaching French and English to reserve-officers by reserve-officers is a unique concept. This concept proves itself through its success: almost 100 students from 19 different countries will start their courses today.”
When the CIOR Secretary General bid farewell to the students he challenged them to do there best.
“Good luck to all of you,” he smiled. “Bonne chance à tous!”
