bilc update rome, italy, june 8, 2009 bilc secretary & d/secretary bureau de coordination...

BILC UPDATE

Rome, Italy, June 8, 2009BILC Secretary & D/Secretary

Bureau de Coordination Linguistique InternationaleBureau for International Language Coordination

What Does BILC Do?

NATO’s consultative and advisory body for language training and testing issues, since1966

Conference in Spring & Professional Seminar in Fall

Responsible for STANAG 6001

Language Testing SeminarsAssistance to National Testing ProgrammesLanguage Programme Assessments

Other projects

BILC Purpose

Mission: To promote and foster interoperability among NATO and PfP nations by furthering standardization of language training and testing. Through exchange of knowledge and best practices, BILC supports the Alliance's operations.

Vision: To lead towards levels of excellence where progress made by one is shared by all.

UPDATE STANAG 6001

Background: In 2006 NTG/JSSG asked BILC to update STANAG 6001 (Ed. 2) New Labels & Optional + Levels

Outcome: STANAG 6001 Edition 3 approved by BILC SC at the June 08 Conference

French STANAG 6001 Edition 3 sent to ACT in Dec 08.

Status : Approved by NTG in Oct 08 and promulgated by NSA Feb 09

Ongoing Activities

Language Testing Seminars

Since 2000, about 300 attendees from 38 nations and 4 NATO offices

Advanced Language Testing Seminar (ALTS)

Target audience: LTS graduates who work in testing

BIH & GEO Initial visits in 07-08 Recommendations for establishing an

official, centralized testing function within the MoD

LTS training Series of workshops

BIH Piloting test items in Italy in March 2009 First test administrations in June 2009

BILC Assistance to National Testing Programmes

Language Programme Assessments

AIM: To Assess Language Training Programmes and Offer Recommendations

Assessment teams have consisted of professionals from Canada, Germany Slovenia, Sweden, UK, and US.

Benchmark Advisory Test (BAT)

Purpose of BAT: To provide an external measure against which nations can compare their national STANAG testing results

Goal: To promote relative parity of scale interpretation and testing instruments across countries

Specs: General language proficiency iaw STANAG 6001Everyday survival and work-related topicsSome NATO-related topics at higher levelsNot job-specific

Benchmark Advisory Test (BAT)

• Tasking from Allied Command Transformation (ACT) to standardize testing

• Survey conducted on need for a NATO-wide Benchmark Advisory Test (BAT)

• Items collected from BILC member nations (Voluntary National Contributions)

• WG worked 07-08 via email/web and met 2X per year

BAT STATUS

• ACT made decision on allocation of the first 200 BAT tests

• BAT scheduling underway

• Report on benchmarking process this conference

• Preliminary results will be given at the BILC Seminar in October

• Future interest in the BAT will be discussed at SC

Language Needs Analysis- New

Nov 08 Meeting – NTG / Mil Committee – BILC was asked to undertake preliminary review of linguistic requirements of NATO CE Posts.

COA Info sent to ACT – Feb 09

MN WG meeting during this BILC

Report due Nov 09

QUESTIONS?

BILC Website

www.bilc.forces.gc.ca

BILC email:

cda.bilc@forces.gc.ca