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Story by Seaman Courtney Havrilla, Information Warfare Training Command Monterey
MONTEREY, Calif. - Sailors at Information Warfare Training Command (IWTC) Monterey are taking charge of their learning at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) with the Middle East History Initiative.
The program, driven by students of the Arabic language at the DLIFLC’s Middle East School II, consists of bi-monthly training briefs on topics related to the history, politics, culture, and social issues of the Middle East. Students built the program in response to perceived gaps in the Area Studies curriculum.
A motivated group of Sailors noticed that while topics were fairly covered, they lacked substantive depth. They were hungry for more information so they brainstormed ways to fill the gaps. With the help of fellow students from all services, military language instructors and experienced military linguists, the Middle East History Initiative took shape.
“There are many topics related to the culture and history of the Middle East and the Arabic language that we just don’t have time to explore in class,” said Seaman Nicholas Perry, a student of Arabic at the DLIFLC and one of the program’s co-founders. “This was an opportunity for me to explore a complex historical and cultural phenomenon and share it with my shipmates. I believe this can only enhance our understanding of the language.”
The program has inspired and drawn the interest of other students. Those who are interested in participating must volunteer to research a topic, build the brief, and present the lecture. The preparation takes considerable time and effort outside of class hours. In an intensive 64-week Arabic course, that time is precious.
“I am impressed that these junior Sailors have the time and motivation to juggle their studies and duties in addition to extracurricular projects like these lectures,” said Lt. Cmdr. Natalia Henriquez, a DLIFLC student and frequent participant of the training. “These students understand the necessity of cultural and historical understanding and have the drive to achieve success in their pursuit of mission readiness. I am proud to see motivated and talented Sailors excel in their studies.”
Thus far, the program has produced six lectures, and audience sizes have grown from 17 to more than 40 students at a time. The program has become so popular that other instructors and faculty routinely attend the lectures as well. Military language instructors and other senior military members add operational relevance to the discussions by tapping into their own on-the-job experiences with the language.
“Keeping students motivated and developing autonomous learners are two of the biggest challenges we face,” said Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Ian Wyatt, chief military language instructor for the DLIFLC’s Middle East School III. “This is a long course, so it is crucial that students are able to break out of their day-to-day routines and take ownership of their studies. The program these students have built exemplifies that.”
The program emphasizes academic content, but participants gain the additional benefit of developing briefing skills. The ability to convey critical information in a concise and effective manner to a variety of audiences is invaluable for any military member. They get practice in public speaking, research and analysis, and presentation. These lectures provide an opportunity to build confidence while practicing among supportive peers in the audience, which is especially important for beginners who have yet to practice this critical skill-set.
The Middle East History Initiative will continue to be an opportunity for prospective linguists to build subject matter expertise and military skills alongside their proficiency in foreign language. Upon graduation, these linguist-warriors are expected to depart the DLIFLC as culturally fluent language professionals prepared to cross cultural-barriers and interpret more than just words. These motivated IWTC Monterey students are doing their part to make sure they are ready.
IWTC Monterey, as part of the Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), provides a continuum of foreign language training to Navy personnel, which prepares them to conduct information warfare across the full spectrum of military operations.
For more on Information Warfare Training Command Monterey, visit http://www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt/IWTCmonterey/ and http://www.monterey.army.mil/Service_Units/IWTC_Monterey.html, or find them on Facebook.
With four schoolhouse commands, two detachments, and training sites throughout the United States and Japan, CIWT is recognized as Naval Education and Training Command’s top learning center for the past two years. Training over 21,000 students every year, CIWT delivers trained information warfare professionals to the Navy and joint services. CIWT also offers more than 200 courses for cryptologic technicians, intelligence specialists, information systems technicians, electronics technicians, and officers in the information warfare community.
For more news from Center for Information Warfare Training enterprise, visit www.navy.mil/local/cid/, www.netc.navy.mil/centers/ciwt/, www.facebook.com/NavyCIWT, or www.twitter.com/NavyCIWT.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2019 12:59 |
| Story ID: | 333887 |
| Location: | MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 236 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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