LINGUAPEACE: LANGUAGE AUDIT, ESP SELF-LEARNING PROGRAMME AND MULTILINGUAL GLOSSARY FOR MILITARY AND POLICE PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS UNDER EU AND UN

JUSTIFICATION:

The LINGUAPEACE project is in conformity with the national and EU policies 'to provide Europe with the defence capacity and common security' as stated at the Meeting of the Defence Ministers of the European Community in Sintra, on the 28th February 2000, and 'the preparation of future European Security and Defence procedures'. The present international situation and the recent events in Kosovo, Bosnia, etc. prove the necessity for joint peacemaking and peacekeeping operations with the participation of many countries and especially those from Europe. Since the communication and interaction is in the English language (NATO, KFOR and SFOR requirement) this shows the growing need for developing and implementing new transnational ESP training programmes, materials and tools. The practice in this field has suffered from a combination of factors: inadequate language needs analysis, outdated or inappropriate training materials and resources, reluctance to adopt more effective teaching and learning methods and practices. Language competences, esp. in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe, are at a very low level and need considerable improvement in areas such as methodology, interactive training, communicative approach, self-training through ODL and ICT, and assessment of operational performance.

OUTCOMES AND DISSEMINATION:
Improving the skills and competences of military and police servicemen with a view to facilitating their transnational joint operations and activities, effective communication and interoperability; improving and encouraging equal access to continuing vocational training and lifelong acquisition of skills and competences; improving their competitiveness and new career opportunities; creating new employment possibilities for women as communication officers and supervisors, and enhancing their employability in the international market. Training needs and current practices analyses; diagnostic test, ESP self-learning (ODL) modular programme, certification framework and test, Glossary (English-Dutch-Slovak-Bulgarian) on CD-ROM. Dissemination in the course of the project and feedback from specially established the local network groups and interested parties, access to the products through the LINGUAPEACE web-site. Informing the relevant European institutions: the Security and Politics Committee; European Military Committee and European Military Major Staff; KFOR; SFOR; the Eurocorps; national Ministries of Defence, Ministries of the Intern, military and police schools, colleges and academies.

PARTNERSHIP:
4 organisations from 4 countries:

Bulgaria: European Centre for Education and Training /ECET/, Sofia

United Kingdom: University of Westminster, London

The Netherlands: Project Consultantie en Training / P.C.T./, Scherpenzeel

Slovakia: KNO Slovensko, Bratislava

PROJECT MANAGEMENT:
The contractor is the European Centre for Education and Training /ECET/, Bulgaria. It has 8 years' experience in EFL military training. Contract No 723/27.05.99 with the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence for English language training of military and military police officers in conformity with the NATO STANAG 6001. ECET will work in close cooperation with the University of Westminster which has a lot of expertise in this field and is a contractor to the British Ministry of Defence and examiner for NATO STANAG. The project will take 24 months (01/12/2000-30/11/2002).