Languages
Defence School of Languages, Beaconsfield (DSL)
"Gateway to Operational Effectiveness"
DSL Mission
"To provide foreign language training to personnel from the British Armed Services, and English language training to personnel from Foreign Defence Forces to enhance military capability and contribute to Defence Diplomacy."
DSL is located at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, and comprises an HQ element, a Training Support Wing (TSW) and 5 x in-house language delivery Wings; Arabic, Indo-Iranian, English, European and the Language Advice and Placements Section. TSW underpins training delivery at DSL by covering all aspects of training support. DSL also deliver a number of language courses at our Chicksands site.
Experience
Language training on site is delivered across a comprehensive range of languages and English by a highly experienced staff of uniformed and civilian instructors, many of whom are native-speakers of the language. The DSL team has unparalleled practical experience, many of them having served as interpreters on military operations or in the fields of Defence Diplomacy and Arms Control.
Range of Courses
Course lengths range from 3 weeks to 18 months, and are based on the difficulty of the language and the output level required. Class size never exceeds 12, and typically is around 8/9 students, except in LAPS where it is much smaller.
Application for DSL courses can be found at http://www.da.mod.uk/prospectus.
Language eLearning – Rosetta Stone
DSL is the authorised arbiter of Rosetta Stone licensing for Defence based on the Defence Languages Statement of Trained Requirement (SOTR) and Statement of Training Task (SOTT) priorities. Additional RS licence usage, where funded by Defence, must be channelled through DSL. Individuals wishing to apply to use an individual Rosetta Stone Licence are to use the application form via the DA Prospectus.
