“We teach more than just the languages; we also teach the culture.”
The Defence Centre for Language and Culture (DCLC), as part of the Defence Academy’s International Group, provides language and cultural awareness training for UK armed forces, and its international allies.
Head of the French department, Maeva Caminade is a senior Burnham Lecturer who oversees the delivery of courses ranging from Standard Language Proficiency (SLP) levels one to three. These courses prepare students for postings or attachments in France and other French speaking countries around the world.
All courses are taught by native speakers whose programmes combine the broader language skills with specific military and academic vocabulary and cultural lessons.
Maeva has taught French since 2003 and joined the Defence Academy to deliver language training in 2021.
“Teaching within the military is particularly interesting, we know our students are traditionally competitive.
“With this in mind, we encourage practical and scenario-based learning, including lots of games and technology-based approaches that are fun and help develop confidence in the students’ spoken engagement skills. This in turn prepares them for their new working and living environments on both the spoken and cultural front.
“It is so rewarding to be able to see them thrive as they move into posts overseas, able to both communicate, and fully integrate with their new environment.”