English language training approaches anniversary, boasts successes

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Mike Meares
SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  As the inaugural year anniversary for the inception of the English Language Training program for the Royal Saudi Air Force Airmen in Training here approaches, the team is excited about the accomplishments of the program and hopeful for even a better future.

With one graduate of the program, four RSAF students completing ELT, three who are within 30 days of completing ELT, and another 153 in the middle of the rigorous 48-week training course, Ralf Taylor, the 82nd Training Wing chief international military student officer, said he's excited about the opportunity for the future of training at Sheppard. 

"With some of them coming in here at a zero (level), some will take a little longer than others," Taylor said. "We are definitely seeing forward momentum every month with test scores increasing. We are seeing some serious progress and eventually we will start graduating them, which is good. It might be slow, but it's forward momentum." 

Typically, the training begins with the assumption that the RSAF Airmen arrive with no experience in the English language.  Students who come through this training are assessed at the beginning in English competency level. They must reach a score of 70 or higher before moving on to technical training.

"Typically, most of our international students have to have a raw score of 50 before entering an English language training program," Taylor said. "These guys, a lot of them came with a zero; which means they had absolutely no knowledge (of how to speak English). They couldn't even say 'hello,' or anything in English. We initially start with pictures and hand gestures to get them through."

Because of that, Taylor said they are flexible and build in a little time and add weeks up to as many as 52 for course competition depending on progress.

"It's a learning process every day," Taylor said. "As far as training, we've learned we need to tailor the course a little bit more because these students have absolutely no technical background. Learning English and learning the technical language are two different things."

With Sheppard and the 82nd Training Wing being the largest technical base in the Air Force, qualifying more than 60,000 Airmen in more than 900 courses a study annually, Taylor said it is an ideal location to have RSAF students get their training from beginning to end.

"We train all Air Force aircraft maintainers here at the 82nd Training Wing.  I would say 95 percent of all the international students are going into maintenance, so it saves a lot of money, a lot of effort, and makes sense. The Royals Saudi (leadership) has come here and like our location, like the way we train and like the discipline of our Airman and would like to incorporate that into their ranks. They're immediately integrated here."

The IMSO is diligently working to add a technical component to their training in the ELT to help them transition better from the classroom to the aircraft hangar and maintenance back shops. Students, who are working their way through the English training, will get the opportunity from time to time to sit behind a class and observe.

According to Taylor, immersing them into the technical aspect of their training provides a little motivation to continue to work hard.  When the students reach a certain level, they visit the maintenance squadrons where will be working and shadow a classroom to get an idea of what their life in training will be like once they complete the English course. By doing this, they get a first look at the technical jargon and can imagine themselves soon being among the ranks of airmen learning the skills they came here to learn.

The Royal Saudi Air Force purchased $29B in aircraft and needed to make sure they have trained and qualified Airmen to maintain those aircraft. The training they receive at Sheppard, including the English language training, exactly the same as U.S. Airmen get.

"There is absolutely no difference," Taylor said. "Any governments who purchase training through the U.S. Air Force, purchase our point of instruction. They have to pass every test American Airmen have to pass."

"The program will strain you learning a new language," said RSAF airman Abdulgader Baeraqi, 361st Training Squadron aerospace propulsion apprentice course graduate. "It's worth it in the end because Saudi Arabia companies look for people who speak English."

Airman 1st Class Andrew Richter, 361st TRS aerospace propulsion graduate and ACE award recipient for maintaining a perfect score through the entire seven blocks of course instruction said he enjoyed the experience of having an international partner in the course.

"We didn't have too many language barriers throughout the class," Richter said. "We would even play hangman to study course material and had no issues at all. The cultural experience was very unique to all of us. We learned a lot about where he's from and was surprised by the similarities."

"This English course really advanced my vocabulary.  I was able to understand English better from both sides, the training program and from my classmates."

There will always be challenges, and the RSAF students face some of the same challenges and same learning curves of transitioning from the civilian life to military life.

"There are more similarities in culture then there are differences," said Taylor. "They are learning from us and we are learning from them," Taylor said. "What works for our (U.S. Airmen) students, doesn't necessarily work for them, and vice versa. You've got to keep things in perspective. So we are learning what motivates them and what doesn't."

Richter, Baeraqi and three other U.S. Airmen graduated Oct. 7, 2015, after spending three months together during the aerospace propulsion course.

"We are trying to build partnership without compromising our training, or change the course to meet the cultural need," Taylor said. "It's about partnership building, changing hearts and minds, not just for them, but for us as well. I think we are very fortunate as a base and as a community. We actually get to make a difference. We are involved in the long term for building partnerships, which we may not see a tangible difference now, but 10 years from now we will. We are trying to make the world a better place, leave it better than we found it."