DLIFLC graduates Iraqi Basic Course students
By Brian Lamar, Strategic Communications
PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. – On June
on through the Defense Language Proficiency Test 5
24th, 19 students graduated from the Iraqi language
in MSA.
program during a graduation ceremony at the historic
“The design and development of this course was a
Post Theater.
collaborative effort among DLIFLC’s primary user In order to meet the demands of the Services
NSA, the three Arabic Schools, and CD,” said Associand shorten the training pipeline for students, who
ate Provost for Language Science and Technology, Dr.
normally go to follow-on training in a dialect after
Christine Campbell.
studying Modern Standard
“...The teachers were really
Arabic (MSA), the Degreat and adapted the new curricu“…there is a lot of subject matter
fense Language Institute
lum to our needs as we went. This
Foreign Language Center like sports and politics in Iraq that you was an experimental course and
have to learn in English before you can they made up the holes in the new
piloted three Iraqi dialect
courses in 2009.
comprehend them in Arabic. I learned a curriculum with their creativity
“The teachers were
and inventiveness,” said Wyatt.
lot more than just Arabic.”
very demanding. There is
The secret of Wyatt’s success is
– Seaman Abigail Wyatt, Iraqi course honor graduate. a simple recipe of hard work and a
a lot of subject matter like
sports and politics in Iraq
“can do” attitude. For future classes
that you have to learn in English before you can com- that go through the same hectic-paced language proprehend them in Arabic. I learned a lot more than just gram, Wyatt says students need to stay positive.
Arabic,” said Seaman Abigail Wyatt, the Iraqi course
“Maintaining a positive attitude is the best thing
honor graduate.
that you can do for yourself in this class no matter
To teach the new course, DLIFLC’s Curriculum
how you are doing academically,” said Wyatt, who set a
Development Division (CD) was faced with designhigh standard for subsequent classes by scoring a 3 in
ing, within a very short time-frame, an entirely new
both MSA and Iraqi dialect listening comprehension,
64-week program. MSA was introduced incrementally, and 2+ for reading in MSA and a 2 on the Iraqi dialect
at a slower, but steady pace throughout the course, to
speaking test.
reinforce reading skills which students would be tested
Seaman Abigail Wyatt receives the Commandant’s Award
from DLIFLC Commandant Col. Danial D. Pick.
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