Speaking in the Target Language and Impact on Student Outcomes
Sponsored by: Special Operations Forces Language Office, USSOCOM; Prepared by: ALPS Insights Raleigh, NC
Introduction
The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) is the test of record for the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community. Most branches require SOF personnel to achieve Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) level 1/1 on the OPI at the end of initial acquisition language training. This document summarizes analyses conducted by ALPS Solutions investigating trends and predictive relationships among instructor and student during-training speaking in the target language and student foreign language proficiency outcomes (e.g., end-of-training OPI results, confidence in performing language tasks). … Read more by downloading the PDF.
RECENT INSIGHTS
Evaluating Instructional Behaviors for Improved Training Outcomes
ALPS Solutions engaged in a series of studies to understand why instructors were having such a large impact on student outcomes in the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community. If training is supposed to be a standardized experience, then the instructor to which a student is assigned should not cause a variable experience for students across classes. The goal of this research was to identify and reduce variability to create a more standardized and a positive experience.
Training Diagnostics to Improve Learner and Class Outcomes
ALPS Solutions has worked closely with training programs within the Special Operations Forces (SOF) community to evaluate training effectiveness and identify areas where interventions by program administrators and instructors can have a positive impact on learner- and class-level outcomes.
Effective Practices for the Supervision of Instructors
This document highlights findings and recommendations from the Establish Best Practices for the Supervision of Instructors Technical Report, which compares the instructional supervisory behaviors and practices used in Special Operations Forces (SOF) Initial Acquisition Training (IAT) schools to best practices described in the literature, as well as to practices used in language schools external to the SOF IAT community.
Let’s Connect.
Ready to learn how ALPS Insights can help your organization improve?