Defence Academy hosts Swedish delegation for NATO-accredited language assessments trials

13 March 2025
international
Over the shoulder of a Swedish officer showing the Swedish flag on his uniform.

A group of British and Swedish military stood in a large hall with international flags hanging in the background.

The Defence Academy welcomed a delegation from NATO’s newest member nation to the Defence Centre for Languages and Culture (DCLC) this week.

Representatives from the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) Department of Education and their Defence Language and Interpreter School were invited to use British and international students to trial their Level 2 English and French language assessments, bringing them in line with NATO standards.

In addition to these assessments, DCLC and SAF also explored opportunities for closer integration, specifically whereby students from either language school could attend the other. This would develop greater flexibility in the delivery of language training and education between the two countries. With former UK military personnel already working within SAF, there is also the potential to share resources.

Lieutenant Colonel Jo Panayiotou, Director DCLC said:

“Our students were able to get important exam practice while our instructors were able to provide feedback on the validity and reliability of the assessments. With a resurgence of European interest in closer integration, competence in English once again comes to the fore and with it the opportunity for the Defence Academy to take a leading role for language training within NATO.”

Mariamma Martin, of the SAF Department of Education said:

“A big thank you to Defence Academy, Shrivenham for their support in trialing our NATO STANAG 6001 tests. This has strengthened not only our cooperation and communication but will also enhance the linguistic competence of those who serve.”

Like many of the UK armed forces overseas postings, most NATO roles require a specific language capability. Level 3 is considered the highest level needed for most NATO jobs. English and French are the two official languages of NATO.

Over the shoulder of a Swedish officer showing the Swedish flag on his uniform.

DCLC’s relationship with the SAF Department of Education came about through a chance encounter in 2024 at the NATO Bureau for International Language Co-ordination (BILC) conference in Vienna. One of BILC’s roles is to foster cooperation within the field of language training and education within NATO and NATO-partner countries. The UK was one of the founding members of BILC in 1966, along with France, Germany, Italy, and the USA.

Sweden became the 32nd NATO ally in 2024 and is working to ensure that it can be an effective member of the alliance.

DCLC is part of the Defence Academy’s International Group, a main provider of UK defence engagement and language training. It also provides preparation courses for international service personnel attending the Royal College of Defence Studies, the Advanced Command and Staff Course, (part of the Joint Services Command and Staff College), and those attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.