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:
Mariamma Martin, of the SAF Department of Education said:
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.
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.