The American Language Course

        Before I take off on some long rant about the American Language Course (ALC), I have to honestly say that I have never used this course material before.  I have used many products from the Defense Language Institute (DLI), just not this specific one.  Over the next couple weeks, as I prepare to teach, I will get a chance to go through all the materials and will write a bit more as I become more familiar. 

        I am including a link to a web site/pdf that will explain the ALC in greater detail than I will here.  I hope to sort of talk through some of the specific items that I like or dislike about the material versus writing some exhaustive monologue on the ALC in general. 

http://www.dlielc.edu/prod/Catalog.pdf - The ALC is mainly described in pages 1 -23.  The other part of the site discusses other materials and courses provided by DLI.  Also, one will find a decided emphasis on military vocabulary and familiarization in some of the additional, specific-purpose modules as this course is designed to teach military personnel.  They are primarily supplemental materials, and overall the basic ALC is more generic in its presentation.

        The general structure of the course consists of six levels.  Levels One through Five each have six course books; level Six has four.  The books are designed to correspond to an assessment range which is derived from a student’s placement score.  Fittingly, the assessment tool is the American Language Course Placement Test (ALCPT).  The test scores students in listening and reading skills using a raw score of X correct out of 100 questions.  I will discuss the ALCPT a bit more in another post.  Basically the score is compared to a simple chart which indicates a range for placement into each of the six levels.  For example, a score between 50 and 60 would indicate a student should be placed into Level Three.  The levels are also given titles reflecting their relative degree of skill; Level Three being “Intermediate”.  Obviously there are debates about what the titles mean, but DLI tries to follow the Interagency Language Roundtable (ILR) definitions and level descriptors.  Below is a link to their web site.

http://govtilr.org/

        Again, this is a government entity and one may or may not agree with their products

Regardless, each level of the ALC is backed up with materials in abundance.  The books in Levels One to Five introduce four new lessons each and have numerous activities, a review lesson and even pre-made flash cards in Levels One and Two.  The instructor materials include ideas for class management, recommendations for teaching practices, and tips and strategies to aid in your instruction.  Level Six becomes more thematic and the books in this level have eight new lessons instead of the four.  There are also two review lessons in each text at this level.  The instructor text becomes more comprehensive as well and includes areas discussing assessment specific to the lessons.  All the levels are supported by audio materials which serve to amplify and reinforce the classroom instruction.  Of course, there are homework activities and several quizzes throughout to aid in ongoing formal or informal assessment as students progress through the course. 

        I encourage everyone to take a look at the DLI catalog web site/pdf for more information.  In the meantime, I will delve a bit more into the specific texts and report back.

A Short Side-Thought

        By way of a bit of a detour, I wanted to just briefly mention the proponent organization for the work I will be doing.  The military maintains a language institution for the instruction of service members who require language as part of their training.  Many of you may have heard of a part of this organization; the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) in Monterey, California.  I have had the pleasure of attending one of the many schools here on two separate occasions.  I believe that it is one of the finest language training institutions in the world.  Plus, the location is unbelievable.  The facility sits on a site that overlooks Monterey Bay and every day service members are greeted to this fantastic view as they move to class to begin their studies.  But, I digress.  What most people do not know is that DLIFLC has a sister institution whose sole function is to teach English; the Defense Language Institution English Language Center (DLIELC) located in San Antonio, Texas.  It is here that service members who are not functionally fluent in English receive their training before being sent out to serve in the line units of their respective military branches.  However, DLIELC has a second, and perhaps more vital, mission to train foreign military members who are hoping to work with the American military, attend American military schools, or fly military aircraft, (English is the international language for aviation). The main tool to accomplish this task is the American Language Course (ALC).  The ALC is what I will be working with for this upcoming class.  I will provide some thoughts about the ALC in my next post.

        I have included some links here for anyone interested in either part of the Defense Language Institute or its products.

DLIELC  - http://www.dlielc.edu/index.php Check under products to see some of the items/instruction they offer.

DLIFLC - http://www.dliflc.edu/ They have a tab for journals & publications.