Promoting Success: LEAP Instructors and Scholars

The successful pilot of the Tagalog Language Enabled Airmen Program (LEAP)-Agile Combat Employment (ACE) course in 2023 created an opportunity for LEAP instructors to learn valuable lessons about this combined-concept course, tailored for Airmen going to ACE-focused assignments. The pilot course, taught across a number of languages, improves the ability of Airmen in these assignments to execute the key elements of agile combat employment. The course can be further improved by increasing role-playing and negotiation exercises and including more student expertise in this learner-centered environment.

Background        

In January 2023, the Air Force Culture and Language Center introduced the Language Enabled Airmen Program-Agile Combat Employment to Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center educators. LEAP aims to “develop and sustain language-enabled, cross-culturally capable Airmen and Guardians throughout their careers to enhance the application of air and space power; fill global mission requirements; and strengthen partnerships, interoperability, and adversary understanding.”¹ More than 3,700 active-duty Air Force and Space Force personnel who are leaders within their units and career fields participate in the program, covering nearly 100 languages. ACE is “a proactive and reactive operational scheme of maneuver executed within threat timelines to increase survivability while generating combat power.”² Its framework comprises five core elements: posture, command and control, movement and maneuver, protection, and sustainment.³

The LEAP-ACE instructor assists a cadre of LEAP scholars in utilizing their experiences and skills in performing ACE-related assignments in the future. The course was piloted at Hurlburt Field in 2023. Classes continue there now in 2024, and it was expanded to Royal Air Force Mildenhall in May 2024.

Tagalog LEAP-ACE Pilot Course

In Fiscal Year 2023, the Hurlburt Field Language Training Detachment team piloted the LEAP-ACE course for the Thai, Tagalog, Spanish, French, and Russian languages. The Hurlburt Field team held its first Tagalog LEAP-ACE pilot course for two weeks in May 2023. Whereas traditional LEAP course objectives focus on language and culture, the LEAP-ACE course has distinct objectives that entail students applying language skills and military experiences to ACE concept-related tasks. Furthermore, the course does not use grading rubrics.

The course’s instructional approach differs from standard initial acquisition training  since the students already have sufficient language knowledge and are well-versed in the target country’s culture. Rather than focusing on teaching, the course instructor becomes a facilitator, guiding students as they actively participate in their own learning. With an interactive learning environment, the students felt the class was a good learning experience.

Learning Approaches

Both classroom and off-site activities utilized task-centered instruction and project-based learning. According to one study, learning occurs by doing rather than through listening to a teacher presentation. Focusing on tasks is an effective way to support authentic and relevant learning of the target knowledge and skills.⁴ Authentic tasks allow students to tackle real-world problems in various settings and learn critical problem-solving skills for optimal outcomes.

Role-play, an example of task-centered instruction, applies and transfers knowledge to realistic contexts. In class role-playing scenarios, students were required to utilize their language, regional expertise, and cultural skills in different situations. Aside from authentic role-play scenarios or role-play involving actual occurrences, the class employed four scenarios related to the ACE concept. These scenarios included a virtual initial planning conference, a pre-deployment site survey; security assessments and maintenance and fuel purchasing; and the establishment of an operations center. Students performed each scenario, even with some ambiguous parameters. Each helped the students to think critically and act more responsibly. As a result of their diligence and language proficiency, they took the initiative to modify some parts for practical reasons and better execution, which will be applied to improve future courses. Task-centered instruction in such a course thus allowed the students to communicate their ideas using appropriate language in a given domain.

Project-based learning involves student-activity and group-based learning.⁵ Activity-based learning expands students’ horizons and makes learning more interactive and enjoyable than just listening to lectures and taking notes. It also allows students to acquire more profound knowledge through activities such as research, writing, and planning.⁶ The project-based approach takes learning to a higher level. Interaction with other learners is essential: students work together on an assignment to produce a product, whether a process, product design, code, or simulation.⁷ In this class, students demonstrated teamwork and collaborative learning through group presentations similar to that resulting from role-playing. Furthermore, the students were more independent and involved in the learning process. During the activities, collective efficacy existed, and individual leadership traits emerged as well. Students learned from each other while working as a group and presenting their research to the class.

Learner Centered

In these learner-centered approaches, students take the following roles:  active learner, self-regulated learner, and learner as teacher. Teachers play the role of a guide or mentor rather than an instructor. Students utilize their abilities and responsibilities to self-direct and self-regulate their learning to become life-long learners. For the short two-week period of the LEAP-ACE course, students’ strengths and weaknesses were identified. None of these factors impacted the class cohesion and dynamic. The students worked collaboratively in class and ensured goals were met for every task. No obstacles hindered the class.

Regardless of the students’ language proficiency, they looked forward to broadening their cultural awareness and utilizing the language in different settings. The class was engaging, and all students were cooperative and active learners. Group presentations, role-play, and off-site activities were employed during the course, and students demonstrated creativity, collaboration, and enthusiasm in completing these activities. Students were also given the opportunity to step out of the classroom and allocate time for self-study, which they appreciated. The students were engrossed in practical activities, immersive language exercises, and collaborative projects.

One of the students was very familiar with the ACE concept and had worked with the US Marine Corps and the Philippine Marines. After the instructor learned about his experience, he was given a guest speaker role to discuss his experience and other job-related advice and issues. He entertained his classmates’ questions and gave advice as well. This is an example of how unexpected occurrences may require a teacher to tailor the instruction on the spot. By being mindful of the students’ knowledge and abilities, instructors can produce a more engaging learning climate.

Other Elements

The class included off-site activities such as a cultural trip and cooking exchange. For the field trip, the class attended a mass conducted by a Filipino priest in Tagalog at Eglin Air Force Base and also had the chance to interact with the priest after the mass. Since most masses nationwide are delivered in English, this rare opportunity was a special request by the instructor. The cooking event was conducted in fun, but it served an important instructional purpose as well, as food is an essential aspect of Filipino culture and traditions. Graduates from the LEAP program often work with other US personnel who are already in the target country, and food offers a common ground for informal discussions. For the event, students were instructed to cook a dish from their respective regions and share the history of the food or any of the ingredients. In this social exercise, they established bonds with each other and shared information.

Another practice, conducted in the last hours of the class, involved a one-on-one speaking session. The speaking practice was in the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) format, which is a live telephone conversation with a certified American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) tester that assesses a candidate’s language proficiency in a real-life situation. This practice was a bonus for the students because they were unfamiliar with the Interagency Language Roundtable scale and the ACTFL, which both involve standardized language proficiency at the federal-level service. Students gained insight into how proficiency tests work, honed their communicative skills, and enhanced their proficiency. As a result of this practice, those who took the OPI a few weeks after the course increased their OPI scores.

As mentioned, there were no grading rubrics—there was no pass-or-fail remark. Imposing grades can be counterproductive for LEAP-ACE classes. Yet providing performance feedback to the students is imperative as it increases their language proficiency and motivation for learning. What they learn matters more than whether they pass or fail. The students’ classroom experience serves as preparation for future deployment. Additionally, one of the norms of a conducive learning environment is fostering clear and open communication between instructors and students.

Instructor’s Role

Although an instructor is deemed a subject matter expert, students are also experts in their field, particularly in military operations. Applying curated, appropriate teaching styles and strategies to simultaneously meet the course objectives and the students’ experience is paramount. Effective self-reflection throughout and following a course on the part of the instructors involves recognizing one’s strengths and weaknesses, seeking peer advice, and improving the curriculum.

For the LEAP-ACE course in general, the instructor plays a vital role in designing the curriculum and aligning the objectives with the ACE framework. Therefore, the instructor must understand the ACE concept and mission. Air Force doctrine and YouTube videos about ACE, for example, are helpful in providing detailed descriptions of the concept and mission for curriculum development. An instructor serves multiple roles—a researcher, facilitator, guide, observer, and notetaker. The instructor also develops tasks to maximize learning within the two weeks, creating activities whose underlying themes incorporate interoperability and adversary understanding to meet the course objectives. Another significant role of the instructor is that of an active listener. Through active listening, the instructor can provide feedback, respond appropriately, and be in tune with what the leadership and students want. In this way, the instructor can deliver quality instruction.

Challenges

One of the main challenges is developing the course content. Before the two-week course, students participated in a week-long Intercultural Skills for Engagement course. Students acquired knowledge of cross-cultural communication and negotiation strategies. This class is critical for Defense Language Institute instructors to observe, allowing instructors to add essential components to the LEAP-ACE lesson plan for student-learning continuity between courses. It can be a challenge for a nonmilitary instructor to feel as if they have adequately prepared the course in terms of relevancy and level of knowledge. In this regard, instructors must be prudent in designing tasks for students to accomplish and to increase their participation throughout the course. It is, therefore, important to know the students as individuals and their areas of expertise. Students can serve as lecturers in these areas, making the class more interactive and informative. Consequently, when students assign personal value to their work, they take ownership and investment in the course.

Conclusion and Recommendations

In my experience, the Tagalog pilot class went well. Considering it was the first iteration, there is room for improvement, such as adding more role-plays, incorporating interpretation and negotiation tasks, and inviting guest speakers familiar with the ACE mission to share their knowledge with the students. Language instructors face challenges and gain valuable learning and teaching experience from this course. Yet it could have been improved if there had been bi-weekly meetings with the instructor before the class start date to discuss details and expectations. No sample syllabus was provided; therefore, the instructor must create a syllabus. Hence, an orientation for instructors or the opportunity to observe a model class would be helpful. A familiarization training course could also be offered so that instructors can be adequately knowledgeable. Students’ classroom experience is one way to establish and transcend a strong bond between the United States and partner nations. On a personal level, students also gained new friendships in their learning experience.

The Air Force should continue to support LEAP-ACE scholars for all languages. So far, there is no second iteration for Tagalog and Thai. The Philippines and Thailand, as members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, conduct joint military exercises yearly. For instance, the United States is well-informed about the territorial disputes that have influenced Philippine-China relations in the West Philippine Sea. Thus, the LEAP-ACE course could be strengthened to improve class conduct, continue to produce more intellectual scholars, and solidify ties with partner nations.

Dr. Consuelo Quijano, an associate professor of Tagalog at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, is currently assigned to the Hurlburt Field AFB language training detachment.