Effective communication between the armed forces of different countries worldwide is essential. English is the lingua franca of communication all across the world. What better place to study Military English than at the joint best school in the UK?
What is Military English?
Military English is the study and practice of the English language in the context of the military. It explores the use of spoken and written English by the armed forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) in a variety of different situations. Military and Security personnel usually take this course.
What is a Military English Course?
The LSI/IH Portsmouth Military English Course is designed to prepare multinational English speaking members of the Armed Forces for communication in English. The language skills taught on this course range from everyday military situations such as receiving, giving, or clarifying orders to communicating with local authorities and residents.
Study Military English online!
LSI/IH Portsmouth is the joint number 1 ranked English language school in the UK and offers expert online courses for anyone interested in studying Military English. Visit our course page or contact us to find out more about our online course and how you can study with one of our English teaching professionals.
What are the course objectives for the
English for the Military Course?
To provide the student/trainee with the necessary language AND study skills to ensure success in their current or future role whether it be in logistics/engineering or negotiations etc:
- Increasing overall spoken/listening communicative competence and confidence in English.
Students of our Military English Course will learn and practice in an environment that focuses on speaking practice, this could be through giving and receiving orders / role-plays / in class discussion / presentations etc. The form of the speaking practice will match the theme of the lesson.
- Increasing overall written/reading communicative competence and comprehension in English.
Writing and reading abilities are as important as speaking skills because the audience to which the armed forces address is much larger than through face-to-face or telephone communication. On our Military English Course, reading and writing are practiced in the context of Military communication, this could be military reports/orders/e-mails, etc.
- Providing key terminology / technical vocabulary.
Our course provides students with regular Military vocabulary input, so that students have the specific language needed to communicate in a variety of different situations. This could be describing roles, sending, checking and clarifying messages, command structure etc.
- Helping the student to adjust to the way-of-life in Britain.
Some of our students may be visiting Britain for the first time, studying on a long course, and/or planning to be involved in a military communications effort with the British. Therefore, it is necessary that they become accustomed to life in Britain. Our course includes regular outings which allow students the chance to gain a deeper insight into life in Britain by visiting local places of interest and interacting with locals.
- When required, preparing the student for any external language examinations (such as IELTS, JMB, FCE, CPE or TOEFL) which may be required by a future college.
If students on our course are interested in learning exam preparation skills, this is a feature we offer. LSI/IH Portsmouth offers lessons with our experienced exam teachers who can help students prepare for a variety of different tests.
What are the differences in the Courses of
English for the Army, Navy, Air Force?
There are many differences in our courses, depending on the rank, branch of the military and specific purpose of the students coming to study with us. However, the biggest difference is probably in vocabulary and terminology.
- Army English
Here are some examples of what Army terminology tends to focus on giving and receiving directions, giving and receiving orders, giving and receiving instructions, negotiating and planning.
- Navy English
The language of the Navy will obviously focus more on nautical terminology and can include: navigation, describing dangerous weather conditions, describing problems and issues, discussing solutions, requesting assistance,describing problems and issues, discussing solutions, responding to and making radio transmissions.
- Air Force English
Air Force vocabulary can include technical descriptions, describing meteorological conditions, parts of an aircraft, pre-flight checks, interacting via radio transmission,describing problems and issues, discussing solutions, responding to and giving commands.
It is important to note that once we have received your requirements, our Military English course can be tailored accordingly. For example, the course we organise for a Naval Lieutenant Commander studying on a 1 week course, could be very different to an Air Force Staff Sergeant studying on an 8 week course.
Military English Course Design
It is crucial that the military trainee feels that his period of language training at LSI/IH Portsmouth is not only a logical extension of his training in his country but also an essential preparation for his future course at military college in the UK.
To achieve this, we design the course in close co-operation with the student’s training department in the country of origin AND with the instructors at the military college in which the student will ultimately be studying.
At the beginning of the course, we take the student to meet his future instructors at the college in question to familiarise him with the college and to give him a clear and realistic impression of how demanding his future course is likely to be. This helps to maximise both the motivation and work level of the student.
At the end of the course, we prepare a detailed progress report which includes an assessment of the student’s language skills relating to his future course (strengths & weaknesses), any difficulties anticipated and our recommendations for future study. We then go through this report with his future instructors and the original is sent to the training department in the country of origin.
Why choose LSI/IH Portsmouth?
Our experience of teaching English for the Armed Forces:
- Reputation
LSI/IH Portsmouth was nominated the joint number 1 school in the UK! It runs courses that have been successfully designed and delivered to military staff and a proven track record of achieving key academic targets.
- A wide-range of Military English Resources
We have an extensive library and resources at LSI/IH Portsmouth that can be drawn upon by both on-site and off-site course teachers. 23 of our on-site classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards, there are 3 on our off-site classrooms. Furthermore, we provide innovative solutions to extended learning outside the classroom using both online and offline resources.
- Professionalism
LSI/IH Portsmouth runs courses that have been successfully designed and delivered to military staff and a proven track record of achieving key academic targets. We offer flexibility and understanding in response to delays or last minute changes
- Military English Expertise
As ELT teaching specialists with a highly experienced and stable academic team, over the past 30 years, LSI/IH Portsmouth has provided English language training courses for over 600 organisations and government bodies from over 30 countries and these have included:
- The Royal Saudi Navy
- The Sultan of Oman’s Armed Forces
- UAE/Hastings College Technical Training Project
- Spanish Navy
- Chilean Navy
- Finnish Coastguard
- Kuwait Navy
- Polish/Baltic peacekeeping forces in Bosnia
- French Navy logistics support organisation
- Italian Navy & Airforce
- Qatar Defence Force
- The UAE Police
- Helicopter / Diving / Supply Instructors
- RAF Police Special Investigations Course, RAF Halton
- RAF Cranwell: IOT, Officer and Pilot Training
- RAF Shawbury: Helicopter Training, Air Traffic Control
- RAF Lyneham: Flight Engineers Training
- RAF Hereford: General Service Training
- RMSM: Royal Marines School of Music, Portsmouth
- HMS Collingwood: Communications Training
- HMS Collingwood: Leading Weapon Engineering (Electrical / Mechanic)
- HMS Dryad: International Long Navigation
- HMS Mercury: Navigation Training
- HMS Sultan: International Shipwright Technical course
- Phoenix NBCD School: Firefighting Training
- HMS Dolphin: Submarine Attack Officer
- HMS Neptune: Submarine Commander (Perishers)
- HMS Haslar: Royal Naval Hospital: Hospital Administration
- Commonwealth and Foreign Ammunition Technical course
- Army College: Medical Laboratory training
- Army College: Kineton: Ammunitions & Explosives
- Army College: Camberley: Staff Officer Training
- Army College: Larkhill: Air defence Gunnery Staff Course
- Army Training: prior to attachment to Air Defence Units, Thorney Island
- Royal Institute of Strategic Studies: Post Graduate Diploma in Geo-Political Strategy
- Report Writing plus Word-Processing (technical / personnel / administration)
- Preparation for the IELTS language examinations pre-Beaconsfield (Defence School of Languages)
Would you like to learn more about what we can offer?
To plan your course with us, get in touch. Tell us which branch of the military you are from and what you would like to study on your course.
Contact: [email protected].
Did you know?
✅ Portsmouth is a Naval City and has strong military ties to the rest of the UK.
✅ Our courses are more intensive (22.5 hours per week) than most UK schools.
Accommodation
While studying Military English in Portsmouth, we can help to find the most comfortable accommodation for you! Perhaps you want to live with a local homestay family, in one of our self-catering residences, or choose to find your own accommodation. Find out how we can help!