The needs assessment used a survey in which police departments and individual officers were asked about situations in which they needed to know a foreign language. In a field study, researchers spent several weeks in various police departments to observe the need to use foreign languages. A literature review was conducted for Germany, Croatia, and France. The needs assessment concluded that police must use foreign languages to communicate effectively with many people with whom they interact. The need to speak English was found to be particularly important. Oral communication was found to have the highest priority, with accuracy of comprehension and precision of expression being important. The general areas where language skills for police are most needed are contact with foreign visitors, traffic duties, crime investigations, alien affairs, border checking, and international activities. The findings from the needs assessment are being used for the development of language programs or courses in vocational education and police language training. The teaching of English was the focus for syllabus and curriculum design. The learning objective is receptive and productive use of the language, with attention to listening comprehension, speaking ability, reading ability, and writing ability. This paper outlines curriculum topics and briefly discusses the methodology of materials development.
Europolice Language: A Common Core in Foreign Languages for Police and Related Public Services (From Policing in Central and Eastern Europe: Comparing Firsthand Knowledge With Experience From the West, P 109-114, 1996, Milan Pagon, ed. -- See NCJ- 170291)
NCJ Number
170303
Date Published
1996
Length
6 pages
Annotation
After presenting the methodology and findings of a needs assessment regarding Europolice service to foreign visitors, this paper profiles the development of a syllabus and curriculum design for police language training.
Abstract