Challenge

The French Navy operates in an international landscape. The development of multilateral operations and international relations has made it imperative for officers, petty officers, quarter masters and sailors – especially those with specific operational duties – to be able to express themselves in English.

To assess the English proficiency of its personnel, the Navy Language Commission proposed that personnel directors change the existing means of evaluation, by replacing 1st and 2nd degree Military Language Certificates with an external test listed in the inter-armed forces schedule of equivalencies; one which, at a lower cost, would offer greater objectivity and organisational flexibility. Several tests were compared, and the TOEIC^® test was selected, since it best responded to the Navy’s criteria.

Solution

Military Language Certificates (MLC) are management tools which allow the Navy’s military personnel directors to better assign duties.

The designation “Military Language Certificates – 1st and 2nd Degree English” was left as is. But they were benchmarked to the TOEIC scores. Hence, to receive an MLC1 - English, military personnel must achieve a score of between 605 and 850 points on the TOEIC test; for the MLC2, a minimum score of 855 points is required.

Organisational flexibility (the possibility of multiple sessions and the ability to administer the test in Navy testing centres) was a decisive factor in the Navy’s selection. In October 2005, nine testing centres were authorised and 67 Navy personnel received ETS approval as test administrators after undergoing training. The Navy has plans to test 4,000 of its personnel each year. Candidates for the test are either Navy personnel in training at Navy schools, required to meet specific training objectives according to their specialisation, or are personnel who are posted to ships or bases on land.

Results

Between October 2005 and July 2006, 3075 Navy personnel were tested in nine Navy testing centres. Because the TOEIC test has only recently been put in place, the Navy has not yet accumulated enough feedback to properly evaluate its use. A preliminary report, however, does show that the Navy’s English teachers are happy with the test’s objectivity. As for the Navy personnel who have been tested, most approve of the new system which allows them to be evaluated by an internationally-recognised test. They also approve of the Navy’s scheduling of 69 TOEIC sessions for 2006-2007 (there were 61 sessions held from October 2005 to July 2006). Previously, only a single MLC session was held each year, which made it impossible for many personnel to be tested. The current multiple sessions possible under the TOEIC test allow everyone to select a session according to his or her professional obligations.