Marines Graduate from DLI Foreign Language Center

Photo By Gunnery Sgt. Vitaliy Rusavskiy | (From left to right) Gunnery Sgt. Ethan F. Irons, a communications chief at Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group, Chief Petty Officer Dan Luna, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Marni Geist, an assistant professor of French with DLI, Lt. Cmdr. Christopher L. Wallace, prospective chief, Office of Security Cooperation, and Gunnery Sgt. Jacob S. Godfrey, explosive ordnance and disposal technician at MCSCG, pose for a photo after receiving certificates of completion for Defense Language Institute's French Initial Acquisition Course at the Foreign Language Center, Virginia Beach Training Detachment, February 7. After an intensive 3-month course, all of the students successfully completed their final challenge: the Oral Proficiency Interview before receiving their certificates of completion.  

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, UNITED STATES

02.10.2014

Story by Staff Sgt. Vitaliy Rusavskiy 

Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, Marine Forces Command, Marine Forces Northern Command

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Two Marines from Marine Corps Security Cooperation Group graduated from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center’s initial acquisition course at the Norfolk/Virginia Beach Language Training Detachment aboard Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex, February 7.

Gunnery Sgt. Ethan F. Irons, a communications chief and Gunnery Sgt. Jacob S. Godfrey, an explosive ordnance and disposal technician completed the basic 3-month French curriculum.

“This course will enable me to communicate more effectively with French speaking African partner nation leaders as well as coordinating logistics on an everyday basis, even navigating in an airport that doesn’t have a lot of English speakers,” said Godfrey. “The immediate immersion will absolutely help build better rapport when I am trying to communicate with them in their native language.”

During the ceremony, Marni Geist, an assistant professor of French with DLI, applauded the efforts of students during the challenging course.

“You are such leaders that know how to work together, provide constructive criticism while helping one another, and you helped me become a better teacher,” said Geist when addressing the students. “It was a very unique opportunity and I hope I gave you something nobody can take away, the knowledge of French.”

The 3-month course consisted of formal training on speaking, reading and listening in French. It included one-on-one sessions with the professor, tailoring instruction based on individual’s level of language knowledge and their ability to understand a foreign language.

“The 3-month course turned more into two months because we had so many holidays in between. Since our class was cut short, everyone here really pushed each other on a daily basis to do the best we could,” said Irons, who serves with the Coordination, Liaison, and Assessment Training Team Africa within MCSCG. “All of us did a great job, along with the professor constantly pushing us beyond our comfort; talking amongst other students, this is probably one of the toughest things we have ever done.”

Additionally, students were assigned plenty of homework to keep them busy on a daily basis to improve their learning abilities and prepare them for their mission ahead back at their unit.

“I think MCSCG is one of the hidden gems of the Marine Corps; it is an awesome experience for me, knowing I will be working in Africa,” added Irons. “This course will enhance my experience when communicating the training and building that initial relationship with whatever country we go to in Africa that speaks French.”

The Defense Language Institute’s Foreign Language Centers provide culturally-based language education to military language professionals, while simultaneously supporting the general purpose force with pre-deployment materials in more than 40 languages.

“It is important that not only our command, but commands adjacent, to send people to this school because it is invaluable, and the kind of training it can provide for us here on the east coast,” said Godfrey.

The Norfolk/Virginia Beach Language Training Detachment is one of 34 centers nationwide that provide education, training, evaluation and language sustainment for Department of Defense personnel in order to ensure the success of the Defense Language Program.

For more information please contact Gashaw Barzanji, a site manager at the Norfolk/Virginia Beach Language Training Detachment by phone [phone] or email [e-mail]

• Date Taken: 02.10.2014
• Date Posted: 02.11.2014 12:35
• Story ID: 120459
• Location: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, US