UQ teaches local language to Timor-bound soldiers

"Do you have food and water?" and "Are you safe?" are not normally among the phrases learned by language students.

But for 80 soldiers of the 7th Brigade of the Australian Army based at the Gallipoli Barracks in Enoggera, these phrases will be some of the first rolling off their tongues in Tetum, one of the languages of Timor.

The University of Queensland's Institute of Modern Languages (IML) has been
retained to provide 16 hours of language training for groups of soldiers due to be stationed in East Timor in coming months.

According to IML manager Georgiana Poulter, the course provides soldiers with immediate survival skills in the language as well as an understanding of the courtesies and culture surrounding it.

"The course allows participants to ask simple questions and make brief military
statements such as "Raise your hands" and "Please follow me". It also covers situations such as making friendly conversation, speaking to children and buying food at the markets," she said.

Ms Poulter said the exercise was the first known time UQ had provided language training to such a large group from the Army.

"When the Australian Army was first stationed in East Timor, I started to receive inquiries from people wishing to learn the local language. I felt it was important the University meet this need," she said.

"In liaison with Paul Toon and Sandra Sewell from the Brisbane East Timor
Office, I developed an understanding of the languages of East Timor, the culture and the
resources available for teaching Tetum.

"The Brisbane East Timor Office is resourced and auspiced by the Christian
Brothers and is a dimension of their wider commitment within the Edmund Rice Timor Ministry (ERETM). Another dimension of ERETM is ?Communidade Edmund Rice' which is an inclusive, international and intentional community located in East Timor."

Ms Poulter said the project gained momentum when senior Army officers became interested in offering as many soldiers as possible the opportunity for Tetum language training before heading to East Timor.

"It was decided that Tetum was the most appropriate language to facilitate the role of a peace-keeping force," she said.

"As there were no trained language teachers of Tetum in Brisbane, we designed a short course in adult language learning in conjunction with Peter Oram, a PhD student in UQ's Centre for Language Teaching & Research (CLTR).

"Peter has also acted as mentor for the Tetum tutors working with the soldiers - Antonio and Josefa Sarmento."

The IML in the Faculty of Arts provided part-time courses, an intensive Summer Program, home-based study and individual tuition for 2000 students across 30 languages last year.

Customised tuition for companies and government departments, language testing and a translation and interpreting service was also provided.

For more information, contact Georgiana Poulter (telephone 07 3365 6487), Paul Toon (mobile 0417 721 890) or Captain Matt Grant from Army Public Relations (telephone 07 3233 4534).