James Cook University puts third language course on offer for 3rd Brigade soldiers

Typically, soldiers have to travel to the Defence Force School of Languages in Victoria for language lessons, but a new partnership with JCU is bringing them right to Townsville’s doorstep.

3rd Brigade soldiers after completing their course in Bahasa Indonesian through JCU’s Academy of Modern Languages.

Typically, soldiers have to travel to the Defence Force School of Languages in Victoria to immerse themselves in language lessons, but a recent partnership with JCU has proved beneficial for Townsville-based troops.

JCU’s Academy of Modern Languages director, Dr Florence Boulard, has just introduced a third course off the back of successful intensive lessons in Papua New Guinea’s official language of Tok Pisin and Bahasa Indonesian.

“We had a great response to our first classes in June and have just recently expanded the program to teach Pacific French, which will help the troops should they be deployed in French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu or New Caledonia,” she said.

“The learning is very much contextualised within these islands, which are some of Australia’s closest neighbours, and it also aligns with JCU’s tropical agenda.

“We’ve got 6000 languages that are being spoken around the world, so obviously we can’t offer all of them, but we are working closely with 3rd Brigade, having some great conversations surrounding what they need and what we can deliver for them.”

3rd Brigade soldiers after completing the inaugural class of Pacific French through JCU’s Academy of Modern Languages.

Dr Boulard said while the week-long classes are just an introduction to the language, it can help soldiers to build a connection with locals during offshore deployments.

“Whether it is in PNG, or if they are travelling to Bali, or if they are going to go to Noumeìa in New Caledonia, they will have some language to break down those barriers on their initial interactions with people,” she said.

Corporal Natasha Musumba from the 3rd Signal Regiment said the Pacific French course was an excellent continuation of her language studies after spending three months this year in Melbourne learning Fijian.

“I speak English, Swahili, Fijian, some French, I’m learning a bit of Mandarin, and I think language really is the best way to understand someone,” private Musumba said.

“In our careers, we could be deployed to any number of different places, so actually knowing the language spoken by the people affected is really important and shows you have respect for their country and culture.”

Originally published as James Cook University puts third language course on offer for 3rd Brigade soldiers