Commander
Marta Gabriel
Interoperability through Language:
Challenges and Opportunities
Bio
Commander Marta Gabriel joined the Navy in 1993 and holds a master’s degree in foreign Languages and Literatures – English and German Studies by Faculdade de Letras, University of Lisbon.
She holds a postgraduation in Language Assessment and Testing, a postgraduation in Pedagogical Studies, and the Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (DELTA), by Cambridge. Additionally, she holds a postgraduation in Gender Equality, and she is a NATO-certified Gender Advisor graduate.
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During her career she has been assigned several positions related with Foreign Languages Education and Training, and Language Testing Certification. For 13 years she was the Head of the English Language Department to the Portuguese Navy, where she was responsible for the coordination and development of language courses curricula and language testing in accordance with STANAG 6001.
In 2013, she was nominated Deputy Head to the Department of Education and Training Technologies at the Directorate for Education and Training, where she coordinated the development of the processes that led to the certification of the Vocational Training System of the Portuguese Navy.
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Since 2016, Commander Gabriel has been posted at the Portuguese Armed Forces General Staff Headquarters, Resources Division (Personnel Branch) as Senior Staff Officer, and Subject Matter Expert for foreign languages training and certified testing. Correlated to her main job, she was the National Representative to NATO’s Bureau for International Language Co-ordination (BILC) and National Testing Coordinator (October 2016- January 2020).
Currently, as Senior Staff Officer, responsible for the Education and Training, she is the National Training Coordinator to NCI Academy. Moreover, Commander Gabriel has been nominated Gender Advisor to the Chief of General Staff.
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Abstract
Keywords: Interoperability; Foreign language; Standardization; STANAG 6001
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Currently, in the planning and execution of any mission, whose objective is collective defence, interoperability plays a fundamental role in our capacity to be efficient and effective.
Hence, in this context, linguistic competence in a common foreign language is vital for the success of our missions in an international environment.
In fact, by considering that linguistic competence is no longer perceived as a soft-skill but, on the contrary, a hard-skill, then both the alignment in accordance with STANAG 6001 linguistic descriptors, and the improvement of language skills essential to each function, are not only necessary to the success of the mission but of vital importance.
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However, the task of fostering knowledge and promoting improvement in this area poses some challenges, namely the institutional recognition of the importance of language competence, the promotion and allocation of the necessary means (among other, training of teachers and testers/raters, for instance), and particularly the time dedicated to enhancing the acquisition and development of these skills, along with other skills equally necessary for the success of the missions.
Therefore, we should seek every possible opportunity to foster change as it is internationally recognized that the standardization of training and, essentially, of linguistic assessment/testing enhances common capacity and promotes interoperability.