Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Diploma Danish March 2002 Reading Task 1 Task 2 Military Journal Newspaper Article Time allowed 60 minutes Candidates should attempt all the questions. All answers must be written in English. All notes, rough work and answers must be written in the booklets provided. Do not turn this page over until instructed to do so. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 1 of 27
Task 1 Military Journal Your task is to translate the following text. Your translation should convey both the content and meaning, as well as reflect the tone and register of the original passage. The text is about the US presence in the Philippines. Efter al sandsynlighed vil de amerikanske militærrådgivere, der er i færd med at træne filippinske soldater, forblive i stærkt bevogtede feltlejre med kun ringe chance for at komme under ild. Den filippinske militærleder general Diomedio Villanueva udtalte, at de amerikanske tropper i løbet af den seks måneder lange mission vil ledsage filippinske officerer og give råd og vejledning på hovedkvarterer for at hjælpe med at træne tropperne til at bekæmpe den yderliggående muslimske Abu Sayyaf gruppe. De får ikke tilladelse til at patruljere, meddelte Villanueva en kongreshøring, der er i færd med at efterforske påstande om, at den fælles manøvre krænker en konstitutionel paragraf, der begrænser fremmede troppers tilstedeværelse og aktiviteter i landet. I følge de informationer, jeg er blevet givet, skal de ikke deltage i kampe. Vicepræsident Teofisto Guingona skitserede også retningslinjerne for øvelsen, som den filippinske regering har udarbejdet, men som endnu ikke er godtaget af amerikanerne. Selv om missionen formelt startede i sidste uge med en ceremoni, vil træningen på den sydlige ø Basilan ikke blive påbegyndt, før amerikanerne har godtaget retningslinjerne, sagde han. Udkastet til retningslinjerne giver den filippinske regering kommandoen over øvelsen, ligesom det udelukker amerikanske tropper fra at deltage i kamp, fastsætter et maksimum for den amerikanske tilstedeværelse på 660 soldater, forbyder permanente amerikanske militærfaciliteter og begrænser træningen til øen Basilan og den nærliggende by Zamboanga, hvor de fleste amerikanske soldater opholder sig. Udkastet fastsætter også, at missionen ikke kan vare længere end et halvt år. Endvidere giver det amerikanerne lov til at gengælde beskydning i selvforsvar. Guingona udtalte, at retten til at skyde tilbage i selvforsvar skal stå i rimeligt forhold til truslen, og at retten til selvforsvar ophører, når der ikke længere er nogen trussel. USA har efter sigende protesteret imod enhver betingelse, der kan give en fremmed regering kontrol over amerikanske tropper og imod det stærkt begrænsede antal amerikanske soldater. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 2 of 27
Task 2 Newspaper Article Your task is to translate the following text. Your translation should convey both content and meaning, as well as reflect the tone and register of the original passage. The text is about the current situation in Venezuela. Det ser ud til, at Venezuelas præsident Hugo Chavez forsøger at fremprovokere en konfrontation, der vil kunne retfærdiggøre en erklæring om undtagelsestilstand. Men et sådant skridt vil blive fordømt både i hans hjemland og i udlandet og vil sandsynligvis fremskynde hans regimes endeligt. Og med de stærkt tiltagende spændinger i Venezuela, distancerer Cubas leder Fidel Castro sig fra Chavez. Chavez fremlagde den 30. november sine planer i en tale, hvori han meddelte, at han vil regere indtil 2021, hvorefter han har planer om at træde tilbage i en alder af 67 år. Chavez advarede også sine kritikere og politiske modstandere om, at han har geværer og tankvogne til at forsvare sin revolution. Stillet over for en hastigt stagnerende økonomi, en popularitet, der er ved at kollapse og voksende politisk modstand, føler Chavez tydeligvis, at der ikke er nogen mangel på grunde til at erklære landet i undtagelsestilstand. Et sådant skridt vil suspendere de konstitutionelle garantier og borgerlige rettigheder, militarisere regeringen og forlænge hans regime på ubestemt tid. Men Chavez er hurtigt ved at miste støtten fra såvel sin alliancepartner Cuba som fra sine egne militære styrker. Politiske obervatører siger, at ethvert forsøg på at opretholde hans regime ved hjælp af militære handlinger støttet af de øverstkommanderende generaler, meget vel kan give bagslag næsten øjeblikkeligt. En erklæring om undtagelsestilstand vil både i hans hjemland og internationalt blive opfattet som et skridt taget af en demokratisk valgt leder for at regere enevældigt med militær støtte. Chavez vil åbenbart tage alle midler i brug for at gøre det muligt at bevare magten. Men hvis han går så vidt, vil hans allerede stærkt svækkede støtte hos militæret kollapse. Venezuelas erhvervs- og fagforeningsledere vil sandsynligvis alliere sig for ved hjælp af langvarige strejker at standse økonomien og olieproduktionen. Desuden vil både USA og de latinamerikanske regeringer samt instanser så som Organisationen af Amerikanske Stater og De forenede Nationer straks isolere Chavez. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 3 of 27
Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Diploma Danish March 2002 Listening Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Radio Discussion News Item Military Briefing Time allowed 60 minutes Candidates should attempt all the questions. All answers must be written in English. All notes, rough work and answers must be written in the booklets provided. Do not turn this page over until instructed to do so. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 4 of 27
Task 1 Radio Discussion Your task is to identify the major issues in a discussion on a civilian topic and summarise in writing the views of the two speakers, one of whom is male, the other female. You will hear the discussion twice. There will be a silence of three minutes on your tape between broadcasts and a further five minutes at the end after the second recording. You may take notes during the recordings and the three-minute silence, and you must complete the task during the five-minute silence after the second recording. The discussion is about the rights of criminals and terrorists. Task 2 News Item Your task is to write the gist of a radio news item. You will hear the passage once only, after which there will be a silence of 10 minutes on your tape. You may take notes during the recording, and you must complete the task during the 10- minute silence on your tape. The news item is about Nepal. Task 3 Military Briefing Your task is to summarise a number of points from a military briefing. You will hear the briefing twice. There will be a silence of one minute between briefings and a further ten minutes after the second recording. You may take notes during the recordings and the one-minute silence, and you must complete the task during the ten-minute silence after the second recording. This is a Defence staff briefing and covers the following topics: The ABM Treaty Events in the Indian Ocean Cleaning up beaches in Cyprus The new short range air to air missile. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 5 of 27
Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Diploma Danish March 2002 Tapescripts Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Radio Discussion (English Version) Radio Discussion (Danish Version) News Item (English Version) News Item (Danish Version) Military Briefing (English Version) Military Briefing (Danish Version) Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 6 of 27
Task 1 Discussion The rights of criminals and terrorists Discussion flow: 1, 2 + i 3 + ii 4 + iii, iv 5 + v, vi, vii 6 Speaker A (hardline, straight arguments, possibly guessable) 1. The law treats criminals too leniently - especially terrorists and violent criminals. 2. Life in prison should mean life in prison - not release after seven years 3. A criminal's past deeds should be made public, especially for crimes of violence. 4. Savage crime needs no mercy - murders, sex attackers and terrorists should never be given a second chance 5. The tragedy for the injured, the murdered, or the survivors is great, and nothing the criminal or terrorist can do can compensate for it. 6. I don't care what you say: these people should be imprisoned for life. Speaker B (variety of opinions, not guessable) I. Prison is not just for punishment, it is also for reform II. Publicity can harm reform - the criminal needs protection from own past III. If we need protection from savage crime - if society needs protection from murders, sex attackers and terrorists - we get it by locking away the criminally insane IV. Example 1: a young child who has committed a murder - can the child become a responsible adult? V. Agreed, the tragedy and loss can never be reversed or adequately paid for. But we must consider the circumstances. We never know what the truth is, we read only reports. VI. Example 2: a 15 year old terrorist: can he or she become free of political or religious extremism? VII. I agree it is difficult, especially if you are personally affected. But you must consider the circumstances and the personal information - every case is different. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 7 of 27
Task 1 Radio Discussion (Danish Version) Speaker A (hardline, straight arguments, possibly guessable) 1. Har du læst interviewet med Lundin i avisen tænk at han kan være ude af fængsel i løbet af 15 år! Jeg synes, loven behandler kriminelle alt for mildt især terrorister og voldsmænd. 2. Livsvarigt fængsel bør betyde, at man tilbringer resten af livet i fængsel, og ikke at man bliver løsladt efter 15 år. 3. Hmm, jeg mener nu, at den kriminelles fortid bør gøres offentligt bekendt, især når det drejer sig om voldelige forbrydelser. 4. Men brutale voldsforbrydelser fortjener ikke nogen form for nåde. F.eks. bør mordere, sexforbrydere og terrorister aldrig gives en ny chance. 5. Måske, men tænk på, hvor stor tragedien er for ofret eller de pårørende. Der er intet forbryderen eller terroristen kan gøre for at kompensere for det tab, de har lidt. 6. Jeg er ligeglad med, hvad du siger disse mennesker skal fængsles for livstid. Speaker B (variety of opinions, not guessable) I. Ja måske, men du må huske på, at en fængselstraf ikke alene skal straffe men også rehabilitere. II. Nej, for det kan skade rehabiliteringen af den kriminelle, hvis offentligheden får kendskab til tidligere lovovertrædelser. Og derfor skal den kriminelle beskyttes mod sin egen fortid. III. OK, hvis det er beskyttelse mod brutale forbrydelser, vi har brug for hvis samfundet skal beskyttes mod mordere, sexforbrydere og terrorister så opnår vi det ved at spærre de kriminelt sindsyge inde. IV. Men tag nu for eksempel et barn, der har begået et mord, kan det barn ikke vokse op til at være et ansvarsbevidst voksent menneske? V. Nej, det har du ret i, tragedien og tabet kan aldrig ændres eller betales for fuldt ud. Men vi må overveje omstændighederne. Vi kender aldrig hele sandheden, vi læser kun rapporterne. VI. Kan en 15-årig terrorist for eksempel aldrig komme ud af politisk og religiøs ekstremisme? Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 8 of 27
Task 2 News Item (English Version) Nepal deployed a massive number of troops last Tuesday as the king appealed for unity after a weekend of violence, which left 154 people dead. Maoist guerrillas, who are fighting to overthrow the monarchy and install a people s republic attacked government installations killing mainly soldiers and police. The Nepalese Defence secretary said that a massive number of troops has been deployed, but declined to give exact figures. He said the soldiers had encircled a village in west Nepal where 110 people had been killed earlier in the raids. Meanwhile the king, who had previously used the army against the rebels last November, declared that failure to unify would only worsen the situation. Nepal is going through a vulnerable stage. The king himself came to power after a bloody massacre in which most of the royal family were killed by the crown prince, who later killed himself. There is much criticism of the king for not taking the lead over the extension of the state of emergency declared last November. The state of emergency gives the army extensive search and detention powers and the opposition parties have been arguing against extending it by a further three months. The ruling Congress, however, needs some opposition support if it is to gain the two-thirds majority it requires to extend the state of emergency. The current revolt intensified after the royal massacre last June. The commander in chief of the army ordered soldiers into action against the rebels after they broke a truce with a series of raids. Up until that point only the ill equipped and badly trained police had been attempting to contain the rebel violence, though as the rebels became increasingly well organised more drastic measures were needed. For the moment the Nepalese government is standing firm, saying that there can be no question of peace talks until the rebels lay down their arms Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 9 of 27
Task 2 News Item (Danish Version) Nepals regering satte tirsdag et stort antal styrker ind mod de maoistiske oprørere i landet, samtidig med at kongen opfordrede befolkningen til at stå sammen efter en weekend med uroligheder, hvor 154 mennesker blev dræbt. De maoistiske guerillaer, der kæmper for at vælte monarkiet og indføre en kommunistisk republik i Nepal, angreb i weekenden forskellige regeringsbygninger i landet og dræbte hovedsageligt soldater og politifolk. Den nepalesiske forsvarsminister udtalte, at et stort antal styrker er blevet sat ind, men nægtede at give præcise tal. Han sagde, at soldaterne havde omringet en landsby i den vestlige del af Nepal, hvor 110 mennesker tidligere var blevet dræbt under angrebene. Kongen, der sidst brugte hæren mod oprørerne i november sidste år, erklærede imidlertid, at hvis befolkningen ikke står sammen, vil situationen blot forværres. Nepal gennemgår for øjeblikket en sårbar fase. Kongen kom selv til magten efter en blodig massakre, da det meste af kongefamilien blev dræbt af kronprinsen, som senere begik selvmord. Kongen kritiseres meget for ikke at have taget initiativet til at forlænge undtagelsestilstanden, der blev erklæret i november. Det regerende kongresparti har brug for en vis støtte fra oppositionen, hvis det skal opnå det flertal på to tredjedele, der er nødvendigt for at forlænge den med yderligere 3 måneder. Men det kan blive svært, da oppositionspartierne har argumenteret kraftigt mod at forlænge undtagelsestilstanden, der giver hæren omfattende beføjelser til at eftersøge og tilbageholde mistænkte. Den nuværende opstand blev intensiveret efter den kongelige massakre i juni sidste år. Hærens øverstkommanderende beordrede soldater til at bekæmpe oprørerne, da disse afbrød våbenstilstanden med en række angreb. Hidtil havde det kun været de dårligt udstyrede og dårligt uddannede politifolk, der havde forsøgt at standse urolighederne. Og det selvom der var brug for mere drastiske midler i takt med, at oprørerne blev mere og mere velorganiserede. For øjeblikket står den nepalesiske regering fast, idet den siger, at der ikke kan blive tale om fredsforhandlinger med mindre oprørerne nedlægger deres våben. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 10 of 27
Task 3 Military Briefing (English Version) Gentlemen good afternoon. Earlier today, the US president made an announcement with respect to the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. He stated that the treaty that is 30 years old, that it dates from the Cold War period, and does not really reflect the strategic realities of today. It did not and does not protect the American people nor those in the west from attack. It fails to recognize that Russia is no longer our enemy. Not only this, but it ignores the possibility that weapons of mass destruction can come into the hands of rogue states and even non-state entities, which is an important change that's occurred over these past 30 years. In short, the treaty called for mutual assured destruction at a time when what's called for is mutual cooperation. There will be a meeting of NATO defence ministers next week in Brussels to find a framework that can replace the treaty that has existed now for some 30 years. Next, about the plane that went down yesterday in the Indian Ocean, as we've indicated all four crewmembers are safe. They've been recovered by Navy personnel and have no serious injuries. They're now ashore. While it is unfortunate to lose an aircraft, we should nonetheless note the exceptional skill and talent of our men and women in uniform and the effectiveness of the search-and-rescue procedures that were implemented. The crew ejected safely from the aircraft and were spotted and picked up within 20 minutes. So if we had to lose an aircraft, it certainly is fortunate that no one was injured seriously and everyone was recovered safely, and that the operations and the equipment and the ships and the aircraft operated as planned. Turning to environmental matters now, British personnel in Cyprus, tackled an oil spillage, which suddenly threatened the beaches near the RAF bases. The source of the pollution, which came from outside the British Base Areas, is as yet unknown, and is being investigated by the British and Cypriot authorities. The beaches are visited every year by hundreds of turtles, which lay their eggs there, and the environmental protection of the shoreline is taken very seriously indeed. 70 Army and RAF personnel together with the Cyprus support unit were immediately deployed to deal with the slick. Service men and women, dressed in protective clothing, worked hard to shovel the oil and contaminated sand into hundreds of plastic sacks. The British and Cypriot authorities are now consulting closely to determine the best way of disposing of the sacks. The Royal Air Force is to take into service the Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile (ASRAAM). The weapon system will be fitted to the RAF's Tornado F3 interceptors, and will also arm the Eurofighter when it enters service with the RAF. Delivery of the weapon was delayed in April 2001, due to concerns that certain performance standards were not being met fully. Extensive work by the manufacturer and the Ministry of Defence has satisfactorily resolved the situation, allowing the RAF to bring into service the first batch of missiles at an interim standard, which is still significantly more capable than the current short-range missile carried by RAF aircraft. Ongoing development work will allow subsequent batches to be delivered with increased capability. And with that, we're ready to take your questions. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 11 of 27
Task 3 Military Briefing (Danish Version) Mine herrer goddag. Tidligere i dag udtalte den amerikanske præsident sig om ABM-traktaten. Han sagde, at traktaten er 30 år gammel, at den stammer fra perioden med den kolde krig og ikke rigtig afspejler den strategiske virkelighed i dag. Den har ikke beskyttet og beskytter stadig ikke det amerikanske folk og heller ikke dem i vest mod angreb. Den afspejler heller ikke, at Rusland ikke længere er vores fjende. Men ikke nok med det, den ignorerer også muligheden for, at masseødelæggelsesvåben kan falde i hænderne på slyngelstater og endda ikke-stater, hvilket er en vigtig ændring, der er sket i de sidste 30 år. Kort sagt, opfordrede traktaten faktisk til garanteret gensidig destruktion i en tid, hvor det er gensidigt samarbejde, der er brug for. Der vil blive holdt et møde mellem NATO s forsvarsministre i næste uge i Bruxelles for at finde en ramme, der kan afløse traktaten, som nu har eksisteret i godt 30 år. Så kommer vi til det fly, der i går faldt ned i Det indiske Ocean. Som tidligere nævnt er alle fire besætningsmedlemmer i sikkerhed. De blev bjærget af personel fra flåden og har ingen alvorlige kvæstelser. De er nu i land. Selv om det er beklageligt at miste et luftfartøj, så bør vi dog fremhæve vore uniformerede mænd og kvinders enestående dygtighed og evner, og ligeledes hvor effektiv den iværksatte eftersøgnings- og redningsindsats var. Besætningen kom sikkert ud af luftfartøjet ved hjælp af deres katapultsæder og blev fundet og samlet op i løbet af 20 minutter. Men hvis vi nu skulle miste et luftfartøj, er det unægteligt heldigt, at ingen blev alvorligt kvæstet, og at alle blev bjærget sikkert i land, og ligeledes at både indsatsen, udstyret, skibene og katapultsæderne fungerede som planlagt. Og nu til miljømæssige anliggender. Britisk personel på Cypern taklede et olieudslip, som pludselig truede strandene i nærheden af det engelske flyvevåben RAF s baser. Forureningen stammede fra et sted uden for de britiske baseområder og er under efterforskning af de britiske og cypriotiske myndigheder. Men hvad, der har forårsaget forureningen, vides endnu ikke. Strandene besøges hvert år af hundredvis af havskildpadder, som lægger deres æg der, og miljøbeskyttelsen af kystlinien tages meget seriøst. 70 personel fra hæren og RAF blev sammen med den cypriotiske støtteenhed straks sat ind for at takle olieudslippet. Mandlige og kvindelige soldater klædt i beskyttelsesdragter arbejdede hårdt med at skovle olien og det forurenede sand ned i hundredvis af plastsække. De britiske og cypriotiske myndigheder er nu i tæt samråd for at afgøre, hvordan man bedst kan komme af med sækkene. Det engelske flyvevåben RAF står for at skulle tage det avancerede luft-til-luft missil med kort rækkevidde (ASRAAM) i brug. Våbensystemet skal monteres i RAF s Tornado F3 interceptorfly og skal også benyttes som bevæbning i Eurofighter kampflyet, når dette tages i brug af RAF. Leveringen af våbnet blev forsinket i april 2001, fordi der var bekymring om, at det ikke fuldt ud opfyldte visse af præstationskravene. Problemet har nu fået en tilfredsstillende løsning efter omfattende arbejde foretaget af producenten og forsvarsministeriet, således at RAF nu har mulighed for at tage den første levering af missiler i brug. Disse er af en foreløbig standard, men har dog stadig en betydeligt bedre ydeevne end de kortdistancemissiler, som RAF s luftfartøjer er bevæbnet med på nuværende tidspunkt. Løbende udviklingsarbejde betyder, at missiler, der leveres efterfølgende, vil have en endnu bedre ydeevne.med det er vi klar til at besvare Deres spørgsmål. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 12 of 27
Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Diploma Danish March 2002 Writing Task 1 Task 2 Social Letter Translation of a Report Time allowed 90 minutes Candidates should attempt all the questions. All notes, rough work and answers must be written in the booklets provided. Do not turn this page over until instructed to do so. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 13 of 27
Task 1 Social Letter Your task is to draft a letter on behalf of your CO. Below is an English translation you have made of a letter sent to your CO. Your CO has made some comments, and has asked you to draft a reply on his behalf in Danish. Read the letter and comments. Draft your reply, taking care to refer to all the points. You are advised to spend approximately 30 minutes on this task. Dear Col. Green I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the way that a complaint against your unit has been handled. I refer to the incident involving three Privates in the local bar two weeks ago. The soldiers have been totally uncooperative whenever we have attempted to question them. Either they say they are unable to attend interviews, or, when they do attend, they offer no help at all. (1) Furthermore, it was our understanding that you would conduct an internal investigation and that you would pass the details of your findings on to us in order to help us with our police enquiry. No such details have been made available. (2,3) I am sure I do not need to remind you that the local community takes the situation very seriously, and that if we are unable to produce results quickly the matter may be taken out of our hands. (4) I hope you will deliver the results of your investigation as we agreed. (5) Yours sincerely, 1. Soldiers under instructions to cooperate with local civil authorities. Will check and see that this happens. 2. Investigation ongoing. Takes time expect a further two weeks before finalised reports. 3. Not agreed to hand over information only when it was felt useful. 4. Aware of the seriousness of the allegations. Willing to offer reasonable help to ensure this doesn t escalate. 5. All useful information handed over at the end of the investigation. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 14 of 27
Task 2 Translation of a Report Prepare a draft translation of the following report. Your report should accurately convey the content of the text. You should include headings as suggested by the notes and your report should be culturally appropriate. You are advised to spend approximately 60 minutes on this task. Colombia prepares for war against FARC rebels The rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were yesterday given 48 hours to quit the demilitarised zone they have occupied since 1998. Colombian President Andres Pastrana put the country s military on high alert and went on television to announce an end to the peace talks. Pastrana stated that he was not about to launch a mindless war, but he emphasised that any progress in the talks was impossible. FARC leaders have insisted that, before they can agree to a ceasefire, the government must end the controls on people entering the zone. These controls have been in place since the arrest last year of three suspected Irish Republican Army members as they were leaving the zone. Around 13,000 troops are reported to be awaiting the order to retake the zone. The Colombian military possesses some of the most modern equipment in Latin America, having recently received the last of 16 Black Hawk helicopters donated by the US as part of the war on drugs. Although the Colombian Army ought to be able to retake the main towns in the FARC zone, it faces a long, and possibly unwinnable, guerrilla war in rural areas. FARC forces are estimated at 17,000 and have been active for over 37 years. Many within the zone will be tempted to back the FARC because of possible brutal reprisals if the rebels are defeated. Furthermore, the FARC campaign has shown signs of moving towards a strategy of urban terrorism, which could include attacks on US interests. Hours before Pastrana's announcement, a US State Department spokesman said the US backed the forces of peace in Colombia while condemning the FARC's role in drug trafficking. Washington lists the FARC as a terrorist organisation and Pastrana could win US backing for a new offensive that goes beyond existing counter-narcotics operations. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 15 of 27
Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Diploma Danish March 2002 Speaking Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Transacting Business General Conversation Consecutive Interpreting Situational Interpreting Time allowed 45 minutes Task 1 Preparation Transaction Task 2 Task 3 10 minutes 15 minutes approx. 10 minutes approx. 10 minutes approx. The use of dictionaries, glossaries, or any other reference material (whether printed or personal) is not permitted during the preparation phase or at the oral examination board. Mobile phones must be handed in at registration. If you take any reference materials or notes into the preparation room, please make this known to the invigilator immediately. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 16 of 27
Task 1 Transacting Business Candidates Brief You are a UK liaison officer working for UN HQ and you have been sent to a meeting with a local aid representative to discuss protection for aid workers following a series of incidents. Your CO has asked you to find out what the situation is, establish the main parameters and report back. You have 10 minutes to prepare before meeting the local aid representative. On completion of the transaction you have 5 minutes to brief your commanding officer (played by the Service Colleague) in English on the outcome. FROM: Your CO TO: Liaison Officer Please attend the meeting with the local aid representative. There have been reports of incidents and we need to establish the detail of these and work out possible solutions. First get a feel for his/her attitude and the reasons for that. Stress that your brief is not to blame anyone until we have found out all the details. Get confirmation of reports that two aid workers were killed. We need to know the details of this event. We need to know details of the aid workers: nationality etc, and what the reaction of their governments is. Find out what local military protection there was. It is our understanding that the interim government had responsibility for the safety of aid workers in the locality. However serious the situation, insist that we cannot take action until I have all the facts. Then I will make a decision as to what help we can provide. We have a small force that can be deployed within 24 hours, but we need to know whether the police policy of disarming the refugees in the camp is being followed. Be reassuring that we will act as soon as I have all the information. Our brief is to provide effective practical solutions to any problem and once we have a clearer picture, we will do so. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 17 of 27
Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Diploma Danish March 2002 Examiners' Pack Speaking Task 1 Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Time allowed Task 1 Preparation Transaction Task 2 Task 3 Task 4 Transacting Business General Conversation Consecutive Interpreting Situational Interpreting 55 minutes (maximum) 10 minutes 15 minutes approx. 10 minutes approx. 5 minutes approx. 10 minutes approx. Contents Page 1 Cover Sheet Page 2 Task 1 Transacting Business Examiners Brief Page 3 Task 1 Transacting Business Service Colleagues Checklist Page 4 Task 1 Transacting Business Candidates Brief Page 5 Task 1 Transacting Business Comparison Sheet Page 6 Task 1 Transacting Business Comparison Sheet Page 7 Task 2 General Conversation Examiners Brief Page 8 Task 3 Consecutive Interpreting Examiners Brief Page 9 Task 4 Situational Interpreting (English Version) Service Colleagues Brief Page 10 Task 4 Situational Interpreting (Danish Version) Examiners Brief Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 18 of 27
Task 1 Transacting Business Examiners Brief As a local aid representative you are meeting a UN liaison officer to discuss protection for aid workers following previous incidents. Your role is to brief the liaison officer on the current situation and to obtain offers for as much help as possible. The information you have is as follows: You are unhappy about the level of military support given to the aid convoys because of the deteriorating situation in the area and military attacks Two aid workers were killed in a local militia raid on a food dump. They tried to negotiate with the militia but were led away and shot. Also five local volunteers were killed One aid worker from Switzerland and one from Canada. Canadian government is talking of withdrawing all their support as a result. The reality is that although local government troops are supposed to offer protection, they often do deals with militia groups or work for both sides. The area where the food dump is remote and difficult to police. In the last raid the government troops disappeared when militia arrived. The aid workers in this food dump and the nearby refugee camp where 150,000 refugees are housed need armed guards now. If not there is the danger that there will be raids for food and medical supplies not to mention potential reprisals from within the camp. It is generally impossible to implement disarming policy. Have tried bartering arms against food supplies, but the refugees are scared and the gun is often their only security. Stress that if the UN does not supply sufficient personnel then they will need to supply more to deal with the mass exodus from the camps and anarchy that will follow. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 19 of 27
Task 1 Transacting Business Service Colleagues Checklist For reference you have in this set of papers the Examiners Brief, the Candidates Brief, and on page 5 a Comparison Street with the cues for the candidate, for the native speaker, and for you as Service Colleague. Your task in the examination is to check in English the information, which the candidate brings back from a dialogue with the native speaker examiner. You are the CO of a UN unit working to set up aid relief. You have sent your only Danish speaker to meet a local aid representative to discuss possible protection measures for aid workers following previous incidents. On completion of the transaction you will receive a 5-minute brief from your Danish speaker. Service Colleagues Checklist 1. Check attitude of aid worker. 2. Check circumstances of death of aid workers. 3. Check nationalities of aid workers and government s reaction. 4. Check the situation regarding local government troops. 5. Check details of refugee camps and potential dangers. 6. Check success of arms limitation policy and aid worker s prognosis for the situation around the camp. Ministry of Defence Languages Examinations Board Page 20 of 27