|
Pucklynn posted:
I see Indiana all the drat time when I leave Franklin Gate. My friends and I have had many conversation about that gay. The Army twins are...loving weird. A few months back, my friend had to pull CQ over at Alpha (we're careerists) because the guy on schedule for the that night wasn't allowed to do CQ at Alpha due to a pending rape charge. Anyhow, I go and visit him and go with on a walk-through. Obviously, they live in the same room and inside is adorned with many religious icons. They're uber-Christian. I also saw them on the same flight as mine coming back from exodus. Same clothes, same goofy way of looking at the big, scary world around them. For my contribution: My new chain of command has slowly driven company morale lower and lower. Our company switched from MTW-F afternoon PT to MTWTh morning PT and Friday afternoon. Most retarded loving decision. According to our Chair, the grades off all of us in our company in that school building have steadily dropped and there has been a remarkable notice by the teachers in our level of motivation and overall class participation. It became so bad that our Chair lobbied complaints because she thinks morning PT is damaging our studies. I can't wait to leave this loving place. Only a few months of Chinese and I'm out.
|
#
¿
Sep 12, 2010 02:55
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 19, 2024 20:52 |
|
|
I already know I'll most likely get 2/2+/2 for Chinese. It's coming up, ever looming over the horizon. Good enough. I'm a bit skeptical about the DLPT. I know it's a rough measure of language proficiency, but I don't think it is as accurate as they'd like to think. After speaking to a few of my instructors, the consensus is that the DLPT is only a proficiency exam for the DLPT itself. While there is an obvious correlation between the level of proficiency and the DLPT scoring method, it's not all-encompassing. One example is comparing one language DLPT to another. If someone gets a 2+/2+ in Russian, I guarantee they are more skilled with their language than someone who gets a 2+/2+ in Farsi or Korean simply because or how the each respective DLPT exam is created. Another point is common speech. Is anyone else a little concerned that most military linguists can listen to 3 minute news clips about the deteriorating situation in North Korea but can't understand a 7 year old talk about playing baseball? Obviously, the first part is more relevant to our jobs but it seems faulty to give us such a small foundation to build from.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 26, 2010 20:38
|
|
|
The people who "run" this base don't find it funny nor enlightening when you tell them that all this PT, military training, and briefings aren't important because it just gets in the way of your mission, which is to learn a language. And according to my creed, "I will always place the mission first."
|
|
#
¿
Sep 29, 2010 15:12
|
|
|
hammeredspace posted:You're cute. What's your name? *twirls hair* My name is PVT. Aspy and I LARP down on museum field. I am an NCO. Though this place would have you think differently. I come from a combat-arms background and have been overseas before coming here. The massive shock of how this place is run comes from being put back into TRADOC after seeing the real military (not practicing military, but actually going to combat) and after going through college and watching this place parade itself around, calling itself a "school" and not a military training post. We have a girl in my company who will seldom speak with anyone and always sits alone until formation is called. Like many brooding, misunderstood kids, she has a notebook she always writes or draws in. 2 weeks ago, after formation, my friend noticed she left it and had seemingly already left. It's almost funny to think that, because she's a student at DLI, the book was adorned with countless pictures of homosexual furries in graphic depictions of aggressive, homosexual intercourse and page after page of stories pertaining to said characters. The funny point happened after 3 or so minutes when she she came back to find her book and saw us looking through it, bemused. I made a point to call her over and take her book back.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 30, 2010 17:15
|
|
|
iceslice posted:I start Chinese here at Ft. Bragg pretty soon. I'm a little bummed out I don't get to experience DLI, but it sounds like a horrible place. Any suggestions for being successful with a totally foreign language? Being a week away from graduating from Chinese, I can offer a few tips based on my subjective experience: - PRACTICE! Seriously. The more you use what you know, the more quickly you can understand by listening and reading. For instance, I speak Chinese as often as possible and I found it helped me immensely. If they have an after school speaking club, go one or two nights a week. It's not too time consuming is worth it in the end. - Get as intimate with the new vocabulary as possible. With Chinese, you'll find that it ends up sounding like the same few sound over and over. Again, like with speaking, do it often. My method was to study vocabulary lists until I could read and translate from pinyin to English, the character to English, and then English to spoken Chinese. The more you can layer your knowledge of a word, the better you understand it. - This is a bit tough, but don't neglect sleep. Going into class on 4 or 5 hours a sleep to try to absorb 8 hours of Chinese is not a good idea.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 19, 2010 00:59
|
|
|
For some people, a 2/2 in 6 months is realistic. In my experience, though, at the 9 month mark in my 16 month course, only 2 of the 18 students were 2/2. In 6 months, it would be very difficult to get 2/2 given the length of the course and exposure to new and authentic materials. To shoot for 2/2 is awesome and it shows you have a drive for the language and the course. Shoot for 2/2, expect 1+/1+, and make the 1/1 look like cake. Even if you don't get high scores, there is always continuing education which, based on how much you want to improve, can be very helpful.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 29, 2010 21:07
|
|
|
The people that were 2/2 after 9 months went on to get 3/3 or at least 2+/3 by the end. However, these people were far above the curve and took to languages like a neckbeard to WoW and Hotpockets. I'm saying that 2/2 isn't impossible, but I would say that 2/2 in 6 months is something only 1-2% of all students can pull off.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 1, 2010 04:59
|
|
|
I'm trying to be objective in this statement: From what I saw at DLI, the Navy is the most out of shape and ate the gently caress up branch. I am careful to say that this was while at DLI because in my 5 years in the Army, I only served with a small handful. In the past 3 months I've gone to San Diego twice to visit some Navy friends. I am now convinced, subjectively, that my original statement is true.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 23, 2011 23:07
|
|
|
Spockly posted:I'm about 5 weeks from DLPTing from Farsi and had a question about FLP pay. If I scored a 2-2 on the mock will I get back pay when I graduate Good-Fellow? (Army) In the past, no. There was a regulation change, however, when I started my Chinese program. for my "first look" DLPT, I received a 2/2 and was told I would start collecting FLP. Of course, being Army, I only began seeing it on my LES about 2 months ago. I graduated in November of 2010, took my first look around August of 2010, and didn't collect FLP until nearly 5 months AFTER my graduation date. Regular Army may be different, but in the 'Guard, we can collect FLP from our first look if the score is at least a 2/2. Just don't expect to see it for a long time.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 5, 2011 20:02
|
|
|
I graduated in Dec of 2010. I stopped back in to see me good friend, who is currently cadre in Delta Co, and he told me how lovely the place has become. The horror stories I hear about it...seriously, DLI used to be an awesome place.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2012 05:19
|
|
|
TheUnhorse posted:How'd it get lovely, need to know deets. TIA I can only speak for the Army though the Air Force always had it lovely from what I could tell. As I said, I graduated in Dec 2010. Things started to get retarded about halfway through my 16 months of training. Midway through, they switch us from afternoon PT to morning PT and then decreed that even PT exemptions have to be at the 0445 formation for accountability but would then be able to leave. Of course, those who drive in from Ord or elsewhere now can't shower and get ready at home so the gym is packed. Obviously, changing PT mid-course was devastating; there was a huge spike in soldiers falling asleep in class and 4 out of 5 soldiers failed the unit test that came a week after the change. Of course, we adapted eventually. I was a squad leader and was very blunt with my squaddies about how hosed this was so any day we had "squad PT" in the morning, I let them leave to sleep/study/shower whatever. And then I graduated. I returned to DLI recently to meet up with a good friend who became cadre in Delta as well as a few friends from my unit who were in the school. Here are the biggest changes I was told about : -Mandatory study hall for 3.0 and below. Seriously? The grading standards at DLI are already criticized by other language schools. Why make it worse? And it's from 1800-2000 which is just retarded. I hear it's rather full so those who want to go voluntarily don't have the option to. -One company (I forget which) had a few folks showing up late for formation. Naturally, the best course of action was have the whole company, not just the 4 or 5 people who showed up late, have a morning PT formation, a pre-class formation, a lunch formation, and a post-class formation. There is no excuse for this for this poor choice of administrative punishment. None. Stress levels at DLI are some of the highest in the military for TRADOC. Whoever made this decision is not fit to wear their rank. -Massive amounts of drug use. Actually, this just seems to be a DLI thing. I think it's the due in part because of the stress the students are under to perform to DLI's arbitrary standards. The military side of the school seems to be blind that most students are doing 8+ hours of class and a few hours of homework studying after that. As an NCO myself, I understand we need military bearing and should maintain that standard at DLI, but it's almost excessive at the school. I have more I could rant about but I'll stop there. Thinking about DLI and the mismanagement I saw there (both military and administration) makes me thankful I'm not there anymore. I was very clear with my unit that I would not return under any circumstances to learn another language or do advanced classes.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 14, 2012 22:08
|
|
|
Subjectively speaking, I was at my best grade-wise when I had no mandatory poo poo to deal with outside of class and I was able to chill with my (very hot) Taiwanese teacher after class and just bullshit in Chinese. I found that studying was more relaxing and less of a chore when it wasn't something that some non-educator deemed mandatory.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 15, 2012 06:03
|
|
|
SirEverlast posted:I did the night study hall regardless of my GPA standing. I knew as a HUMINTer I had to get at least a 2 in speaking to meet graduation requirements, so I stayed voluntarily for seventh hour and completed the home work. I then went home, ate dinner, changed to civilian clothes, relaxed for a bit, and then went back to night class. I spent 30-45 minutes going over the homework, then an hour or so on speaking practice, and then left. It really helped. Same here. Same job, too, so I get it. Had it been mandatory, I probably would have just failed out so I could go home and get out of my contract then go to MIIS as a civilian.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 15, 2012 10:57
|
|
|
SirEverlast posted:I had to reenlist to get my language, and so failing out wasn't an option for me, as I would still have to serve out the rest of my obligation. Now that I've graduated and given the .mil a year in Afghanistan using my language, I feel like I've satisfied my obligation to them in that respect. This reminds me of a interesting point: My listening level was far below what it should have been going into the third semester. My reading and speaking were through the roof but I couldn't listen to save my life. When I started having one-to-one tutoring with the lead teacher, my grades improved dramatically and I was able to go from a 1 to a 2+ in about 4 months. This is because she figured out a method specifically for me and HOLY poo poo! it worked. (The method was based off the fact that my reading and speaking were great. She didn't understand why I was able to speak so well but couldn't understand the same things spoken to me. Her method was to to have me read characters aloud for a paragraph/sentence then translate back to English, which further helped my reading a little more, but it also allowed me to make mental connections with an unfamiliar sound and the translated English word.)
|
|
#
¿
Apr 16, 2012 06:07
|
|
|
DLI is the only place I've seen the Air Force be treated worse than the Army.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 2, 2012 03:43
|
|
|
Booger Presley posted:Anyone a current student or recent graduate of Mandarin? Yo.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 17, 2013 10:12
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 19, 2024 20:52 |
|
|
Analogical posted:Navy policy changes announced this week pertaining to linguists: Raise the standards and lower the pay! So loving glad I got out of the military.
|
|
#
¿
Jan 21, 2016 07:53
|
|