An Cosantóir

17 MAKING YOUR WORDS HIT THEIR MARK DO DON'T Get to know your LA, paying particular attention to any tribal or religious affiliations Keep your LA informed - as operational security allows - and prepare him or her for the situations and vocabulary they are likely to encounter Look after your LA's safety and welfare by letting them know when they will be fed, making sure they have the personal protective equipment that they need, and explaining any 'actions on' Look at the person you're speaking to, not the LA Listen to the person you're speaking to, even if you don't understand anything Learn a few basic words of the local language Be patient - your conversation will take longer Seek/provide clarification if something has not been understood Speak clearly and not too quickly Be concise - try to use short sentences and simple words Avoid humour or irony Pause frequently to allow the LA time to translate Think about body language and remember that most communication is non-verbal Conclude your meeting with a brief summary to confirm that you have understood each other Debrief the LA after your meeting. The LA has valuable cultural knowledge and might have picked up on something you have not Don't say "ask him x" or "tell her y". Instead, speak directly to the person as you would normally Don't interrupt or talk over each other Avoid having private/whispered conversations Don't let the LA take over the discussion Avoid giving your LA non-essential information - 'need to know' Try to avoid military acronyms, slang, idioms or other jargon such as "APC", "UXO", "SOPs", "groundhog", "get on like a house on fire" Don't openly criticise your LA. Debrief them in private instead (after-action review) Just because someone can speak English, don't assume they necessarily want to. They may prefer to speak in their native language, either because it is easier or perhaps even for political reasons Don't forget that you are the one speaking the foreign language! LAs may be used in many different scenarios overseas including for CIMIC operations, vehicle checkpoints and searches, KLEs, delivering training to local forces, or even when addressing a crowd. Clear communication in these situations is vital. By thinking before we speak and being deliberate and economical in our language, we can avoid some of the most common pitfalls and make our words hit their mark. Sgt David Graham (AR) is an instructor in UNTSI in the Military College. He holds a BA in Applied Languages with German and French and an MA in Translation Studies. Trading as Graham Language Services (www.grahamlanguage.com), in civilian life he provides English translations of German- language documents for the private and public sector. Note: The International Federation of Translators (FIT) has an excellent Conflict Zone Field Guide for Translators/Interpreters and Users of Their Services: https://www.fit-ift.org/guide- pour-zones-de-conflit/. About the author Students going over their course subjects in a relaxed environment on a CIMIC Cse in 2019

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