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Has any one taken the DLAB? | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Immersion, Schools & Certificates |  | |
| Thenn88 Triglot Newbie United States Joined 5675 days ago 20 posts - 22 votes Speaks: English*, French, Arabic (Written) Studies: Spanish | Message 1 of 9 30 October 2009 at 2:27am | IP Logged | ||
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For those who don't know, its the language test that people going into the US military
for a linguist position have to take. The test is made up of 4 parts. Basically, you have to listen to a bunch of audio clips from a made up language and answer some multiple choice questions based on some grammar rules they give you and other things. I took it today and I scored a 137... I was hoping to score higher, but ah well I had minimal sleep last night. The hardest part about it is that you can only listen to the audio clips one time, and theres a time limit for each section. I think having some foreign language experience helped but my brain was in pain by the time I was done. It was an interesting test though. For those of you who have experience with it, how did you do? What were your scores? What is the highest score you've seen? Do you think this test is a pretty accurate gauge of language learning ability? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| NichtGut Groupie United States the-daily-treasure.bRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6338 days ago 65 posts - 74 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: French | Message 2 of 9 30 October 2009 at 6:09am | IP Logged | ||
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I was always so curious about taking this test. I know they say you can't study but I found a study guide for it. I always thought about becoming a linguists in the military, although my main goal is to become an officer (currently applying to Marine Corps PLC) 134 is a good score though as far as I remember.
As you have said I was always concerned whether or not the DLAB was accurate at saying if an individual could learn a language or not. With that score of yours you would be put in the Arabic/Korean/Mandarin category I believe. Anyways good job on the test, especially with little sleep! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Thenn88 Triglot Newbie United States Joined 5675 days ago 20 posts - 22 votes Speaks: English*, French, Arabic (Written) Studies: Spanish | Message 3 of 9 30 October 2009 at 9:49am | IP Logged | ||
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I think perseverance and passion are your best friends when actually sitting down to
learn a language. Unfortunately, I don't have enough of either to achieve the necessary goal of fluency in a foreign language. I'm hoping, and believe that being in the military will change that burdonsome belief of mine. Like Ben Franklin said, Genius is 90% perspiration and 10% inspiration. Same man who said Beer is Proof that God loves Us. Edited by Thenn88 on 30 October 2009 at 9:52am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7021 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 4 of 9 31 October 2009 at 12:34am | IP Logged | ||
I suppose that there isn't any possiblity of seeing what one of those tests is like unless you're applying to the US military.
I thought it was Edison that said "Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." Edited by patuco on 31 October 2009 at 12:40am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| jtmc18 Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 7251 days ago 119 posts - 140 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish | Message 5 of 9 01 November 2009 at 5:12am | IP Logged | ||
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I took the DLAB about six or seven years ago and scored high enough to be placed in the CAT IV languages. I only vaguely remember what the test entailed- mostly a lot of gibberish that had to be deciphered. At that time I had not seriously studied any language, so I could not say whether it was a good measure of my ability to do so. I do remember that there was no way one could prepare for that test, so I just went in and took it. In my case I requested to take it, as I was considering a lateral move into that field. I really wanted to attend DLI and was set to re-enlist for it, but I was offered a scholarship to finish college and decided I'd better take it instead. I often wonder if I made the right decision. If anyone on this board has studied at DLI, I'd be fascinated to know what the instruction is like.
As far as the DLAB goes, I doubt that it is an accurate measure of one's ability to learn a language overall, but it surely has its place in weeding out those who might not be able to keep pace or cope with the methods of instruction employed by the military. As I understand it, DLI has an extremely high attrition rate. I eventually managed to learn a language to a decent level of proficiency on my own, but often wonder if my progress would have been more rapid at DLI than through school and travel. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Thenn88 Triglot Newbie United States Joined 5675 days ago 20 posts - 22 votes Speaks: English*, French, Arabic (Written) Studies: Spanish | Message 6 of 9 03 November 2009 at 11:55am | IP Logged | ||
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Patuco, you're right about that quote. I apologize for my hasty posting, I had a few
beers at that point! Edited by Thenn88 on 03 November 2009 at 11:56am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7021 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 7 of 9 03 November 2009 at 10:56pm | IP Logged | ||
No worries, Ben Franklin would have been proud of you :) Seriously though, is there any way to get a sample test or past paper? Not that I'm going to apply to the US military, just curious. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Michael K. Senior Member United States Joined 5735 days ago 568 posts - 886 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Esperanto | Message 8 of 9 04 November 2009 at 4:10am | IP Logged | ||
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My dad took it back in the early '70s at West Point as part of a Russian language requirements. I think Chinese and Spanish were the other two possible courses at that time.
At the time I guess being a linguist and an officer was considered undesirable, but I don't know why. The instructor, who was a Russian defector, told the class, which at that point in time was all male, "This will count toward your grade, so we've got you by your goom-geech-keys." As he left, he told the class, "by the way, I made up the word goom-geech-keys." 1 person has voted this message useful |
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