Abstract:

The importance of language training has been growing very rapidly in recent years. The knowledge of foreign languages enables and facilitates the cooperation of international teams, as well as gaining and exchanging information across different social groups. The language skills are one of the main conditions for a succesful career in many professions, and this includes the military. A foreign language is a necessity in the Armed Forces as well as in the Civil Sector. The knowledge of a foreign language as a part of human capital, can be a sign of prestige and leads to the career promotion or the raise in pay. The accession of countries to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and later on to the European Union was a crucial factor in language training and language requirements. English, as a communication device in carrying out the alliance duties of the armies, is currently holding the strongest position.

There is a focus on the language training of the Armed Forces of the Czech Republic and Belgium, especially on the language training at two European military universities – University of Defence in Brno and Royal Military Academy in Brussels. Firstly, the comparison of language training of the two selected schools is realized. Then, the second part contains the results of language training research and its importance for officers of the Army of the Czech Republic and officers of the Belgian Armed Forces. The inspirational recommendations for both military schools, based on the research, as well as the experience and needs of the respondents, are included in the conclusion.

Keywords:

Language training of the Armed Forces, comparison of language training, University of Defence, Royal Military Academy.