EL Specialist Mark T. Rex spent three weeks in Nepal conducting communication skills workshops for the Nepal UN Peacekeeping Troops and Police Academy Personnel. The program consisted of two parts: an 11-day course at the Birenda Peacekeeping Operations Training Center (BPOTC); and an 11-day program at the Nepal Police Academy (NPA). The primary goal of each program was to improve the participants’ report writing and presentation skills. A secondary goal was to give them more in-depth knowledge of the UN, particularly as it relates to peacekeeping operations, cross-cultural communications, public speaking tips, International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, and GARD (Getting Airports Ready for Disaster) Training.
On the final day, a survey was conducted so that the participants could evaluate the course and give their impressions on American culture. The survey results found that participants felt that the skills they learned in this course were useful, and that they would be able to apply them in the future, both in the classroom and in the field. Moreover, the impressions they obtained of American culture were all positive. Overall, this was a beneficial experience for all concerned.
Mark T. Rex has over 30 years of teaching experience and holds an M.A. in Linguistics from Oakland University. Some of the many places he has taught include the Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas where he taught the 82nd Training Wing’s visiting Royal Saudi Airmen, the Indonesian National Police Academy, Caltex Oil, the Bank of Tokyo, and at the University of Indonesia’s Graduate and Post-Graduate Economics and Business Management program. His expertise includes teaching business report writing and communications, academic writing, developing and giving oral presentations, social psychology, cross-cultural communication, and technical English.