Notes: Intelligence Analyst Linguist
My name is Jess and I currently work as an Intelligence Analyst Linguist in the Royal Air Force.
I joined up in 2018 after studying Spanish and Italian at University as I wanted to continue learning new languages in my career. I stumbled upon the job at a careers fair - I had no idea that there were linguists in the RAF!
What languages have you learned in your career?
After graduating from basic training, I attended an 18-month long Arabic course. This is one of the three languages that the RAF teach you from scratch (Arabic, Russian or Farsi). This course included three weeks in Jordan where we got to explore the area and put our language skills into practice with the locals! I found the Arabic language
fascinating to learn as it was so different to the romance languages I studied previously. Much of the language is influenced by religion, history and culture so learning the language helped me to expand my worldview and ignite an interest in the history of the Middle East.
Tell us about your job role
After the language course, I started work at RAF Digby in Lincolnshire. My job involved translating communications and assessing this data for any important intelligence. I loved using my language skills on a daily basis, and I even had the opportunity to spend a month in Crete using my language. The opportunity to travel whilst being paid is my favourite part of the job, as well as the camaraderie that comes with being in the military.
What benefits do you think language skills bring?
Its always a great feeling when you can travel and communicate with locals in their native tongue. It really opens the door to making friends in different countries which can be amazing for future holiday destinations!
Do you have any advice for anyone considering learning a language?
My advice would be to learn in whatever way you most enjoy! For me personally, I love watching cheesy Spanish reality TV as its easy to follow and you can learn more colloquial language. Try and surround yourself with music and podcasts in your chosen language and you’ll be surprised how quickly you start to pick it up.
Any tips on how best to approach communicating in a language you have little knowledge of?
When travelling, I find that people are always impressed if you try to speak their language as it shows respect for their culture. Throw yourself in at the deep end and try your best! Don’t be worried about embarrassing yourself as people are usually happy to help if you’re struggling!
In your experience, would you say cultural awareness is importan
t?
Expanding our cultural awareness is so important as it helps us to connect with people from different backgrounds and reduce our cultural prejudices. Learning language is key, as it can help bridge the gap and provoke conversations you wouldn’t have had before.
During my Arabic course, we learnt a lot from our native teachers about the Arab world and its complex history, which opened our eyes to that part of the world.
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