Accelerated learning a new approach to cross-cultural training

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin,The, March, 1995 by Alan C. Youngs, Ana Novas

Hispanics now represent the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics number over 23.4 million, representing more than 9 percent of the population. The Government estimates that these figures will double within 30 years and triple in 60.(1)

Police officers in departments nationwide are seeing the results of this phenomenon firsthand, as increased numbers of Hispanics move into their communities. One of the most difficult obstacles now facing police officers is the language barrier that often separates Spanish-speaking immigrants from the officers who must communicate with them.

The Lakewood, Colorado, Police Department recognized this problem several years ago and actively pursued a specialized cultural awareness and language training program for its officers. The program offers not only specialized language training for routine police business but also cultural background information to help officers gain insight into Hispanic behavioral patterns and customs.

An independent educational consultant and native of Spain created the program and now teaches the classes. She designed the curriculum after interviewing police officers, training officers, and gang members; riding with patrol officers; and conducting experimental classes. Based on her research and interaction with police officers, she concluded that accelerated learning concepts, combined with a highly interactive teaching style, would best suit the needs of the department.

Accelerated Learning

Accelerated learning, which provides the foundation for Lakewood's language training program, is not a new concept. Dr. Georgi Lozonov pioneered the process while experimenting with techniques to improve human memory. He discovered that the power of suggestion impacts a person's ability to learn and to remember information. Negative experiences create mental blocks that prevent individuals from learning effectively. In contrast, when individuals have fun in a learning situation, they enjoy the process and wish to repeat it. They simply learn more.

Traditional teaching methods suit less than 50 percent of the population.(2) Instructors present information in a linear, step-by-step manner and expect participants to memorize it in a rote style. Classes like these are confining, competitive, and highly stressful.

Likewise, traditional language courses for police personnel often focus on rote memorization of phrases, questions, commands, and vocabulary taught out of context. This training is not effective in stimulating automatic recall in real-life situations because it does not prepare officers to understand answers offered by speakers who are not fluent in English during typical encounters. Further, traditional training fails to provide students with the cultural information they need to communicate effectively with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds. In short, to produce successful intercultural exchanges, officers must develop sensitivity toward other cultures and understand the meaning of words in the context of specific situations.

Accelerated learning fulfills these requirements. It relies heavily on experiential learning, is well-suited to the action-oriented reality of day-to-day street work, and consequently concentrates on getting participants to speak the language. Class exercises stress role-play and other interactive activities, which suit a variety of learning styles.

The Training Program

Initially, Lakewood police officers attend a 4-hour training session, which covers pronunciation exercises, memory techniques, vocabulary, and sentence structure. The course focuses on getting the officers to speak the language quickly without confusing them with complicated grammar rules. The vocabulary and grammar taught in this session enable officers to obtain basic personal information and to make arrests.

In addition, officers obtain a base knowledge of Hispanic culture, without which even the most simple interactions become complicated. For example, Hispanic surnames consist of the last name of the father, followed by the last name of the mother. Married women often do not take their husband's name. Or, they may add it to the end of their own name, with de in front of it. In any case, in order to complete an accurate records check, officers must make certain they have obtained the subject's complete name.

Officers also learn about two issues in Hispanic culture that may affect greatly their interactions with these individuals: Respect and authority. In many Latin American countries, the police brutalize citizens, who fear for their lives. Emigrating to the United States does not erase these feelings. Thus, Hispanics may avoid contact with the police at all costs. Or, when they must interact with police officers, they may look at the ground out of both fear and respect. Officers may find this behavior disconcerting, if not disrespectful, unless they understand the cultural basis for it.

The first training session gives Lakewood police officers a solid foundation in both language skills and cultural knowledge. Following the initial training, an intensive 3-day training seminar expands the officers' vocabulary base to include, for example, terms for physical and psychological attributes, time, professions, weapons, and street slang. They also learn commands for low-profile cursory searches and felony-prone searches, as well as other common commands used when effecting arrests.