ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 École nationale de l’aviation civile • The French Civil Aviation University Michael O’Donoghue ( Head of Languages) www.enac.fr

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Aviation English Trainers Background (B) Qualifications / Qualities (Q) Attitude (A) Aviation English Training Community Language Teacher -> Aviation English Trainer

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Aviation Language Training Community Know where to go now? See where we’re coming from 30 years ago Local 15 years ago Regional 10 years ago worldwide Now?

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Aviation English Training Community LangEx Languages Social sciences Science TEFL Teaching experience OpEx Contollers Pilots Aeronautical engineers Regulators Testing experts

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Yves Rengade 30 years ago: Local LangEx Native speaker Teaching methods TEFL OpEx Controllers Pilots Aeronautical engineers Credibility ‘Why are we doing this?’ Because you will / might need it to do your job

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 30 years ago: Local Credibility Teaching methodology: Structural ‘Logical’ sequence Functional / Notional Threshold level Communicative

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Teaching methodology (2): General English Course Dominated by ‘internal logic’ English for Special Purposes (ESP) Specific needs Limited time & resources

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Qualities / Attitudes Ambition LangEx Develop an interest for all things aeronautical Never become OpEx Hiding incomptetence is very dangerous Reassured Not his / her knowledge Humility Proficiency of trainees

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 15 years ago: Regional PELA: Data driven Needs analysis How controllers actually manipulate language Multi-disciplinary: Development LangEx / OpEx Rater training LangEx / OpEx

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 10 years ago: Worldwide LangEx Commercial World English??? OpEx TestEx RegEx AdminEx LitigEx??? PRICESG Doc 9835 Cir 318 Cir 323

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Now Aviation English Training (AET) Recognised discipline Fertile collaboration LangEx / OpEx et alia Now the dust is settling Clearer view of roles of LangEx and OpEx

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Varieties of AET AET Ab-initio training in L1 Phraseology & Subject Matter Training Language skills OpEx Ab-initio training in English Language assistance Preliminary training to prepare for subsequent Operational training in English Language skills & limited Subject Matter Training In-service training Trainee is SME

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 AET: Species in danger! High stakes Safety Career Economic / commercial Accountability & Responsablity Aviation English Trainer Aviation English Tester

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Conclusion Credibility Ambition Humility Learner’s language proficiency Communicative approach Multidisciplinary (World English) Resource management Accountability Aviation English Trainer in an Aviation English Training Community ICAO Workshops / ICAEA / WAME etc.

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Thankyou! michael.odonoghue@enac.fr

Washback vs Hijack Positive washback Perverse washback Hijack Focus on oral / aural skills Listening for information vs listening for words Specific controller listening skills Perverse washback PELA ‘verbose’ on R/T ‘Tarting up for the test’ Cramming Test-taking strategies ‘Archives’ Hijack The test becomes the objective Toeic / Toefl The minimum becomes the maximum ICAO level 4

Is [THIS TEST] more difficult than [THAT TEST]? ‘Ego-centric’ TESTS Pass [THE TEST] Is [THIS TEST] more difficult than [THAT TEST]? [THE TEST] can distinguish between levels 3,4, and 5. [THE TEST] is only validated to distinguish between levels 3 and 4.

Test-taker centred Tests [The test] provides an opportunity for [the candidates] to ‘demonstrate [their proficiency] in [the target language]’. [Test taker] [Raters] Test

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Background Qualifications Attitude LangEx OpEx BA languages Love of the language & of language in general (University professors) Science Faculty 1 year!!!  Teaching methods Structural TEFL Workshops Theory ESP (English for Special Purposes) Prioritise Select ‘Help them get by!’ Specific needs Limited time &money

ICAO Workshop, Roma, 4th March 2010 Background Qualifications Attitude LangEx OpEx 30 years ago NationalAviation School Native Speakers Controllers Pilots Teaching Experts ‘Why are we doing this?’ ‘Because you will / might need it in your job’ Aeronautical engineers ‘Just for the fun of it’ Credibility