1. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Sergey MELNICHENKO,
CompLang
Aviation Training Center
ICAO LPR Implementation Workshop, Rome, March 3-5, 2010
CompLang Aviation Training Center

2. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Agree or Disagree:
“Assuming you have flown before as a passenger, then you will already have some ideas before meeting your students”
… Teacher’s Book
CompLang Aviation Training Center

3. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
ICAO:
Diploma/master’s degree in TEFL/TESL or TESOL
Experience in ESP
Familiarity with RTF and FLT/ATC OPS
Doc 9835 and ICAO LPR
Communicative teaching
Safety-critical aspects of language
Standard phraseology and plain language
Work with SMEs
CompLang Aviation Training Center

4. Aviation English as ESP:
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Aviation English as ESP:
Absolute Characteristics
ESP is defined to meet specific needs of the learners
ESP makes use of underlying methodology and activities of the discipline it serves
ESP is centered on the language appropriate to these activities in terms of grammar, lexis, register, study skills, discourse and genre.
CompLang Aviation Training Center

5. Aviation English as ESP:
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Aviation English as ESP:
Variable Characteristics
ESP may be related to or designed for specific disciplines
ESP may use a different methodology from that of General English
ESP is designed for adult learners, either at a tertiary level institution or in a professional work situation.
CompLang Aviation Training Center

6. Aviation English as ESP:
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Aviation English as ESP:
Variable Characteristics
ESP is generally designed for intermediate or advanced students
Most ESP courses assume some basic knowledge of the language systems
T. Dudley-Evans, M.J. St John
CompLang Aviation Training Center

7. Aviation English teacher:
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Aviation English teacher:
A combination of specific language teaching skills and an understanding of the practical operational environment of the aviation community
CompLang Aviation Training Center

8. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Is it a good task?
“Complete the sentence with a suitable preposition:
You can’t go around because there is a mountain ______ the way“.
CompLang Aviation Training Center

9. Exposure to aviation environment:
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Exposure to aviation environment:
Flight crew environment
ATC environment
Instructional environment
CompLang Aviation Training Center

10. Is listening practice useful?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Is listening practice useful?
Radio communication transcripts
There is no ideal communication
CompLang Aviation Training Center

11. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
“Non-native English speakers might communicate better with restricted phraseology than native speakers because they would be less likely to use extraneous wording. Due to a lack of proficiency, non-native speakers may use fewer words outside of the code of Airspeak”.
K. Varantola
CompLang Aviation Training Center

12. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What to start with?
Annex 10, vol II, Chapter 5
PANS-ATM ICAO Doc 4444, Chapter 12
ICAO Doc 9432
Annex 3
ICAO Doc 9713 “International Civil Aviation Vocabulary”
CompLang Aviation Training Center

13. Standard Phraseology and Plain Language
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Standard Phraseology and Plain Language
“ICAO standardized phraseology shall be used in all situations for which it has been specified. Only when standardized phraseology cannot serve an intended transmission, plain language shall be used.”
Annex 10, Volume II,
CompLang Aviation Training Center

14. Standard Phraseology and Plain Language
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Standard Phraseology and Plain Language
“The use of plain language should achieve the same goals as phraseology.” (ICAO Doc 9835, 3.5.4)
CompLang Aviation Training Center

15. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
What are your intentions?
RTF: Advise intentions
It is difficult to hear you because of the background noise
RTF: I read you 1 (or 2)
CompLang Aviation Training Center

16. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
3. Can we get a report on the weather?
RTF: Request present weather
4. Could I ask you for the latest met reports in Tokyo?
RTF: Request Tokyo weather
CompLang Aviation Training Center

17. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
5. I’d like to land. Can you give me vectors?
RTF: Request vectors
6. Reception is poor. Say again.
RTF: I read you 1 or 2
CompLang Aviation Training Center

18. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
7. You are cleared to land runway 07.
RTF: Cleared to land runway 07.
8. Proceed to holding point Lima.
RTF: Taxi to holding point Lima.
CompLang Aviation Training Center

19. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
9. Did you say flight level 90?
RTF: Confirm flight level 90.
10. Affirmative.
RTF: Affirm.
CompLang Aviation Training Center

20. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
11. Continue your climb until you reach flight level 270.
RTF: Continue climb to flight level 270.
CompLang Aviation Training Center

21. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
“What on the surface seems simplified, incomplete, or even ungrammatical, may have been rather more complex ‘in the making’ and this we must be able to account for in the description.”
Vatnsdal, A.O. (1987) “A register analysis:
The language of air traffic control”
CompLang Aviation Training Center

22. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
12. There is some clear air turbulence ahead.
There is a little icing reported at higher level.
RTF: light, moderate, severe.
Be advised of moderate CAT ahead (light turbulence is not reported)
CompLang Aviation Training Center

23. What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?
13. Look out for slow moving traffic 6 miles ahead of you.
RTF: Traffic 12 o’clock 6 miles slow moving (sequence of elements in the report shall not be changed)
CompLang Aviation Training Center

24. In-depth knowledge of ICAO Doc 9835
Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
In-depth knowledge of ICAO Doc 9835
ICAO PRICESG product
Contains ICAO standards and SARPs
Provides guidelines for those involved
CompLang Aviation Training Center

25. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
ESP trainers training
ICAO Documents
Language use situation. Specific features of RTF as a register
Needs analysis (Doc 9835)
Familiarizing with real radio communications
How and where to find relevant materials
Matching materials with structures, lexis, etc
Developing exercises
Contains ICAO standards and SARPs
Provides guidelines for those involved
CompLang Aviation Training Center

26. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
Many ESP teachers have become slaves of the published textbooks available, unable to evaluate their suitability based on personal experience, and unwilling to do the necessary analysis of difficult specialist texts to verify their contents.
Laurence Anthony
CompLang Aviation Training Center

27. Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers
THANK YOU
CompLang Aviation Training Center