CompLang Aviation Training Center Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers Sergey MELNICHENKO, CompLang Aviation Training Center ICAO

CompLang Aviation Training Center

Training and Supporting Aviation English Language Trainers

Sergey MELNICHENKO,


ICAO LPR Implementation Workshop, Rome, March 3-5, 2010



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



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 languageWork with SMEs



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.



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.



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



Aviation English teacher:

A combination of specific language teaching skills and an understanding of the practical operational environment of the aviation community



Is it a good task?

“Complete the sentence with a suitable preposition:

You can’t go around because there is a mountain ______ the way“.



Exposure to aviation environment:

Flight crew environment

ATC environment

Instructional environment



Is listening practice useful?

Radio communication transcripts

There is no ideal communication



“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



What to start with?

Annex 10, vol II, Chapter 5PANS-ATM ICAO Doc 4444, Chapter 12ICAO Doc 9432Annex 3ICAO Doc 9713 “International Civil Aviation Vocabulary”



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, 5.1.1.1



Standard Phraseology and Plain Language

“The use of plain language should achieve the same goals as phraseology.” (ICAO Doc 9835, 3.5.4)



What happens when the teacher does not know standard phraseology?

1. What are your intentions? RTF: Advise intentions

2. It is difficult to hear you because of the background noise

RTF: I read you 1 (or 2)




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




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




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.




9. Did you say flight level 90? RTF: Confirm flight level 90.

10. Affirmative.RTF: Affirm.




11. Continue your climb until you reach flight level 270.

RTF: Continue climb to flight level 270.



“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”




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)




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)



In-depth knowledge of ICAO Doc 9835

ICAO PRICESG product

Contains ICAO standards and SARPs

Provides guidelines for those involved



ESP trainers trainingICAO DocumentsLanguage use situation. Specific features of RTF as a registerNeeds analysis (Doc 9835)Familiarizing with real radio communicationsHow and where to find relevant materialsMatching materials with structures, lexis, etcDeveloping exercises

Contains ICAO standards and SARPs

Provides guidelines for those involved



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



THANK YOU