Posts Tagged ‘Aviation English in Hong Kong’
Advice for pilots about improving your English and achieving ICAO Level 4 and above from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael Egerton
Being able to communicate clearly in English during non-routine situations is essential for pilots and controllers. Read the scenario and then take a few moments to compose you thoughts. Then post your response to ATC as a comment.
The Scenario:
You have been descending from a high altitude for several minutes and suddenly notice that the altimeter and air speed indicator are showing unexpected numbers. When you began descending the altimeter was indicating an altitude of 27,000 feet. Several minutes later the altimeter also indicates 27,000 feet. ATC has asked you to make a level report.
The Task:
What message would you send to ATC? Post your message as a comment to this article.
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
Advice about improving your Aviation English and passing an ICAO English test from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael James Egerton
In this article we are going to look at past tenses, and how they can be used to indicate the sequence of events. We will then look at an example of how they can be used to report an aviation incident, followed by some Aviation English exercises. Using past tenses correctly (and intelligibly so that people understand what you mean) is very important when working with checklists and when reporting information. You will also find this exercise to be very useful if you have to report information about a video or recording as part of an ICAO English test.
Learn English as it is used in an aviation context
Take a look at the following sentences:
- The captain told him to pull out the quick reference handbook and run the checklist.
- The aircraft had just leveled off at its cruise altitude of 35,000 ft. when the master caution lit up.
- The first officer did so and the flight proceeded uneventfully.
- The first officer canceled the warning, scanned the overhead panel, and said, “We have a bleed failure.”
Emergency and abnormal situations such as these occur onboard aircraft every day. They range from life- threatening and highly time-critical to mundane and relatively trivial. Sometimes these situations can be anticipated so pilots have checklists to help them.
Aviation English Exercise 1:
- What tenses are used in each of the sentences?
- What is the correct order of the sentences?
- What clues are in each sentence to help you find the correct order?
- What other “time phrases” are used?
Structure
There are two tenses used in the sentences above – past simple and past perfect. Here is a description of the function of each:
Past simple is used to talk about
- actions that are complete in the past – eg The first officer cancelled the warning
- a specific time in the past (possibly at the same time as another event) – eg The aircraft was at 35,00 ft when the master caution lit up.
- a sequence of events – eg He canceled the warning, scanned the overhead panel, and said, “We have a bleed failure.”
Past perfect is used to talk about
- completed action in the earlier past – eg The aircraft had just levelled off at its cruise altitude of 35,000 ft. when the master caution lit up.
- duration before something in the past
Aviation English Exercise 2:
Think about the procedures you would follow if there was a fire on board the aircraft. Then consider how such an event could be reported. Look at the following sentences and reorganise them into the correct order. The correct answers will be posted on our Facebook Page Discussion Forum.
- Thick, black smoke billowed everywhere.
- Despite the reduced visibility in the cockpit and the loss of the displays and systems, the crew completed a successful emergency landing and all passengers were evacuated without injury.
- The long flight had been uneventful until the aircraft was 240 miles from its destination—then everything seemed to go wrong at once.
- Electrical systems began to fail and the glass cockpit displays flickered off and on randomly for over two minutes before going completely black.
- A small fire in the front galley could not be extinguished.
Aviation English Vocabulary
Make sure you are familiar with the following words:
billowed visibility evacuated uneventful flickered extinguished
You should be able to guess their meaning from context, but if not you can also find their synonyms on the Facebook Page Discussion Forum.
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
Advice about improving your Aviation English and passing an ICAO English test from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael Egerton
Using English grammatical structures accurately is an important skill needed by pilots and controllers in their ICAO English test but also for other airline employees in their everyday duties, particularly if you need to say something in a subtle way or obscure information. When learning English you should also learn the function of a structure rather than just memorising the structure itself. When you know what a structure is for, and why it is used your Aviation English will improve rapidly.
In this article we are going to look at passive and active voice, and why they are used in English. We will then look at an example of how they can be used in an aviation context, followed by some Aviation English exercises.
Reading comprehension
Six passengers on-board a flight from Turkey to Russia on 24th September were made to stand because there were not enough seats. The adult travellers stood for the entire five-hour flight, except for when the plane hit turbulence, during which time the passengers were forced to sit in the aisle without seatbelts.
The passengers were subjected to ‘standing room only’ after the Tatarstan Airlines flight from Antalya to Ekaterinburg was replaced by another aircraft with fewer seats just before take-off. The standing passengers were without oxygen masks or life vests on the overcrowded jet.
One passenger told the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper “The adults had no choice but to fly standing for five hours. When the plane flew through turbulence, they went from standing to sitting in the aisle where they had no safety belts.”
The cabin crew told passengers to put children on their lap – but the children were too big. The angry passengers have each demanded $4,900 in compensation but were only offered $212 by the tour company which had booked many passengers on the flight.
A spokesperson from the tour company defended the airline, saying the passengers could have waited for a later flight. “People had a choice to fly on that plane standing up, or wait seven hours for another plane,” said Evgenia Fedorova “All the tourists decided to fly back despite uncomfortable conditions.”
The incident has not been denied by the airline and aviation regulators are said to be probing the incident.
Comprehension questions
Before answering the questions, read the article again and identify which sentences use passive voice and which sentences use active voice.
- Why was passive/active voice used?
- Why do you think the airline made the decision to make passengers stand?
- Was it a good decision?
- What were the dangers of having passengers standing during a flight?
- Would you have liked to have been one of the cabin crew working on that flight?
- If you were a member of the airline how would you explain to a passenger that they had to stand?
Structure
The structure of passive voice is:
Subject + finite form of to be + Past Participle
Passive voice is used for the following purposes:
- To emphasise an object, eg six passengers were made to stand
- To de-emphasise the subject/agent, eg the airline told passengers to sit in the aisle (not good for the airline)
- If you don’t know who is responsible for an action
When rewriting active sentences in passive voice:
- the object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive sentence
- the finite form of the verb is changed (to be + past participle)
- the subject of the active sentence becomes the object of the passive sentence (or is omitted)
Aviation English Exercise
How do you say the following sentences in passive voice?
- Cabin crew made passengers stand because there were not enough seats.
- Cabin crew forced passengers to sit in the aisle without seatbelts.
- Another aircraft with fewer seats replaced the Tatarstan Airlines flight from Antalya to Ekaterinburg.
- One passenger told the UK’s Daily Mail newspaper …
- The cabin crew told passengers to put children on their lap.
- The passengers have each demanded $4900 in compensation.
- The airline has not denied the incident.
- Aviation regulators are probing the incident.
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
Advice about improving your English and passing an ICAO English test from Aviation English Asia.
Article written/adapted by Michael Egerton
As a pilot or controller, you are no doubt expecting a number of routine exchanges as part of your ICAO English test, but have you considered how you would respond if an unusual situation occurs? They don’t get more unusual than this incident which occurred in August 2010. Read the article and then answer the questions.
Crocodile causes panic among passengers and crew
It has been reported that a small airplane crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 24th August 2010, killing all but one of the passengers. The cause of the accident was an escaped crocodile which created panic among the passengers and crew.
The propeller driven plane was approaching its destination when a crocodile hidden in the smuggler’s hand luggage escaped and caused distress. Passengers stampeded to one side of the tiny plane, causing it to be thrown off-balance.
The original cause of the crash was originally thought to be a lack of fuel but the anonymous sole survivor has revealed their story to the magazine Jeune Afrique. The crocodile also survived the crash, but was later killed with a machete by authorities.
The reptile was being smuggled by a passenger who had plans to sell it illegally. The sole survivor told authorities that the crocodile escaped as the plane was on its final approach. “The terrified flight attendant hurried towards the cockpit, followed by the passengers.”
The pilots, 62-year-old Belgian Danny Philemotte, who was also owner of the tiny airline, Filair. Philemotte and his first officer, 39-year-old Briton Chris Wilson, were unable to maintain control of the Czech-made L-410 Turbolet once it became unbalanced. The twin-engine plane crashed into a house just short of the regional airport at Bandundu killing the pilots and 18 passengers on board. The flight had originated in the capital city of Kinshasa.
Experts say that such a crash would be rare. “It’s possible. It’s remote,” John Cox, a former airline captain and now airplane safety consultant, said to ABC News. “You could run the centre of gravity forward where it wouldn’t be controllable. Twenty people at 200 pounds each, it’s possible.”
Comprehension questions
- When did the incident occur?
- Where did the incident happen?
- During which stage of flight did the crocodile escape?
- How did passengers and crew react?
- Do you believe that passengers running from one side of the aircraft to another could cause the plane to crash?
Although this kind of incident appears far-fetched- incidents with animals frequently create difficulties for pilots. To perform well in an ICAO English test (and for aviation safety) you are going to need to be able to describe this kind of situation clearly in plain English. With professional training from Aviation English Asia you will be able to understand a wide range of unexpected situations that can occur in flight, organise your thoughts and report them clearly and without hesitation. You will also be able to report the routine stuff AND reinforce your aviation knowledge.
Vocabulary
Find synonyms (words that mean the same) for the following words in the article above.
- member of cabin-crew
- cleaver
- fuel-depletion
- nameless
- loose
- began
- carry-on bags
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
Advice about improving your English and passing an ICAO English test from Aviation English Asia.
Article written/adapted by Michael Egerton
The ability to form and ask questions is very important in Aviation English. In this article you can watch a video of an interview with a Boeing 747 test pilot talking about his life and career. He talks about his motivation for becoming a pilot and also his career path. Watch the video and then answer the comprehension questions below.
Comprehension questions
- Is it true that Mark wanted to be a paperboy when he was a boy?
- Where did he learn to fly?
- Why does he spend as much time in the simulator as he does in the cockpit?
- According to Mark, what makes a good test pilot?
- In what ways is a test pilot different from a normal pilot?
- Name some differences between the old 747-400 and new model 747
- Where did Mark fly to recently?
- Who does he credit for being able to release the parking brake?
What questions would you like to ask a Boeing 747 test pilot? Write your answers as a comment below and we will give you some feedback on your structure.
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
Advice for improving your English and passing an airline’s English test from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael Egerton
Prepare for an airline interview or prepare for your career?
Whether you are applying for a job as a pilot, member of ground staff or a member of cabin crew one of the assessments in which you are required to perform well in is the airline’s English assessment test. For prospective airline pilots this is likely to be one of various types of ICAO English test taken at a particular stage of the selection process. For cabin crew and ground staff the airline is likely to have it’s own in-house English assessment, which could be either a specific test which you need to pass in order to proceed which your application, or alternatively your English language proficiency could be assessed during your HR interviews.
In this article I’m going to point out three common mistakes made by many prospective pilots and flight attendants when faced with an airline English proficiency test, and show you how you can avoid making that mistake. But first of all let’s look at why airlines have English tests in the first place.
Learn English as it is used in an aviation context
Why do airlines have English proficiency tests as part of their selection process?
Airline careers are highly desirable for many young people. Airlines are large organisations that offer great benefits like housing allowance, health insurance and frequent travel to their employees. Some airlines are national flag carriers so it’s not surprising that airline jobs attract thousands of candidates each year.
In each recruitment drive, the airline has to select the most appropriate candidates for employment, as they will make a significant investment in that candidate’s training and development. Airline English tests are a valid and very appropriate means to filter out unsuitable (or not yet suitable) candidates. English is a world language, and a high standard of English will also highlight a candidate’s manners and social behaviour, ie is this candidate a person who is polite enough to deal with our customers, is this a person who we would like to sit next to on the flight deck. In addition to the aptitude and ability to perform the basic duties of the position, the airline will want to ensure that you have:
- sufficient language proficiency to meet the requirements of the job.
- sufficient potential to successfully be trained for the things that you don’t yet know how to do.
So, in plain English, the airline wants to know that you can speak English well enough to do the job properly, and you can understand enough English to be able to learn how to do the things that you can’t.
Depending upon your experience and the position you are applying for the airline will probably not expect you to know everything about handling a big jet, or the procedures needed to carry out an evacuation but they do expect you to have a reasonable level of English. Airlines are after all, judged on the conduct and performance of their front-line employees.
If you have failed an airline’s English test it’s probably because you haven’t prepared sufficiently for the test, or you have prepared for the test in the wrong way.
The biggest mistakes made by candidates in preparing for airline English tests
Mistake number one – focusing only on the test
It’s a common mistake, and an understandable one. You have an English test coming up as part of your interview and you might want to get some practice by having a mock test, perhaps by asking a friend to ask you the questions that they were asked last time. Perhaps if you could remember the answers it will be easier…
If (like us) you live in Hong Kong you will have been bombarded by advertisements for “star tutors” that offer courses focused on passing English tests, eg IELTS, HKCEE etc. You might be able to pass a written exam by following their methods but if you think that you can pass an airline English test, which will almost certainly be oral you are wildly mistaken.
Speaking English doesn’t work like that. It takes time to develop a full command of the language, and consistent practice in developing the strength needed to pronounce certain words. Listening to and understanding different accents is a skill that takes time to develop. Furthermore, the assessor’s aren’t that stupid – it’s easy to see if someone is trying to remember an answer. When assessing language it’s not just a matter of what information you give, but how you give it.
Of course, it’s natural to want to practice things like mock interviews with friends or perhaps a tutor, but to be honest it’s not enough. What you need is a thorough and wide range of proficiency in English and particularly English as it is used within an aviation context – and that is our goal.
Mistake number two – doing the wrong type of course
ICAO recommend that pilots and controllers take aviation-specific English courses. Some people try to cut corners and settle for a general English course. The result is often that they get bored or find that it doesn’t suit their needs. This is also often the case with people who tried studying at large franchised language centres, particularly those that have “secret study methods”. These courses are designed to appeal to as many people as possible, with the lowest skill level of teacher possible (the “secret” is that they withhold any actual teaching, you have to figure it out for yourself) so don’t be surprised that learners who settle for this type of course make very slow progress. That type of language school doesn’t have the capability or resources to give aviation students the kind of language training they need.
When you learn English it is important that you focus on practicing the right skills, and as most language schools try to cater to as many people as possible it’s often difficult to practice the skills that you really need. For a pilot, ATC or member of cabin crew the most important skills are speaking and listening. Many people unfortunately focus only on academic performance in English and neglect to build their English comprehension skills. Aviation English Asia courses give you sufficient practice of the skills that you need, as recommended in ICAO Document 9835.
Mistake number three – not starting a course early enough
If we could give one piece of advice to potential airline employees it would be to take a placement test to assess your current level of English and then see how much you need to improve. We can then give you an estimation of how long you should expect before you reach that level, and how often you should practice. These tests are done independently by a third party so you can be sure that you won’t be buying courses that you don’t need. The placement tests offered by Aviation English Asia are consistent with the results of assessors within major airlines.
Trust me – I’ve trained a lot of prospective and current airline employees. I strongly recommend that you take a placement test and expect to practice English consistently for at least 3 months per level.
The BEST WAY to prepare for an airline English test
In this article you have learned that you should avoid crash courses, avoid only focusing on the test, and avoid unsuitable courses and tutors. Now I will show you what you should do to pass an airline’s English assessment.
Learn and practice English as it is used in the context of aviation, over a 12 week period (at least)
Aviation English Asia courses feature all of the grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, comprehension and fluency practice of general English courses, with the added advantage of being directly related to your career. You will be more motivated and enjoy learning English more when you have a clear objective. If you think you know everything about aviation and are familiar with aviation terminology, you should still learn how to express it clearly in English – so Aviation English Asia courses are equally suitable for experienced commercial pilots. It’s exactly the same for cabin crew, whether your are a prospective employee or experienced crew members – practice English as it relates to your everyday life.
One of the biggest advantages of an Aviation English course is that you will develop a wide vocabulary and become confident in dealing with unexpected situations. You will still get thorough practice of all the language skills needed to pass an airline’s English test, and personal focus on the skills that you most need to develop. Of course, you can supplement this with additional General English if you want extra practice but it is no substitute for a core Aviation English course.
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, aerospace engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
Of course, feel free to leave a comment or even a suggestion for a future article. We value all of your feedback.
English learning advice from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael Egerton
In this article you are going to learn techniques to describe pictures in ICAO English tests. As mentioned in a previous article, The ICAO English test – guidance and advice, describing a picture is a common part of many ICAO English tests.
What language skills are required?
Quite often the pictures will be of unusual or unexpected events such as damage to an aircraft, a crash/collision or a malfunctioning piece of the aircraft’s equipment. You will need to develop your vocabulary so that you can easily explain these situations without being lost for words. As a pilot or controller you will need vocabulary to describe
- each part of an aircraft,
- weather and time of day,
- the physical layout of an airfield and
- various types of damage that can occur.
You will also need a good command of verb tenses so that you can describe:
- what is happening now
- what has happened before
- what is likely to happen in the future
You should also learn the language skills needed to explain why these events have occurred. This will involve (among others) modal verbs of possibility/probability, conjunctions and infinitives of purpose.
You should also use prepositions to describe the physical location, or path of movement of the various objects in the picture.
Phrases for describing pictures
Start by giving a brief description of each picture.
- The picture/photo shows …
- This is a picture of …
- In this picture I can see …
- This is an incident that happened …
There are different phrases you can refer to parts of each pictures. For example:
- on the left / on the right (hand side)
- in the background / in the foreground
- behind x / in front of x
Depending on the picture you will need to use appropriate tenses. For example:
- an aircraft is trying to land (present continuous because it is something happening at the moment the photo was taken)
- the aircraft in this picture has collided with a ground vehicle (present perfect because it is something that happened in the recent past with a result in the present)
- a ground vehicle is about to make a wrong turn that will surely cause a problem for aircraft that are landing.
The assessor might also ask you to give your opinion about the picture.
- In my opinion …
- I think that …
- It looks like …
- x seems to be …
Exercise
- Take a look at the following picture for 30 seconds.
- Describe it in as much detail as possible for 90 seconds
- Explain how you think the situation occurred for 30 seconds.
- Post your description as a comment on our blog. We will review it and give you feedback.
Five tips for describing pictures in the ICAO English test
1. Keep it simple
Try to avoid complicated expressions or grammatical structures if you are not sure how to use them. Don’t waffle (speak unnecessarily about a topic), and if you have nothing to say it’s better to wait for the assessor to prompt you.
2. Ask the assessor for an explanation if you don’t understand the task
If you don’t understand what you are supposed to do, ask the assessor to explain. For example, you could say:
- Could you repeat the question, please?
- I’m sorry, could you explain what the word …. means ?
- Could you please ask the question in another way?
3. Use full sentences
Avoid answers which are single words or answers that sound like a list of bullet points. Demonstrate that you know how to form sentences correctly and can use a range of structures to express yourself.
4. Be aware of the time limits
When you are asked to describe a photo and explain why something has happened, make sure that you leave some time for explaining your own opinion if that is a required part of the task. You should also avoid rushing, as speaking slowly and clearly is an essential skill in aeronautical communications. You will have better pronunciation if you slow down and don’t swallow your words.
5. Practice
Before the ICAO English test, practice describing pictures with a colleague (if you already know someone who will also be taking the speaking test, ask him/her to practice with you). Students at Aviation English Asia are a friendly bunch who really make the effort to help each other. Of course, all our English courses for ICAO compliance offer thorough practice of these skills in each unit.
What to do next
For feedback and more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. We can help you improve your English whether you are an experienced pilot, a cadet entry pilot, a controller, engineer or flight attendant, with custom courses designed specifically for your needs. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
English learning advice from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael McBride
In this article I am going to focus on accuracy and making errors in Aviation English communication. As ICAO state, “errors may occur” at ICAO Level 4. This article will examine what kind of errors you can reasonably make and what you need to do to be as accurate as possible. To be accurate is also to be realistic, you cannot expect to be correct in what you say all of the time, so what ‘errors’ are important and what aren’t to be ICAO operational?
What is an error and what is a mistake?
The basic difference is that an “error” is something you do not know the answer to, maybe through a lack of knowledge or skills. A “mistake” is when you forget the answer to something you previously knew.
So we must look further into the first term – error. This is where problems can arise and what you need to target in getting your message across even without being 100% accurate and using other words and communication strategies. Let’s look at the term in more detail by separating it into the following: –
- Global error – something is said incorrectly and it affects the meaning entirely
- Local error – some parts of what is said is wrong but overall it doesn’t change the meaning, it is understood to a good extent.
As you probably would guess ICAO will tolerate local errors more, as they state the candidate “rarely makes global errors…and some local errors.” In other words you must avoid making global errors as much as possible and understand that local errors could still guarantee ICAO level 4 as long as it is not frequent. Which do you think is local and global from the following: –
#1 “My job is check first the aircraft status.”
#2 “My jos is first the aircraft status.”
#1 is not grammatically correct, but the meaning is clear = local
#2 could be interpreted correctly but it is unclear and when in a pilot-controller situation (as one example) is there enough time to try to understand what is spoken? It totally interferes with the interaction = global
Advice and information on how to reduce errors
Do you think mis-communicating “he speak” rather than “he speaks” on the radio will be seen as a major problem in the eyes of ICAO requirements? Is it really crucial to meaning? Well, the simple answer is that it is a local error and if all you need is Level 4 it is not a serious issue, it depends how far you want to go, ICAO level wise.
I must stress that ICAO is more interested in appropriacy and intelligibility than correctness all the time, which means not everything has to be correct but it must be understood overall.
As I have mentioned in previous articles, you need to practice communication strategies to reduce errors and increase accuracy which can be helped by practising the following: –
- Synonyms – use words of similar/same meaning if you forget your first thought
- Word families – practice the different forms of words eg. extend, extension, extended, which one is used when?
- ‘Invent’ new words rather than struggling to remember the correct word for something e.g. “animal container” instead of “cage”
Furthermore you must always be able to check and clarify certain uncertain interactions, which ICAO state as “using clarification strategies” when communication problems arise. Do not give up, you might not be accurate with a message first time around, so adopt the 3 Cs rule. Clarify, Check and Confirm. Which “C” do you think applies to the following: –
- “Is the altimeter 1014”?
- “Affirm”
- “What is the altimeter setting?”
The 3Cs provide a way to make less mistakes in interactions and carrying out a full procedure in the air or on the ground.
Answers – Check, confirm, clarify
An error is only an error if it is not understandable to the vast majority of speakers/listeners. You must focus on working on the core sounds of words to become more accurate in terms of pronunciation (previous article) and the above strategies in terms of vocabulary and understanding.
In conclusion, remember that your training time might be limited with due to your schedule, so do not worry too much about local errors like missing out the/a/an and “s” in 3rd person verbs, your instructor will probably not focus too much on correcting this. Of course this depends on what level you need and your current English ability.
Next steps
Practice and interact in English with colleagues, Aviation personnel and friends using Aviation related topics, such as discussions and even arguments. Your Aviation English course will be communicative, which means that you must talk, make mistakes and not give up to gain fully from the course. After all, the ICAO recommended testing system is communicative, which I will focus on in the coming weeks.
Test
Re-write the following sentences, which ones do you think would be acceptable for ICAO Level 4?
- Avion Air 734, has things in the air flying around, need you
- Something in the cabin, possibly fighting
- It seem to coming out of cargo hold
- He have problem with baby out now
Checklist
- Some local errors are acceptable, meaning and intelligibility is more important than full and complete accuracy.
- Communication and clarification strategies should be practiced
- It is good to make mistakes in your training, keep at it, and don’t give up. Continually focus on communication of Aviation related topics in and out of the classroom. Errors and mistakes should reduce the more you practice and communicate (speaking and listening).
What to do next
For more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit http://aviationenglish.com. If you haven’t already please join the Aviation English mailing list for instant access to free demonstration units of the ICAO Aviation English Online course, special offers and details of courses in your area.
A focus on unusual and strange occurrences during flight operations
English learning advice from Aviation English Asia.
Article written by Michael McBride.
How would you communicate the following situation to the controller?
Copyright http://www.guzer.com
In this article I’m going to explain the different components of Aviation English, and explain why English is important and essential for communication in unexpected situations.
Summary of Aviation English language
Aviation English (AE) is split into three key areas;
- Phraseology,
- Plain English and
- General English.
All three areas work side by side to create language ‘moments’ in the sky and on the ground. Phraseology is the scripted communication that every pilot and controller has been trained to use. Plain English is a way to communicate simply without use of over-complex language. It may help to aid understanding and deliver the meaning of something and indeed save lives in certain situations. General English is not a specific part of many Aviation English courses but it is integrated and assumed. You need General English as the foundation before you add the building blocks to create your dream home.
The main rule is that you cannot have one linguistic area without the other. It is a fair assumption that some people discredit or rather devalue the use of ‘plain’ and General English in Aviation English, but the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) completely disagree. ICAO state that pilots/controllers at level 4 standard can “handle successfully with relative ease the linguistic challenges presented by a complication or unexpected turn of events.” After all, unforeseen events in the sky may not be as predictable as a holding pattern around London Heathrow.
Phraseology will not get you out of every situation
The official phraseology used by aviation personnel is highly specific and fine-tuned, it will form the basis of all flights, and is indeed a ‘special’ feature of Aviation English. Phraseology is the result of decades of expert knowledge due to accidents, incidents and logic. The framework needed to get from A to B safely. However, it is not enough and you need Plain and General English to get you out of strange and unpredictable problems. English is one of the most important aspects of ICAO level 4 and above language testing. For example, what if there are animals loose in the aircraft? What if there is a piece of luggage blocking the taxiway? How would you explain this to a controller in English?
Professional Aviation English training with Aviation English Asia will help you integrate all 3 aspects of Aviation English language. This is done by training you to use a wide range of language skills to get you out of those ‘sticky situations’ when you need to explain an unusual situation. The ICAO level 4 requirements state, “(this person) can often paraphrase successfully when lacking in vocabulary for unexpected circumstances.” This requirement means that you do not need to know every word in aviation or general English, but you do need to know how to get around not knowing certain vocabulary.
Advice on how to communicate in unusual situations
It is essential for any uncertain communication that you maintain a connection with the pilot or controller, “checking and maintaining exchanges in unexpected turn of events” (ICAO). Aviation English training can help you to build solid communication strategies to solve these communication difficulties and ‘fly out of danger.’ In the classroom or online course you will get plenty of practice on using these language skills. Relevant grammatical structures include include stock phrases such as:
- [subject] is similar to…
- [subject] is like…
- [subject] looks like…
- [subject] appears to be…
- [subject] seems to be…
and stock phrases/expressions to help you describe unusual situations. You will also be trained to create and change words to combine both simplicity and clarity in your exchange over the radio. You cannot use a dictionary in your ICAO test and you cannot search for one in your cockpit! A wide vocabulary is very important in aviation as you might be communicating with another non-native speaker that doesn’t recognise the words that you used. You will need to learn how to paraphrase so you can use alternative words.
You will learn aviation-related words as part of your pilot/controller training and also in Aviation English training. It is advisable to learn words in groups, such as technology, mechanical parts, weather related etc. It is much easier for you to learn when you can see a pattern. It is also good for your wider English knowledge to study word families – receive, reception, receiving…etc. And it is a good additional communication strategy to find words with the same meaning, these are called ‘synonyms’, eg, fire, blaze, explosion etc. Maybe you will remember one word more than others.
For more practical study, try creating situations and imagine how you would communicate it. For example, animals escaping into the terminal, damage to aircraft by animals. Then think of the connected vocabulary – containers, cages, hinges… What information is key when listening? And if the person you are speaking to doesn’t know what a “cage” is, how could you communicate this?
How would you communicate these problems?
- A lot of cargo + gate
- Animal + in terminal
- Rain + window
For feedback on your answers please email exercise@aviationenglish.asia
Checklist
- Phraseology is vital but is also not enough
- Communication strategies
- Structured learning of words, phrases etc
What to do next
For more information about Aviation English Asia’s courses please visit aviationenglish.com
aviationenglishasia
Conan She
Michael Egerton
Michael McBride
Aviation English Asia Blog 
