Collaborative Development: How Linguists and Aviation SMEs can Best Serve the Aviation Language Community

Abstract

For the purposes of safety in aviation and in accordance with the ICAO recommendations, all pilots and controllers must follow a prescribed set of rules in order to communicate effectively within the worldwide aviation community. Therefore, they must be trained in their use of aviation language. It seems, after research conducted in this context, that the training provided solely by SMEs does not suffice as they do not draw attention to proper articulation and pronunciation, nor drill grammar and vocabulary sufficiently. On the other hand, language instructors deliver on such issues on a regular basis, though, not being experts in aviation themselves, may leave out important elements of aeronautical communication. Hence, the only way to deliver the training is the collaborative development of both specialists. We suggest here one model of such cooperation. The generation of sample language and conceptual examples to place the use of this structured communication in the proper context, should be initiated by the SME. However, language instructors should be available to participate in such exercise building sessions to continuously keep the linguistic goal of the exercise in clear focus, as they would be best suited to that role. Using such a model to develop outcome-based language exercises embodies several advantages over developing study material produced by only one half of this suggested collaborative team. This paper will seek to elaborate on the different models which may be used in such endeavours as well as narrow the focus to the model suggested above, with a more detailed explanation of this model, to include sample language lessons (or lesson plans) generated in this way.