The assessment of English in aeronautical radiotelephony communications: a mixed methods study

Abstract

The high-stakes context of international radiotelephony (RT) communication, in which pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCOs) use aviation English (AE) as a lingua franca, requires a robust testing policy that is clear and fair to all stakeholders. The ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements have been criticized for their lack of fit with pilots’ and ATCOs’ real-life communicative needs, for both native and non-native speakers of English (Douglas, 2014; Kim, 2012). This paper reports on a multiphase mixed methods study that investigated the proficiency construct (awareness, knowledge, skills, and attitudes) in pilot-ATCO intercultural RT, following Fulcher and Davidson’s (2007) test development framework. Drawing on theoretical and empirical studies in the domains of Aviation English, English as a Lingua Franca, Intercultural awareness, and Interactional competence, the communicative demands of pilots and ATCOs involved in intercultural RT communications and how they can be specified within a construct framework and operationalized as test tasks were explored. Integration of findings underscored the value of a broader view of professional communicative competence for intercultural RT communication and the importance of giving voice to aviation stakeholders in all phases of the test development process.