Aviation English Research Articles

Enhancing aviation English competency: A simulation-based approach for aspiring pilots

Aviation English (AE) represents a noteworthy area of investigation within the realm of English for Specific Purposes (ESP), aimed at fostering English language competency among aspiring pilots. In this study, a simulation-based aviation English course was designed and implemented for improved learning gains. The present study took place at a tertiary educational institution, focusing on the analysis of AE vocabulary development, the readback performance of student pilots, and the examination of participants' perceptions of simulation-based training. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design, data were gathered from 21 ab-initio pilots enrolled in the Pilotage Training program. The quantitative results showed that participants significantly improved their readback performance and AE vocabulary knowledge over the course of a semester. With regard to the qualitative results, student pilots overall perceived the simulation-based training as an innovative and effective method. The present study, therefore, constitutes a notable advancement in the AE research domain by documenting, for the first time, the application of simulation-based training in the aviation context. Moreover, the study offers insights into the implications for ESP practitioners and stakeholders in the aviation sector, along with recommendations for future research, which are delineated in the study's conclusion.

An Evaluation of ESP Textbook “Aviation English for ICAO Compliance” From Lectures’ Perspectives at Vietnam Aviation Academy

An Evaluation of ESP Textbook “Aviation English for ICAO Compliance” From Lectures’ Perspectives at Vietnam Aviation Academy

A corpus-based multi-dimensional analysis of the linguistic features of Aviation English

Aviation English (AE), a specialized register of English, prioritizes precision, brevity and clarity to maximize aviation safety. While there has been a growing focus within the linguistics community on AE training and assessment since the release of a set of standards and recommended practices, its linguistic properties remain comparatively underexplored. Drawing upon Biber's (1988) multi-dimensional (MD) analysis framework, the present study conducted a corpus-based comparative MD analysis to investigate the multi-dimensional linguistic profile of AE vs. casual conversational English (CE) and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to extract and interpret the co-occurring linguistic features of routine AE and non-routine AE. The comparative MD analysis shows that AE exhibits more information condensation, less authorial stance and technicality, and fewer features of online information elaboration compared to CE. The EFA shows variations in the linguistic and textual composition of the two sub-registers of AE across two dimensions. Non-routine AE demonstrates a present-focused, viewpoint/intention-oriented approach, involving higher levels of integrative information flow compared to routine AE. Routine AE is characterized by a higher degree of information condensation and is marked by a planned, procedural, and intensive use of standard phraseology. Some pedagogical implications are then proposed for enhancing AE training to cultivate pilots' and air traffic controllers' language competence for precise, unambiguous communication tailored to both routine and non-routine operational contexts.

Case Study of PBL Application in Aviation English Class

Case Study of PBL Application in Aviation English Class

Проблема формирования стиля специального языка (на материале английского языка радиообмена в авиации)

The aim of the study is to demonstrate that the presence of an independent functional style of Aviation English indicates the existence of prerequisites for the formation of functional styles inherent in other professional languages, taking into account the peculiarities of their architectonics and the conditions in which they are used. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that until now, the specific characteristics of the functional style of a professional language that make it an independent linguistic phenomenon have not been defined. The paper is the first to formulate the mandatory requirements for the architectonics of a professional language as a combination of its lexical, grammatical and phonetic systems used for communication by specialists in various fields and for the characteristic features of speech situations in a domain of professional activity. As a result, it is proven that only a fully formed architectonics of a particular professional language, allowing it to be used effectively in typical speech situations, makes it possible to determine whether this professional language has a full-fledged independent functional style.

Linguistic Altitude: The Significance of Formulaic Language in Aviation English

Abstract This article explores the concept of formulaic language within the context of aviation communication, emphasizing its significance in achieving effective and fluent communication among aviation professionals. The discussion begins by elucidating the concept of formulaic language, highlighting its distinctive features, and providing a classification. Furthermore, the article addresses the important role of formulaic language in enhancing communication fluency within the aviation domain. By relying on pre-established and readily recognizable formulaic expressions, aviation personnel can navigate complex communication tasks with precision and speed, thus minimizing the risk of miscommunication and ensuring safe flight operations. All in all, this article underscores the importance of recognizing and using the power of formulaic language in aviation communication, advocating for its systematic integration into language training programs.

Content Analysis of an Aviation English Language Textbook Entitled ‘Cleared for Take-off’

The present study aimed to analyze an Aviation English language textbook series entitled: Cleared for Take off, English for Pilots (2007), 1 and 2, according to a checklist which was developed based on the English language proficiency rating scale set forth by the International Civil Aviation organization (ICAO). The rating scale included six language components; pronunciation, structure, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and interaction. The findings revealed that the textbooks correspond with the language proficiency rating scale with emphasis on the interaction, vocabulary, and aural skills.

CROSS-CULTURAL AWARENESS IN DEVELOPING COMMUNICATIVE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMPETENCE OF MAJORS IN AVIATION

Professionally oriented training implies involvement of professional knowledge and job-related skills. Therefore, the National English for Specific Purposes Curriculum focuses on integrated approach to the formation of linguistic and specialism-related competence. Communication factors (media, terminology and language) are of primary importance in Aviation English as communication failures pose serious threats to flight safety.

Setting standards for a diagnostic test of aviation English for student pilots

Standard-setting is an essential component of test development, supporting the meaningfulness and appropriate interpretation of test scores. However, in the high-stakes testing environment of aviation, standard-setting studies are underexplored. To address this gap, we document two stages in the standard-setting procedures for the Overseas Flight Training Preparation Test (OFTPT), a diagnostic English test for ab initio pilots, aligned to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Language Proficiency Rating Scale (LPRS). Performance-level descriptors (PLDs) were empirically generated in Stage 1 in collaboration with six subject matter experts (SMEs). These PLDs made explicit the correspondence between linguistic performance levels within the target language use domain and the ICAO scale. Findings suggest that the ICAO scale is not fine-grained enough to distinguish levels of linguistic readiness among ab initio pilots, nor does it adequately reflect the knowledge, skills, and abilities valued by SMEs within this domain. In Stage 2, 12 SMEs were recruited to set standards and were divided into two groups to investigate the replicability of Ebel method standard-setting procedures. Cut scores were determined for the OFTPT reading and listening tests, which were inferentially linked to the LPRS. There were no significant differences in the cut scores arrived at by both groups and reliability was excellent, suggesting that test users can have confidence in the standards set.

Empirical Study of AHP-based Evaluation of Civil Aviation English Teachers’ Career Maturity

Abstract The career maturity of aviation English teachers affects the level of aviation English teaching staff and the quality of aviation English teaching, which has a significant impact on the civil aviation education. Using the civil aviation English teachers at the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC) as the research object, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is adopted to construct an evaluation model and system for the career maturity of civil aviation English teachers. Through questionnaire surveys and data analysis using the AHP, the results show that the overall career maturity of civil aviation English teachers in CAFUC is in the innovation stage, but there is still room for improvement and relevant suggestions are proposed. The aim is to achieve interdisciplinary linkage in the development of teachers in civil aviation colleges and universities, and to establish a scientific, comprehensive, and dynamic evaluation system that is in line with the characteristics of the professional development of civil aviation teachers.

ПРОВОКАЦИЯ КАК ПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКИЙ ПРИЕМ ДЛЯ РАЗВИТИЯ НАВЫКОВ КРИТИЧЕСКОГО МЫШЛЕНИЯ НА ЗАНЯТИЯХ ПО ИНОСТРАННОМУ ЯЗЫКУ В ТЕХНИЧЕСКОМ ВУЗЕ

The paper is continuation of the author’s works aimed at developing skills of technical students’ critical thinking at English lessons. The research subject includes provocative techniques which were tested when teaching English and Aviation English the first-fourth academic year students at MSTU CA, Irkutsk branch. The author analyses the positive, constructive potential and efficiency of provocations and demonstrates variants of using provocative techniques in learning situations. Various forms of provocations in educational environment are of certain research interest. Practical significance of the work is in developing exercises with the use of provocations on professionally oriented material for aviation specialists’ training.

An interactive conversation with a chatbot: Does ChatGPT know standard phraseology in aviation English?

This research investigates the profound effects of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI) language model, on the domain of aviation English. Within an industry that places significant emphasis on safety and accuracy, this study utilizes a qualitative case study methodology to evaluate the performance of ChatGPT. There has been an interactive conversation with ChatgGPT acting as an air-traffic controller. The observations based on the instant responses of the chatbot following the prompts demonstrated that ChatGPT shows exceptional competence in conforming to conventional aviation phraseology throughout different flight stages, ranging from ground clearances to landing, by using role-play situations. Beyond linguistic accuracy, ChatGPT facilitates dynamic and contextually relevant dialogues, enhancing aviation education and training experiences.

The Recurring Issue of Aviation English Test Validity: Echoes from Test-takers and Assessors of the English for Aviation Language Testing System in Algeria

The English for Aviation Language Testing System (EALTS) is one of the international tests for pilots wishing to operate in international airspace. This test presents a wide range of difficulties for Algerian pilots, but little research has been conducted to estimate its validity. This paper seeks to answer two questions: (1) What are test-takers perspectives on the EALTS test construct? and (2) What is the assessors' perception of the testing procedure and test validity? A descriptive study was conducted using qualitative data from a semi-structured questionnaire for ten pilots and a semi-structured interview for three certified assessors and four university researchers. The authors used 'first-hand' data from the targeted sample to cross-check results' validity through triangulation. The results show specific difficulties from an affective dimension, such as stress and anxiety caused by inefficient preparation and unfamiliarity with test tasks. A different interpretation of ICAO descriptions using the rating scale is another issue noted by assessors. Additionally, technical issues with the computer-based listening test and non-compliant features of the test contents with features of the target situation language use are among the main issues noted by both test-takers and assessors.

TEACHING AVIATION ENGLISH

Teaching aviation translators involves the simultaneous provision of broad branch competence and narrow specialization. This study is aimed to test whether the application of the Content and Language Integrated Learning Method (CLIM) is effective while teaching Aviation English and enhancing translation skills at the aviation university. The experimental study was conducted within the framework of an elective course designed as an English language program with a professional focus on "Translation in the Aviation Industry" for future graduates majoring in Translation. The experiment involved 95 students, with one academic group designated as the experimental group (n = 44) and the second as the control group (n = 51). The study followed a pretest-posttest experimental design. In the pretest stage, the homogeneity of CLIM and non-CLIM groups was statistically proved by the χ2 Pearson Correlation Coefficient. The experimental group received the CLIM methodology, while the control group was taught by a traditional approach. The post-test took into account both linguistic and content-related learning outcomes aimed at improving English proficiency in the aviation-oriented and translation direction within the CLIM and non-CLIM research groups. The research findings demonstrated that experimental group had significantly outperformed the control group during the final test. Teaching Aviation English and enhancing translation skills through the application of the CLIM method which encompassed aviation podcasts, subject matter videos, professional literature overview, stakeholders’ involvement, and engagement in the aviation environment, are effective.

Project-based Learning (PjBL) based on the Digital Module to Improve Conceptual Understanding in Aviation English

Project-based Learning (PjBL) based on the Digital Module to Improve Conceptual Understanding in Aviation English

Hybrid Learning-based Instruction in Teaching Aviation English for Cadets – A Case Study at Vocational Higher Education Indonesia

Hybrid Learning-based Instruction in Teaching Aviation English for Cadets – A Case Study at Vocational Higher Education Indonesia

Using corpus linguistics to create tasks for teaching and assessing Aeronautical English

This article presents the theoretical basis for corpus linguistics applied to Aeronautical English teaching and assessment followed by practical examples on how to use corpora to develop tasks for both purposes. It originates from the design of two webinars held remotely at the end of 2020, and promoted by the International Civil Aviation English Association. The webinars were targeted at Aeronautical English teachers, material designers, and test developers with little or no previous knowledge of corpus linguistics with the aim of guiding the audience in preparing step–by–step tasks using corpora. We share the work involved in the task design suggested, bridging the gap between research and practice. We conclude by outlining limitations, and suggesting prospects for future research.

Implementing the ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements: The Localization of Aviation English Testing

Abstract There are still language-related safety issues in international aeronautical radiotelephony communications. This article revisits the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) language policy, a set of language proficiency requirements mainly reflected in the ICAO Rating Scale (Pronunciation, Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension, and Interaction). Although the ICAO Rating Scale has been used globally to assess professional aviation speakers’ communicative language proficiency for two decades now, it remains unclear what role the six ICAO criteria have played in high-stakes aviation English tests. We thus conducted an independent study based on secondary data analysis. We applied the Winsteps Rasch Rating Scale Model to 358 Chinese pilots’ test scores on an aviation English test in China. The results suggest that the six criteria carried considerably different relative values in contribution to test outcomes and that Interaction was different from the other five criteria. This exploratory study provides an example of how the ICAO assessment criteria were used in a locally developed aviation English test; its findings can have implications for supporting and implementing a language policy for global harmonization.

Motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy in learning aviation English: a study of Indonesian aviation cadets

Indonesian aviation cadets’ complex and multi-faceted tasks have directed them to exhaustion and less learning focus. Their motivation and self-efficacy in learning Aviation English are hampered so their anxiety dominates. This hypothetical cause and effect enforce the present study to describe their motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy in learning Aviation English. The present study also aimed to reveal the effect of each construct on their learning performance and identify the most predictive sub-skills that contribute to their motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy formation. This study used a cross-sectional survey research design with a quantitative research approach. There were 207 aviation cadets chosen purposively to participate in the study. Data were collected using the Motivation, Anxiety, and Self-Efficacy Scale (MASS) with a 6-point Likert’s scaling method (α = .987) and cadets’ final test scores. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson r correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression with the assistance of SPSS software. Results showed that cadets’ motivation, anxiety, and self-efficacy in learning Aviation English were high, thus, their learning optimism and pessimism were growing together. Each variable had a positive and strong relationship with one other (r > .05, p < .001). Another finding was that communication and test anxiety was the most influencing factor in determining cadets’ learning performance.

Communication in the Oil and Gas Industry

This article aims to describe some features of communication in the oil and gas industry considering contributions from applied linguistics and Aviation English. Fostered by the need to have a picture of communication dynamics taking place in the proposed scenario, studies were conducted within the HF2 Project and were organized in three stages. Stage 1 revised accident reports to find out communication factors that could be associated with safety and help build a tentative version of a taxonomy based on the Taxonomy of Communication and Language factors in Aviation used for language analysis in aviation. Stage 2 comprehended interviews with workers from two different offshore operations so to assess metalinguistic information regarding a possible standardized language training and use during the performance of activities. Stage 3 encompassed in-loco data collection and analysis of linguistic information. Corpus Linguistics, Conversational Analysis, The Cooperative Principle, and the Taxonomy of Communication and Language factors in Aviation were some of the theoretical references that guided the analysis. The results presented are preliminary, yet significant, and show that procedural factors are outstanding when contemplating the possibility of miscommunication and, because of that, could be considered the core of a taxonomy. Additionally, metalinguistic data from the interviews show that there seems to be a standardized communicative behavior in the operations given the strict technical training to which the workers are submitted to. However, the misuse or non-use of certain lexical-morphological structures and strategies, and procedures could impact safety. In this line, the article also addresses some suggestions for optimized communication practices.