Aviation English is the ''
de facto
''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...
'' international language of
civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, both private and commercial. Most of the countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work ...
. With the expansion of air travel in the 20th century, there were safety concerns about the ability of pilots and
air traffic controller
Air traffic control specialists, abbreviated ATCS, are personnel responsible for the safe, orderly, and expeditious flow of air traffic in the global air traffic control system. Usually stationed in air traffic control centers and control ...
s to communicate. In 1951, the
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sc ...
(ICAO) recommended in "ICAO Annex 10 ICAO (Vol I, 5.2.1.1.2) to the
International Chicago Convention" that
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
be universally used for "international aeronautical radiotelephony communications."
Despite being a recommendation only, ICAO aviation English was widely accepted.
Miscommunication has been an important factor in many aviation accidents. Examples include: the 1977
Tenerife airport accident (583 dead); the 1990 crash of
Avianca Flight 52
Avianca Flight 052 was a regularly scheduled flight from Bogotá, Colombia, to New York City, United States, via Medellín, Colombia, that crashed on January 25, 1990, at 21:34 ( UTC−05:00). The Boeing 707 flying this route ran out of f ...
, in which crew failed to impart their critical fuel emergency to air traffic controllers (73 dead); and the 1996
Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision (349 dead). ICAO has acknowledged that "communications, or the lack thereof, has been shown by many accident investigations to play a significant role".
[ In 2003, the ICAO "released amendments to annexes of its Chicago Convention requiring aviation professionals involved in international operations to demonstrate a defined level of English language proficiency in the context of aeronautical communications".][
ICAO requires that this level of proficiency is to be demonstrated by means of a formal language proficiency assessment, and that the results of this assessment are to be recorded as an endorsement on the professional licenses of pilots and controllers."][ ICAO has defined the language skills to be assessed in its Holistic Descriptors of Operational Language Proficiency (Appendix to Annex 1 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation), and has provided the means to describe the extent of proficiency in these skills in its Language Proficiency Rating Scale (Attachment to Annex 1 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation). The minimum level of proficiency in English required by pilots and air traffic controllers involved in international operations is that described at Operational Level 4 in this Scale.
Although the language proficiency of aviation professionals who are ]native speakers
A first language, native tongue, native language, mother tongue or L1 is the first language or dialect that a person has been exposed to from birth or within the critical period. In some countries, the term ''native language'' or ''mother tongu ...
of English may typically be considered to be equivalent to Expert Level 6 on the ICAO Scale, they may also be sub-standard communicators in Aviation English, specifically by being prone to the use of non-standard terms, demonstrating impatience with non-native speakers, and speaking excessively, as well as too quickly. Such native speaker failings tend to worsen in emergency situations.
Aviation English is a type of English for specific purposes
English for specific purposes (ESP) is a subset of English as a second or foreign language. It usually refers to teaching the English language to university students or people already in employment, with reference to the particular vocabulary and ...
, with several specific idiosyncratic structures: for example, any correction of a misspoken word must always be conveyed using the word "correction".
Tests
The need for standardized
Standardization or standardisation is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization ...
language proficiency assessments to allow pilots and controllers to demonstrate compliance with the revised 2008 ICAO language proficiency standards has led to the creation of a large number of Aviation English tests. Examples of such tests are the English Language Proficiency for Aeronautical Communication (ELPAC) by Eurocontrol
The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, commonly known as Eurocontrol (stylised ''EUROCONTROL''), is an international organisation working to achieve safe and seamless air traffic management across Europe. Founded in 1960, Eur ...
, the Test of English for Aviation (TEA) by Mayflower College, UK, the Test of English for Aviation Personnel (TEAP) by Anglo-Continental School, UK, and the English for Aviation Language Testing System (EALTS) by LTAS Ltd, UK. While the ELPAC test for air traffic controllers (developed by Eurocontrol
The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, commonly known as Eurocontrol (stylised ''EUROCONTROL''), is an international organisation working to achieve safe and seamless air traffic management across Europe. Founded in 1960, Eur ...
, in partnership with Zurich University of Applied Sciences/ZHAW
The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW; german: Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) located in the city of Winterthur, with facilities in Zurich and Wädenswil, is one of the largest University of Applied Sciences in Switz ...
) and ENOVATE) is currently the only test formally recognized by ICAO as being fully compliant with ICAO Doc 9835, the TEA, the TEAP, and the EALTS all have recognition from numerous National Aviation Authorities and licensing authorities, including the UK CAA, as being both ICAO Doc 9835 and EASA compliant.
Language assessment bodies
The testing of the Aviation English for pilots and air traffic controllers is provided by test service providers termed 'Language Assessment Bodies' (LABs). The term "Testing Service Provider" (TSP) is also used with the same meaning. Around the world, language assessment bodies are approved by National Aviation Authorities (NAA) for the purpose of the testing of English for Aviation language proficiency.
References
Aviation safety
English for specific purposes
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