Transcript (Animated) Winter Wonderland

Midterm paper
Understanding Aviation English of
Training, Communications and
Methodology
Presenter: Betty
Instructor: Patricia Su
Date:19th April,2012
Article
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Content
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ICAO standards and training
Sampling techniques
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Aviation communication setting
Theoretical Framework
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Case Study
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Introduction

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has
mandated new standards of English proficiency for flight
crew members and air traffic controllers.

The standard for them to reach is a newly mandated level
of English language proficiency, especially in the area of
radiotelephony, the specialized system of terminology and
phraseology used by pilots and air traffic controllers to
communicate during takeoff, flight, and landing.
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Communication Errors Cause
Aviation Disaster
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• An analysis of past accidents reveals that common
factors associated with poor communication include:
confusing
phraseology
Similar aircraft
call signs
ambiguity
Inference
problems
Problem:
unclear
English
heavy foreign
accents
poor
enunciation
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Communication Errors Cause
Aviation Disaster
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 Communication error is the most frequently cited problem
element of incidents reported to the Aviation Safety
Reporting System (ASTS).
 This is consistent with research studies that show more
than 70% of airline accidents involved some degree of
human error and many of these errors were associated with
failures in communication.
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English for International Aviation
• English has long been accepted as the international
language for aviation and that the majority of aviation
personnel in the world speak English as a second or foreign
language.
• There has been no set requirement or standard to ensure
that pilots and air traffic controllers are able to speak
English well enough to communicate effectively.
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Implications for Training
• The new ICAO mandate is the need for all training
companies and educational institutions teaching Aviation
English to reevaluate their training methods and materials
and to adapt their programs to meet the ICAO’s standards.
• Virtual Languages Learning Academy (ViLLA) is a U.S.
company that delivers web-based English language
training in both Aviation English and Business English.
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Implications for Training
Since ViLLA provides a web-based program, there are
natural limitations to having the students engage in
conversation when only the computer is used.
To fully meet the need for trainees to receive instruction in
speaking and specific radiotelephony skills, ViLLA
recommends a blended learning delivery model, which
consists of a combination of online and classroom
instruction, to maximize the benefit of the curriculum.
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Implications for Training
 The classroom instruction is based on content contained in
the online segments. In addition, a large percentage of the
classroom instruction addresses radiotelephony skills needed
by aviation personnel, in line with ICAO recommendations.
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Implications for Training
• ViLLA develop an innovative voice recognition
technology for phonology and phraseology
training.
• This development has provided a technological
and economic challenge but has significantly
strengthened the ViLLA curriculum.
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Implications for Training
• While it is challenging for any organization to have to adapt
to a new set of international standards, in this particular
case, the benefit of all these required changes and program
improvements is safer skies for the flying public around the
world.
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Possible Sampling Techniques
A . Critical case sampling
Individuals, groups, or sites use critical case
sampling as an opportunity to understand a
phenomenon of interest.
(McMillan, 2011)
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Possible Sampling Techniques
B . Extreme case sampling
An extreme case is one that is unique or atypical,
an outlier compared to most others in the
category.
(McMillan, 2011)
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Sampling techniques in an Aviation
communications setting
A. Critical case sampling
In using critical case sampling researcher could focus on
communications from airports which have busy
international traffic with a high volume of non-native
English speaking pilots.
The large volume of international traffic would make
miscommunications due to language constraints or lack of
English proficiency more liable than in airport facilities
where international traffic is limited.
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Sampling techniques in an Aviation
communications setting
B . Extreme case sampling
Noble (1997) chose to use this approach when
studying Japanese student pilots in uncontrolled
airspace in California's.
With this sampling technique, a study is not
generalizable beyond the specific condition, in this
instance region or ethnic group.
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Possible Theoretical Frameworks
Functionalism 功能主義
Pragmatics 語用學
Interactional Sociolinguistics 互動社會語言學
Ethnomethodology
人種方法論
Conversation Analysis 話語分析
 Discourse Analysis
言談分析
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Case Study
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• The purpose of this study was to document
standard discourse transactions between pilot and
air traffic controllers (ATCs) at Ataturk International
Airport in Istanbul, Turkey, and also to analyze local
variations.
• Interviews, observation, and examination of written
material represent common needs analysis
procedures that became systematized in the 1970s,
mainly based on Munby’s (1978) Communicative
Syllabus Design.
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Results
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Referred to as radiotelephony phraseology by
aviation personnel, in linguistic and educational
circles this code of speech is some times referred to
as “Airspeak”, a term popularized by Robertson
(1988)
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The Turkish setting
Four types of controllers
The highest altitude responsibility is with Area Control, also
called Center Control.(between 46000 and 17000 feet)
Plane begins to descend, the pilot contacts Approach
Control.(between 17000 and 3000 feet)
(Airplane 3000 feet)The ATCs in Tower Control communicate
with the pilot until the plane lands.
communication is only with Ground Control
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The Turkish setting
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The ATCs in Area Control and Approach Control
speak to the pilot by radio and follow the movement
through a radar screen.
The Tower and Ground Control ATCs, who share the
same space in Istanbul, also speak by radio, but are
usually in visual contact with the planes.
In the control rooms, the ATCs sit closely together
with their computer screens in front of them.
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Variation
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Researchers found that there was variation from
the rules in the way number were pronounced, in
the use of greetings and closings, and in the use of
Turkish.
In Airspeak, understanding numbers, which are
used for identification, is crucial. ICAO rules state
that numbers should be read individually.
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Variation
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• #666 read as ‘‘triple six’’
. rather than ‘‘six six six;’’
• #2211 read as ‘‘double two double one
rather than ‘‘two two one one; ’’
• Some of the differences in pronunciation of
numbers may relate to ease of communication.
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In this case, data from the study indicate
that even though the ICAO specifies the rules
for Airspeak and monitors the language, there
are variations in local use.
Findings
There is also a continued need to develop
vocabulary and conversational English skills
for these non-native speakers of English for
use within the professional setting.
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION.
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