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.

Investigating the Construct of Aeronautical English Listening Testing: A Qualitative Analysis of the Icao Rating Scale

“…The results of her study indicate that the ICAO policy does not include important components of the construct. Monteiro (2022) highlights that Effective RT communications require competencies not addressed in prevailing models of communicative competence. They do require specific purpose language ability and background knowledge (AE), the need to speak English as a lingua franca and to adjust to the communicative needs at hand (ELF), to accommodate and negotiate sociocultural differences (ICA), and to solve misunderstandings between members of different cultures, while at the same time sharing responsibility for successful communication (IC).…”

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 interpretation of the descriptions might be different, and there was an overlap between the descriptors themselves. Subsequently, assessment in ESP contexts is very demanding, and it calls for rigorous testing policies and processes for all stakeholders Monteiro (2022). asserts that "a clearer definition of the aeronautical RT construct is of utmost importance, one that is aligned with current views of language use, with the multiple factors that impactRT communication, and with stakeholders' perspectives".…”