New ICAO standards - A Brief Summary
What the changes are
- Annex 10 describes what language(s) shall be used for radiotelephony communication: the language of the ground station OR English, meaning proficiency in ICAO phraseology and plain English is required.
- Annex 6 and 11 establishes that all personnel (pilots and air traffic controllers) comply with the ICAO language proficiency requirements stipulated in Annex 1.
- Annex 1 describes the proficiency and testing requirements and contains a rating scale with six proficiency levels, and how this will affect personnel licensing.
What the new standards mean for the industry
Non-native speakers and native speakers of English must demonstrate a minimum language proficiency at ICAO Level 4 (Operational) as a licensing requirement.
For air traffic service personnel and pilots whose first language is not English, testing will be required to determine language proficiency according to the ICAO Proficiency scale. Personnel will need to demonstrate ability to use the language specific to all aspects of radiotelephony communication.
Personnel who demonstrate proficiency at:
- ICAO Level 6 ( Expert) will not be required to demonstrate subsequent language proficiency.
- ICAO Level 5 (Extended) will need to be retested every six years.
- ICAO Level 4 (Pre-operational) will need to be retested every three years.
- ICAO Level 3 or below will need specific Aviation English language training to reach the minimum ICAO Operational level.
Member States who do not comply with the new licensing requirements will be required to notify ICAO, which may limit international recognition of licenses.
When changes take effect
Although these standards became applicable in November 2003, all ICAO members States have been given until March 2008 to fulfil the necessary training requirements to allow personnel to meet mandatory testing and licensing requirements.
Next step
Member states are obliged to ensure all personnel meet the minimum ICAO Operational (Level 4) proficiency level in English by March 2008
RMIT English Worldwide has used its extensive experience in designing and delivering Aviation programs as well as drawing on the expertise within the University and the Aviation industry to develop a suite of courses and assessment which address the new ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements that will take effect in 2008.
RMIT English Worldwide understands that the ICAO standard specifically relates to language proficiency in radiotelephony contexts and that proficiency in radiotelephony exchanges require both an ability to recognise and use standard phraseology and communicate in plain English.
RMIT English Worldwide Aviation English Programs have been designed to directly respond to the ICAO Language Proficiency Standard by addressing the following key ICAO amendments:
Annex 1, which states that:
1.2.9.4 As of 5 March 2008, aeroplane and helicopter pilots, air traffic controllers and aeronautical station operators shall demonstrate the ability to speak and understand the language used for radiotelephony communications to the level specified in the language proficiency requirements in the Appendix.
Annex 6, PART 1, which states that:
3.1.6 Operators shall ensure that flight crew members demonstrate the ability to speak and understand the language used for aeronautical radiotelephony communications as specified in Annex 1.
The APPENDIX, states that:
The language proficiency requirements are applicable to the use of both phraseologies and plain English.
The Aviation English Proficiency Test for Pilots has been designed to assess pilots or air traffic controllers against the six-band ICAO Language Proficiency Scale. Candidates are required to demonstrate an ability to communicate in routine contexts, where standard phraseology is required, to more unpredictable and non-routine situations where both phraseology and competence in plain English is needed, in accordance with the ICAO Language Proficiency Standard.
To ensure that personnel are given appropriate training to meet this standard, the RMIT English Worldwide Aviation English program consists of a dedicated course for those who need to improve their General English before transferring these skills into radiotelephony communication contexts, which focuses on developing an ability to understand and produce both standard phraseology and plain English.
The Radiotelephony English course is designed to ensure that participants are exposed to and practise the language in a wide range of radiotelephony contexts where language is required for communication in both routine and non-routine situations, as reflected in the new ICAO Language Proficiency Requirement.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recognised the importance of improving communication between pilots and air traffic controllers in 1997. This was in response to numerous accidents and incidents where a lack of English proficiency was a contributory factor. The Air Navigation Commission (ANC) established a committee to review existing provisions related to air-ground and ground-ground voice communication in international civil aviation contexts. As a result, amendments were made to strengthen ICAO Annexes 1, 6, 10, 11 concerning language proficiency requirements for pilots and air traffic controllers.
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