Aviation Communication and Language Technologies

1
Aviation Communication and Language Technologies
Dominique Estival Brett Molesworth
Linguistics
Aviation University of Sydney University of New
South Wales
2
Pilot study ? Linkage Grant ??

• Miscommunication a factor in many aviation
  accidents (Teneriffe 1977)
• recognised by ICAO ? English Language
  Proficiency test
• potential miscommunication between Air Traffic
  Control (ATC) and pilots whose first language is
  not English (EL2 pilot)
• e.g. pilots misunderstanding a clearance given
  to another aircraft as being meant for them.
• ATC-pilot communication difficulties could be
  alleviated if both ATC and EL2 pilots were made
  aware of potential communication problems,
• e.g. intonation, rhythm and pauses are
  particularly problematic for radio
  communication, but not adequately addressed in
  ELP test.
• Results so far
• a. Communication problems do pose a threat to
  general aviation safety.
• b. Most challenging communication problem for
  pilots is not with ATC,
• but with other pilots.

3
Planned experiments

• Actual impact of English Language Proficiency
• on effective radio communication?
• 2. Causes of misunderstandings between EL2 pilots
  and ATC?
• Subjects EL2 pilots of different proficiency
  levels
• 4 conditions external (low
  traffic and high traffic)
• internal (low workload and high
  workload)
• Variables (1) accuracy of interpretation
  (comprehension)
• (2) ability to repeat phrases (repetition).
• Four possible outcomes Hear but not understand
• Hear what you expect
• Not hear
• Partial hear

4
Proposed solutions

• 1. better communication strategies
• educate both ATC and Pilots about typical areas
  of miscommunication
• teach more effective communication strategies to
  ATC and pilots
• develop a computer based training tool to
  maintain communication skills
• 2. technologies
• to identify potentially unclear or confusing
  messages
• to alert ATC and pilots

D. Estival B. Molesworth (2009). A study of
EL2 pilots radio communication in the General
Aviation environment. Australian Review of
Applied Linguistics. Vol.32, No.3.