English Language Proficiency

1
English Language Proficiency

• Training and testing of ATM personnel in France
• ENAC - DGAC

2
Current regulatory context

• ICAO SARPs
• Annex 1
• Annex 10
• Annex 11
• Eurocontrol
• ESARR5
• EU Directive (late 2005)
• ATC Licence

• National regulations
• initial - ENAC
• progression requirements
• minimum exit level 4
• continuation - DGAC
• placement testing
• training requirements

3
Objectives

• Acquire ICAO level 4
• develop general language skills
• focus on specific topics/functions/skills for
  aviation R/T
• teach specific aviation language
• Develop learner autonomy
• strategies
• resources
• Maintain ICAO level 4
• regular practice
• refresher training

4
Recruitment

• National competitive entrance exams
• annual
• academic
• 2 populations trained exclusively at ENAC
• TSEEAC (ATC in small aerodromes)
• high-school diploma (baccalauréat) 1 year ENAC
• minimum level (oral) 3,5
• ICNA (ATC in 79 large aerodromes and 5 ACC)
• high-school diploma 2 years advanced maths
• minimum level (oral) 3,5

5
ENAC Language Department

• 14,000 hours of training per year (2004)
• Teaching staff
• 50 teachers, mixed nationalities
• aviation specialisation
• Facilities
• dedicated rooms (multimedia, discussion,
  self-access)
• books, audio, video, satellite TV/radio

6
Historical background

• 1948 ENAC founded, Paris
• English training
• 1968 ENAC moves to Toulouse
• aviation English materials (Y Rengade)
• 1990 new ATC basic course
• 3 years, 520 hours of ELT, alternate school/OJT,
  6 weeks immersion UK/USA
• 1990 - present
• introduction of national rating scale (8 levels)
• development of continuation training provisions
  on local basis
• publication of syllabus checklist (reprinted in
  ICAO Doc 9835)
• development (with Eurocontrol) and implementation
  of PELA test
• member of PRICESG (ICAO language proficiency
  SARPs)

7
Initial training - general

• Phraseology (ATC staff)
• bilingual (French/English)
• DGAC standard
• computer-based training
• simulation training

• Plain language (ELT staff)
• small groups(8)
• tutorials(1-4)
• methodologies/materials
• communicative/formal
• simplified/authentic
• extensive
• general aviation
• 4-6 hours/week
• intensive/immersion
• general only
• 2 weeks/ 6 weeks

8
Initial training (ICNA)
9
Training strategies

• Direct
• Language training
• extensive/intensive
• immersion
• class groups
• tutorials
• self-study
• school intranet
• multi-media rooms
• course documents

• Indirect
• Learner training
• self-study guide
• teacher-student relationship
• Human factors training
• theory
• observation
• debrief

10
Continuation training

• a national policy (DGAC)
• regular working groups
• regional linguistic co-ordinators
• language trainers at each facility
• ACC
• TWR/APP
• minimum national requirement
• individual English training plans (PIFA)

11
Language Testing

• initial
• progress/achievement testing (in-house)
• proficiency testing (PELA)
• continuation
• benchmarking/diagnostic testing (TNP)
• proficiency testing (???)

12
Problems encountered

• initial
• learner attitudes conditioned by previous
  schooling
• motivation of students with levels higher than 4
• resources for development of specific training
  materials
• continuation
• training for all on a voluntary basis
• older populations
• test acceptance for benchmarking

13
Future perspectives

• initial
• multimedia technologies facilitate learning
  outside the classroom
• increase overall training effort (knowledge,
  listening skills)
• focus classroom activities on speaking
• content instruction in English (human factors,)
• closer collaboration between language and ATC
  instructors
• continuation
• stronger requirements to undergo training
• national coordination