Bilingualism In The Sky – RSE “Kazaeronavigatsia” salvation

Created on 12.02.2019 09:39

Bilingualism In The Sky – RSE “Kazaeronavigatsia” salvation

As 100,000 commercial flights take off and land each day around the world, there are millions of interactions taking place between pilots and air traffic controllers. For some, this dialogue is in a foreign language. How efficient is this communication? Are there breakdowns? Can it be improved? Is English always refreshed by pilots and controllers, how often they slip into their native language?

Flying is one of the safest ways of traveling, so the ability of ATS controllers to communicate fluently in English is essential for flight safety. RSE "Kazaeronavigatsiya" solved this question "on the vine" in several stages. First, over the course of several years, aviation personnel of the ATS service raised the level of proficiency in general and aviation English (radio exchange phraseology) at special courses in the framework of professional refresher level both at the base of the Proffesional Training Centre and at foreign Aviation Training Centres (ATC). Secondly, the selection of candidates for training in the course of initial training of ATCOs was strengthened by increasing of the input requirement for knowledge of the English language. Thirdly, all students of the initial courses, both in the Center and in foreign ATCs, must confirm the level of knowledge of aviation English on the ICAO scale not lower than the working (4th) level before an internship. Thanks to the activities carried out over the past three years, the percentage of confirmation by graduates of the initial training course at the level of ICAO 5 increased. Thus, in 2016, 8,7% of graduates of the initial training course for air traffic controllers confirmed their knowledge of aviation English at the ICAO level 5, in 2017 this figure increased to 17,4% and in 2018 it increased to 19%.

1335 views