Standard and Nonstandard Lexicon in Aviation English: A Corpus Linguistic Study (original) (raw)
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Non-Standard Phraseology in Aviation English
In this research paper I focus on the communication between non-native English speaking air traffic controllers and native English speaking pilots on the example of an American airline aircrafts landing at an airport in Switzerland. In the analysis I compared the collected data with the prescribed phraseology from the manuals, in order to show the difference between the prescribed norms and the actual communication that occurred.
Bratanić, Maja; Ostroški Anić, Ana: Compiling Lexical Information for an Aviation English Dictionary
XVII European Symposium on Languages for …, 2009
The communicative needs of aviation English users are probably more strictly defi ned than user needs in any other domain of English for Specifi c Purposes (ESP) today. We can hardly imagine any other professional environment in which language plays such a crucial role in ensuring regular and safe day-to-day business. Although English is not offi cially prescribed as the only language used in the international aviation community, it formally assumed that role fi ve years ago with the introduction of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) English language profi ciency requirements (LPRs), which have not only set higher standards in the fi eld of aviation English but also triggered numerous initiatives for the analysis of user needs and application of new teaching methods and instruments tailored to meet the required level of English and associated language competences.
The Proceedings of the International Civil Aviation English Association (2018) Conference
2018
Effective communications and collaboration are essential in the multicultural, complex and dynamic context of international radiotelephony (RT) communications, in which pilots and air traffic control officers (ATCO) use aviation English (AE) as a lingua franca. Accidents that happened due to cultural differences in aviation have been investigated (e.g., Helmreich, 1994; Merrit, 2000), as well as cultural interfaces and cross-cultural factors in aviation safety (Monteiro, 2012). However, the impact of cultural background on interactions between pilots and ATCOs in English is still underestimated and the industry lacks a categorization of culturally influenced factors confirmed by aviation stakeholders. Therefore, with the purpose of providing the aviation industry with tools and strategies to improve language for communication as a human factor issue, this paper first describes a two-phase, exploratory sequential mixed methods study. It consists of a qualitative exploration of cultur...
Revista de Estudos da Linguagem, 2021
Abstract: The ICAO Language Proficiency Rating Scale offers parameters for aeronautical English teaching and assessment focused on oral skills. It assists governments worldwide in assessing pilots and air traffic controllers’ English proficiency, licensing them for international operations. This paper addresses two of the six linguistic areas listed in the Rating Scale, namely fluency and interaction, to understand what conversational elements are present in pilot-controller communications with a view to informing pedagogical material. The analysis is based on a corpus of pilot-controller radio communications in abnormal situations, revealing a more spontaneous code as opposed to the documented Standard Phraseology mandated for routine situations. Corpus Linguistics is the methodology chosen for this investigation, concentrated on the top frequent three-word clusters extracted from the corpus. Investigation of these clusters reveals that fluency and interaction are interconnected an...
The Critical Components of Aviation English
Aviation safety depends on accurate pilot-controller dialogue. Both must be able to negotiate meaning through language at all times. Communicative competence in aviation English means that airmen have common and standardized proficiency levels in their use of the English language. This paper defines the critical components of aviation English as air traffic control (ATC) phraseology, English for Special Purposes (ESP) and English for General Purposes (EGP). The Aviation English Model is also introduced to serve as a framework for subsequent discussions on language issues as they relate to the global aviation context.
Not Using Standard Phraseology: Misunderstandings and Delays
Applied Linguistics Papers
In order to ensure safety, international aviation radio communication is conducted in a restricted language, based on English but with significant constraints and specific characteristics. Deviations from standard phraseology are tolerated to a certain extent and are to be expected in non-routine situations where no exact phraseology has been defined. Some relational language is also accepted as helping smooth interactions. But any additional word increases the length of the speech signal and may make it more difficult for the recipient to identify the important words that need to be attended to, so the use of relational language can also have a detrimental effect. Clarity and lack of ambiguity are particularly necessary when the interlocutors do not share the same language background. This paper analyses the communications during an incident at Narita (Japan) where a native English-speaking pilot used unnecessary words that are not part of the expected phraseology to communicate an emergency, making it difficult for the Japanese ATC to extract the crucial words 'vector back to Narita' from the pilot's transmission. Supported by a close linguistic study of the complete interaction in this incident and by interviews with aviation experts, the analysis employs the Community of Practice framework to investigate the series of misunderstandings. It shows how non-standard phraseology and unnecessary verbosity can be detrimental to successful aviation communication, even if the additional words are intended to build rapport and help the interaction.
Aeronautical English: Investigating the nature of this specific language in search of new heights
The Especialist
Inglês aeronáutico: investigando a natureza dessa língua/linguagem em busca de novas altitudes Patrícia TOSQUI-LUCKS (USP/ICEA) 1 Ana Lígia Barbosa de Carvalho e SILVA (UNICAMP) 2 ABSTRACT Global communication for professional purposes has opened up new research avenues on English language use in aviation contexts, a growing area of interest in Applied Linguistics. The purpose of this paper is to better understand the nature of the language referred to by the terms aviation English and aeronautical English-and demonstrate how their definitions-and perceptions-can influence the language teaching and assessment for aeronautical communications between pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCOs). To this end, initially, we review the literature to identify what has been researched about the topic. Then, we discuss some problems regarding aeronautical English teaching and assessment that are still unsolved, or have been taken for granted. The expected contribution is to shed some light on what, in fact, should be taught and assessed in this scenario, for better and safer international aeronautical communications.
The Use of English in Civil Aviation
LSP or Language for Specific Purposes is a broad discipline that belongs to the field of applied linguistics and its main objective is to study a given language in order to use that language for a specific purpose and it also focuses on the technical use of language. For example the goal of EAP or English for Academic Purposes is to enable students as well as researchers to use the English language in the academic domain. Another example is AE or Aviation English which is usually studied and used by the people who work in the field of civil aviation such as pilots, air traffic controllers, en route controllers, flight attendants and every other profession that has a connection with the domain of the civil aviation industry. The topic of my paper will be about the use of the English language in civil aviation. Aviation English (AE) is also known as ATC (Air Traffic Controllers) English (Breul, 2013). According to Breul (2013), “The study of ATC-English and its use clearly belongs in the domain of research into languages for specific purposes (LSP) and English for specific purposes (ESP)” (p. 74). I have divided the body of my paper into three major parts: In the first part I will talk about the importance of Aviation English. In the second part I will talk about the International Civil Aviation Organization which is also known as the ICAO. In the third part I will talk about English in civil aviation and the special phraseology or register that is used in this domain.
Revista de lenguas para fines específicos, 2021
The book English in Global Aviation. Context, Research, and Pedagogy is an innovative and useful resource not only for instructors of English in the field of aviation, but also for any ESP teacher, as many of the ideas presented can be adapted and implemented in programs where English is taught for different purposes. As the title indicates, it is divided into three different sections (context, research, and pedagogy), with three chapters in each. This approach offers a balance between theory and practice, making the book a multi-faceted resource with different applications. Previous experience with aviation is not a prerequisite for understating the content of this clearly written book, despite the inclusion of technical concepts and vocabulary. The language employed by the authors, therefore, is targeted towards the general public. An important aspect to mention is the inclusion of a list of important abbreviations at the beginning with commonly used acronyms throughout the book. Likewise, a series of notes with clarifications about certain aspects is included at the end, which help the readers understand the context or provide additional references where they can find more information. The first three chapters set the context. In chapter 1 the authors present and analyze several aviation accidents that help illustrate the importance of proper language use between Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) and plane captains and First Officers (FOs) in order to ensure flight safety. The chapter starts with an extensive analysis of American Airlines 965 accident in December 1995. In their analysis, the authors explain concepts such as redundancy and discipline, and introduce the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards of phraseology and terminology, which are used to provide clarity and brevity in aviation communication with the aim of avoiding ambiguity. One of the arguments presented in the chapter is that pilot and controller lack of English language proficiency has been, in some cases, the cause for the accidents. However, this is not always acknowledged in the investigation reports, leaving some room for improvement. The chapter concludes with the notion that there is a need for consistency in the use of teaching materials, language tests and training for aviation English teachers and accident investigators.
Linguistic Analysis of English Phraseology and Plain Language in Air-Ground Communications
The aim of this paper is to describe the different uses of English phraseology and plain language within pilot-controller (or air-ground) communications via a comparative study between two collections of texts (corpora): one representing the prescribed norm and made up of examples of English from two phraseology manuals; the other consisting of the orthographic transcription of recordings of real air-ground communications. The comparative study is conducted at a lexical level. It focuses on the discrepancies observed in the distribution of the corpora lexicon. Our preliminary results indicate that, in real air-ground communications, pilots and controllers tend to use more "subjectivity" markers (pronouns, courtesy expressions) than prescribed by the linguistic norm. This observation reflects their needs to use the language in its social role. A description of the different markers introducing subjectivity in air-ground communication can help understand the use of a more natural language in radiotelephony. In the long run, the results from the comparative study can be used to improve English radiotelephony teaching.