CORRECTIVE

ENGLISH TRAINING COURSE

in view of implementing ICAO LPRs

Background
As per ICAO Appendix to Annex 1, starting with the 5th of March 2008, all airline and
helicopter pilots who fly internationally, and all air traffic controllers who provide services to
international flights must have a minimum level of English.
ICAO member states that could meet this requirement by the 5th of March 2008 were
requested to display their LPR implementation plan on the webpage made available by
ICAO to this effect,
Directive 2006/23/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 April 2006 on a
Community Air traffic Controller licence stipulates in Article 8 the same requirement, to be
met by pilots and air traffic controllers in the member States by 17 May 2011.
ICAO Rating Scale for Operational Level 4
A speaker is proficient to Operational Level 4 if the ratings for the following criteria are:
Pronunciation: (Assumes a dialect and/or accent intelligible to the aeronautical community)
Pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation are influenced by the first language or regional
variation but only sometimes interfere with ease of understanding.
Structure:
(Relevant grammatical structures and sentence patterns are determined by language
functions appropriate to the task.)
Basic grammatical structures and sentence patterns are used creatively and are usually well
controlled. Errors may occur, particularly in unusual or unexpected circumstances, but rarely
interfere with meaning.
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary range and accuracy are usually sufficient to communicate effectively on
common, concrete, and work-related topics. Can often paraphrase successfully when
lacking vocabulary in unusual or unexpected circumstances.
Fluency:
Produces stretches of language at an appropriate tempo. There may be occasional loss of
fluency on transition from rehearsed or formulaic speech to spontaneous interaction, but this
does not prevent effective communication. Can make limited use of discourse markers or
connectors. Fillers are not distracting.
Comprehension:
Comprehension is mostly accurate on common, concrete, and work-related topics when the
accent or variety used is sufficiently intelligible for an international community of users.
When the speaker is confronted with a linguistic or situational complication or an
unexpected turn of events, comprehension may be slower or require clarification strategies.
Interactions:
Responses are usually immediate, appropriate, and informative. Initiates and maintains
exchanges even when dealing with an unexpected turn of events. Deals adequately with
apparent misunderstandings by checking, confirming, or clarifying.

CORRECTIVE TRAINING COURSE

before
re-sitting ELPAC
DURATION:
TRAINING STANDARDS:
TRAINING FACILITIES:
OFFICE IN CHARGE
QUALIFIED INSTRUCTIONAL
STAFF:
REFERENCE MATERIALS:

30 Classes (Listening Comprehension,

Interactive Drills)
As provided in ICAO Attachment to
Annex 1, Licensing of Personnel, and
ICAO Doc. 9835
QUASAR Multimedia Laboratory
ATC
Training
Management
Unit/ATM/Operations
ROMATSA Experts of E.S.P. English
(Language
of
Aviation
+
R/T
Phraseology);
Recordings: Pilot-controller Dialogues
(Airspeak
by
Fiona
Robertson),
Interactive ATCO Drills accord. to ICAO
Doc 9835 Guidelines

COURSE SYLLABUS
TRAINING OBJECTIVES
1. Ensure that trainees are aware of the dominant functions in pilot-controller dialogue,
corresponding to their role in carrying out ATC and pilot tasks:
- Triggering actions core function of pilot controller dialogue
- Sharing information supporting function of pilot-controller dialogue
- Managing the pilot-controller dialogue- mediating role function
- Managing the dialogue.- mediating role function
2.
Ensure the trainees can comprehend a pilot-controller dialogue that goes beyond the
routine exchange of information: listening for gist (non-routine pilot-controller dialogue,
AIRSPEAK by Fiona Robertson).
3.

Revise the main Verbal Tenses usually used in pilot-controller dialogues according to
ICAO Doc. 9835: Present, Past, Future of the Indicative Mood; Modal Verbs), as well
as the grammatical structures necessary for attaining level 4 (operational) of spoken
English in aviation two-way communication;

4.

Ensure the trainees are familiar with the ELPAC test format, as the novelty of the test
format1 may impact their test results.
LESSON PLANS

DAY 1
1. Listening comprehension, non-routine traffic scenarios- Airspeak by Fiona Robertson;
2. Practise drills with action-triggering communicative language functions:
orders markers for politeness, formality, assertiveness;
requests and offers to act ( markers for politeness, insistence,
directness);
advice markers for politeness;
permission/approval markers for politeness, directness;
undertakings
3. Get trainees familiar with ELPAC test format.
Day 2
1. Listening comprehension, non-routine traffic scenarios-Airspeak by Fiona Robertson;
2. Practise drills with sharing information communicative language functions:
request and/or give information;
request a detailed description (describe a state, a changed state, an
action in progress, a process, a procedure, aims/precautions, the
source of a problem, a visual impression, and quote rules);
ask about needs/wishes , preferences, readiness/availability, reasons,
instructions how to do;
sharing info about the future markers for probability (announce an
expected action/event, ask about the duration of an action/event, ask

On line administered Listening Comprehension part of the ELPAC test.

about possible consequences of an action/event, ask about intentions,

request prediction);
sharing info concerning immediate/recent past events markers for
probability (announce a complete action/event having an effect on the
present, announce a change, announce a nearly completed action);
ask about past events (announce a past action, an avoided
problem/incident, give a report, describe previous communications,
describe a sequence of past actions/events);
request an explanation of a past action (give an explanation of a past
action, indicate deductive reasoning);
ask about necessity (state necessity, announce a compulsory action,
announce an inevitable action/event);
feasibility/capacity
(ask
about
capacity/feasibility,
announce
incapacity/infeasibility).
Get trainees familiar with ELPAC test format.

3.
Day 3
1.

Listening comprehension on weather encountered in flight- Airspeak by Fiona

Robertson. Brainstorming on the weather impact in aviation;
2.
Practise drills with the management of the pilot controller relation communicative
language function:
greet/take leave, respond to greet/take leave
complain, apologise
express dissatisfaction
reprimand
express concern/apprehension.
3. Get trainees familiar with ELPAC test format.

Day 4
1.

Listening comprehension on fuel dumping, urgency, and distress messagesAirspeak by Fiona Robertson;
2.
Practise drills with the management of the pilot controller dialogue management
language function:
call call-signs
self-correct
paraphrase
close an exchange
request response
check understanding
check uncertainty
correct a misunderstanding
request repetition
request confirmation
request clarification
relay an order
relay a request to act
relay a request for permission
3. Get trainees familiar with ELPAC test format.
Day 5
1. Practise drills with Verbal Tenses and vocabulary specified in ICAO Doc.9835;
2. Revise grammar structures specified in ICAO Doc 9835;
3. Review synonyms, antonyms, false friends in standard and non-standard R/T
Phraseology.

4. Review main abbreviations and acronyms used in the pilot-controller dialogue.