A brief analysis of language tasks used by air traffic controllers in radiotelephony communications in Brazil

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23925/2318-7115.2020v41i4a5

Keywords:

, Aviation English, Aeronautical English, Air Traffic Controllers, EPLIS, Language Tasks.

Abstract

This article reports the results of a study, conducted by the EPLIS (the SISCEAB Aeronautical English Language Proficiency Exam) development team, which consisted, among other things,  of an analysis followed by discussion of the language tasks listed in Appendix B of the Manual on the Implementation of Language Proficiency Requirements (Doc 9835, ICAO, 2010). Although those language tasks supposedly represented language used by air traffic controllers, they were considered too vague to be used to improve the exam or to develop teaching and assessment materials. The study was carried out by a team of five experienced and proficient air traffic controllers from different facilities and a language expert with experience in teaching and assessing English for specific purposes using a focus group methodology. The results have shown that the most frequently used language tasks are related to traffic management, mostly covered by phraseology. On the other hand, language tasks involving explanation and clarifications, which are highly recurrent in radiotelephony communications, require the use of plain language. Additionally, the analysis has revealed that although some language tasks might not be so complex in terms of language, nor so frequently used, they play an important role in the safety of operation.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biographies

Beatriz Faria Aragão, Instituto de Controle do Espaço Aéreo

Beatriz Faria Aragão has a degree in Language Studies, a B.A. in Translation (Portuguese and English), both by Ibero Americana College, and a M.A in Applied Linguistics by the University of Campinas.  She has been working at the Airspace Control Institute (ICEA) since 2005 and she is currently responsible for the Aeronautical English Sector at ICEA. She is an examiner of EPLIS and has experience in teaching and assessing English for specific purposes. Main research interests: language assessment in the aviation context. Email address: biaaragao@yahoo.com

 

Matilde Virginia Ricardi Scaramucci, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Matilde V. R. Scaramucci,  Full Professor, Department of Applied Linguistics (1982-2018); Volunteer Researcher, Postgraduate Program of Applied Linguistics (2018 -- present); Dean of the Institute of Language Studies (2011-2014); Editor-in-chief of Trabalhos em Linguística Aplicada (2006-2014), University of Campinas, SP, Brazil;  member of the team in charge of developing  the Certificate of Proficiency in Portuguese as a Foreign Language (Celpe-Bras, Brazilian Ministry of Education); responsible for the EPLIS initial validation study; co-editor of  Português para Falantes de Espanhol (2008), Pesquisas sobre Vocabulário em Língua Estrangeira (2008), Pesquisas em Inglês Aeronáutico no Brasil (2018) and Formação Inicial e Continuada de Professores de Português Língua Estrangeira/Segunda Língua no Brasil (2020). Main research interests:  assessment of integrated tasks, validity and washback. Email address: matilde@scaramucci.com.br

References

ALDERSON, J. C. 2009. Air safety, language assessment policy, and policy implementation: the case of aviation English. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics 29, 168–187.

ARAGÃO, B. F. 2020. Critérios autóctones como subsídios para a revisão da escala de proficiência utilizada no contexto aeronáutico. Master´s Dissertation, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem, Universidade Estadual de Campinas.

GARCIA, A. C. M. 2015. What do ICAO language proficiency test developers and raters have to say about the ICAO language proficiency requirements 12 years after their publication? A qualitative study exploring experienced professionals’ opinions. Master´s Dissertation, Lancaster University.

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION/ICAO. 2004. Doc. 9835 AN/453: Manual on the implementation of ICAO language proficiency requirements. 1. ed. Montreal.

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION/ICAO. 2009. Circular 323 AN/185: Guidelines for aviation English training programs. Montreal.

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANIZATION/ICAO. 2010. Doc. 9835 AN/453: Manual on the implementation of ICAO language proficiency requirements. 2. ed. Montreal.

KIM, H. 2012. Exploring the construct of aviation communication: a critique of the ICAO language proficiency policy. Doctoral Thesis, Arts, University of Melbourne.

KNOCH, U. 2009. Collaborating with ESP stakeholders in rating scale validation: the case of the ICAO rating scale. In: JOHNSON, J. S.; E. LAGERGREN (Ed.) Spaan fellow working papers in second or foreign language assessment. Washington, DC: University of Michigan, 7: 21-46.

KNOCH, U.; S. MACQUEEN. 2020. Assessing English for Professional Purposes. New York: Routledge.

McNAMARA, T. 2000. Language Testing. Oxford University Press.

MESSICK, S. 1989. Validity. In: LINN R. L. (Ed.), The American Council on Education/Macmillan series on higher education. Educational measurement, Macmillan Publishing Co, Inc; American Council on Education, p. 13–103.

___________. 1996. Validity and washback in language testing. Language Testing, 13.3: 241-255.

MONTEIRO, A. L. T. 2009. Comunicações entre pilotos e controladores de voo: fatores linguísticos, discursivo-interacionais e interculturais. Master´s Dissertation – Faculdade de Letras, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

PRADO, M. 2015. Levantamento dos padrões léxico-gramaticais do inglês para aviação: um estudo vetorado pela Linguística de Corpus. Master´s Dissertation – Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo.

SCARAMUCCI, M. V. R. 2004. Efeito retroativo da avaliação no ensino-aprendizagem de línguas: o estado da arte. Trabalhos em Linguística Aplicada, 43.1: 203-26.

______________________. 2009. Avaliação da leitura em inglês como língua estrangeira e validade de construto. Calidoscópio 7.1: 30-48.

______________________. 2011.Validade e consequências sociais das avaliações em contextos de ensino de línguas. Linguarum Arena, 2: 103-120.

SCARAMUCCI, M. V. R.; et al. 2010.Validação do exame de proficiência em língua inglesa para profissionais prestadores de serviços de tráfego aéreo do SISCEAB. Campinas: Unicamp.

SCARAMUCCI, M.V.R.; P. TOSQUI-LUCKS; S.M. DAMIÃO (Ed.). 2018. Pesquisas sobre inglês aeronáutico no Brasil. Campinas: Pontes Editores.

SILVA, A. L. B. C. 2016. Uma Análise de Necessidades de Uso da Língua Inglesa por Oficiais Aviadores do Esquadrão de Demonstração Aérea da Força Aérea Brasileira. Master´s Dissertation – Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas.

SOUZA, P. R. 2018a. O efeito retroativo do EPLIS nas percepções, atitudes e ações de professores e alunos de um curso de formação em controle de tráfego aéreo. Doctoral Thesis, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem, Universidade Estadual de Campinas.

____________. 2018b. Os componentes determinantes do efeito retroativo de um exame de proficiência em inglês aeronáutico. In: SCARAMUCCI, M.V.R.; P. TOSQUI-LUCKS; S.M. DAMIÃO (Ed.). Pesquisas sobre inglês aeronáutico no Brasil. Campinas: Pontes. p. 221-242.

TOSQUI-LUCKS, P.; A. L. B. C SILVA. This volume. Aeronautical English: Investigating the nature of this specific language in search of new heights.

Downloads

Published

2020-10-26

How to Cite

Aragão, B. F., & Scaramucci, M. V. R. (2020). A brief analysis of language tasks used by air traffic controllers in radiotelephony communications in Brazil. The ESPecialist, 41(4). https://doi.org/10.23925/2318-7115.2020v41i4a5

Issue

Section

Papers