1.1 The oral proficiency test interview, which is normally administered face-to-face (but can be accomplished by telephone for simulated realism related to the pilot/controller language environment) and with two certified raters, lasts from 30 minutes to an hour. It assesses the candidate’s listening comprehension and speaking proficiency and takes into consideration factors such as fluency, grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and ability to successfully work through various linguistic tasks. It consists of a warm-up, to include autobiographical information; level checks, to assess ability to perform linguistic tasks at a base level; level probes, to determine ability to perform linguistic tasks at the next higher base level; and a wind down.
1.2 The interview is rated on the U.S. Inter-agency Language Roundtable (ILR) 11-point scale of proficiency, from 0, no functional proficiency, to 5, educated native-speaker proficiency, with plus levels (0+, 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+) assigned to those people who demonstrate inconsistent proficiency at the next higher level. Examples of speaking proficiency levels are:
• at the “0” level: no functional ability to communicate; no topics addressable; and unintelligible speech;
• at the “1” level: ability to create with the language; participate in short conversations; satisfy basic survival needs; get into, through, and out of simple situations; ask and answer questions; and be understandable to native speakers used to dealing with foreigners; • at the “2” level: ability to fully participate in casual conversations; give instructions; report on
current, past and future activities; handle situations with complications related to concrete topics such as work requirements, family, and travel; and be understandable to a native speaker not used to dealing with foreigners;
• at the “3” level: ability to converse formally and informally about concrete and abstract topics; hypothesize, support opinions, and resolve problem situations; speak about unfamiliar situations; and think consistently in the target language;
• at the “4” level: ability to tailor language to fit the audience; counsel, persuade, and negotiate; represent a point of view on all topics normally pertinent to professional needs; and be nearly equivalent to that of an educated native speaker.
2. PELA — PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL 2.1 Background
2.1.1 In the 1980s, European air traffic controllers became increasingly concerned that the proficiency of the English language used in aeronautical communication between pilots and controllers was far from
ideal and varied quite considerably from State to State. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a number of highly publicized aircraft accidents, in which language was a contributory factor, raised public concerns about safety. In June 1988, EUROCONTROL organized the first English language workshop held at the Institute of Air Navigation Services in Luxembourg. The workshop concluded that air traffic controllers should demonstrate a predetermined level of knowledge of and skills in the English language, especially in listening, pronunciation and comprehension, to enable them to carry out their tasks in such a manner as to contribute positively to the safety of air traffic.
2.1.2 A project supervision team comprising members from eleven European States was established in 1990 to monitor and guide test development. EUROCONTROL contracted the British Council in January 1992 to design a suitable test. Development, under the supervision of EUROCONTROL, was completed in December 1994 and was followed by a period of successful evaluation with the participation of more than 300 student controllers.
2.2 The PELA test
2.2.1 PELA — Proficiency in English Language for Air Traffic Control — is designed to reflect a range of tasks undertaken by air traffic controllers but with specific focus on language rather than operational procedures. To meet this requirement, a level of proficiency in general English is necessary, equivalent, for example, to the Cambridge First Certificate (United Kingdom) intermediate level, prior to commencing the specialized air traffic control (ATC) English training. The test is also specifically constructed to be administered to student controllers just prior to the completion of institutionalized training.
2.2.2 To achieve effective communication, a strict adherence to published ICAO radiotelephony phraseology is required, and in addition, students have to display the ability to produce messages in natural language, in both usual and unusual situations, that necessitate departure from ICAO phraseology. The appropriate linguistic response must be made to a message transmitted by a pilot. It is important to resolve misunderstandings in communication that may be due to limited language competency, noise and/or distortion, or to a stress-induced situation.
2.2.3 In the PELA test, there are three compulsory papers and one optional paper. A pass is required in each of the compulsory papers.
2.2.3.1 For both Paper 2 and Paper 3 of the PELA test, descriptive language rating scales, aligned to the ICAO language proficiency standard Level 4, are used to determine a candidate’s level of English language proficiency.
2.2.3.2 Paper 1 — Listening comprises 8 sections and 83 test items (the first three are not rated) in booklet form. The candidate listens to recorded pilot messages and writes the required information (short text responses) in the space provided. Some sections are played twice. It is not a test of written English and the candidate is not penalized for grammatical errors. Test duration is approximately 40 minutes.
2.2.3.3 Paper 2 — Oral Responses presents the candidate with a series of 32 charts (the first two are not rated) depicting aerodrome, approach radar or en-route radar environments. The positions of aircraft on each chart are indicated by appropriate symbols. The aircraft in communication with the controller (candidate) is highlighted. For each chart, the candidate listens to a recorded pilot message and then makes an appropriate response which is recorded (for later analysis). A trained rater grades the candidate’s responses for language performance and for the appropriateness of the response. Appropriateness is safety-related. The recording is played once. Test duration is about 20 minutes.
Appendix C C-3 2.2.3.4 Paper 3 — Oral Interaction is presented in two phases on a one-to-one basis between the candidate and a trained interlocutor. Communication is not visual, with the candidate being seated behind a screen or ideally in another room. In phase 1, the interlocutor plays the role of a pilot experiencing a developing unusual situation. The candidate is the controller who must ascertain and understand the problem being experienced by the pilot. In phase 2, the candidate is required to brief the ATC supervisor (the interlocutor) about the unusual situation and may be asked to confirm and clarify information.
2.2.3.5 The scenarios in Paper 3 do not require the candidate to provide separation between aircraft or to have knowledge of local ATC procedures. Candidates are rated on their ability to understand and clarify a problem communicated by a pilot. Test duration is approximately 15 minutes.
2.2.3.6 Paper 4 — Reading is an optional paper containing 60 items of typical text which controllers would come across in their work.
2.3 Rating scales
The rating scales applicable to Paper 2 and Paper 3 of PELA have evolved to be aligned with the ICAO Standards for the language proficiency of pilots and controllers (Level 4 on the ICAO rating scale). The main characteristics of the rating scales are:
a) PELA requirement for pronunciation remains slightly more stringent than ICAO’s. b) Terminological consistency of descriptors is ensured, e.g.:
1) plain language (ICAO) 2) intelligible/intelligibility (ICAO)
c) Descriptors referring to specific features of the PELA oral sections are retained: 1) phraseology
2) formulaic phraseology 3) impact on safety
d) PELA Paper 2 (Oral Responses) is rated for: 1) appropriateness of response (safety-related) 2) language performance features
3) overall language performance 4) fluency
5) pronunciation 6) vocabulary 7) phraseology
e) PELA Paper 3 (Oral Interaction) is rated for: 1) overall language performance
2) comprehension 3) interaction 4) fluency 5) pronunciation 6) vocabulary 7) grammar structure 8) phraseology 2.4 Conclusion
The PELA test is well suited to serve the global ATC community in meeting the language proficiency requirements for aeronautical communications in designated international airspace.
Appendix C C-5
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