How can I improve my Aviation English?

How can I improve my Aviation English?

Most Aviation English students are already very knowledgeable about aviation and their chosen career. They often have a bank of aviation related vocabulary and may even be familiar with radiotelephony terms and standard operating procedures (SOPs). What they really need to work on is their English grammar use, pronunciation and fluency, as well as their comprehension of English spoken with a wide range of accents.

Some of this can be achieved by studying independently online, and there are many free websites that can assist with this. However, certain aspects of English language learning are very hard to improve independently and this is where an experienced English language teacher can help you.

Grammar (Structure)

My recommendation is to start by using some free websites to understand and practice English grammar points. Grammar is identified as STRUCTURE in the ICAO language proficiency ratings.

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/ is a great website by a well established and experienced English Language organisation – British Council. They have very useful lessons for grammar, as well as a grammar reference section. Each grammar lesson includes an explanation of the rules, some examples and short tests to check your understanding.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/ is another good website by the well-known BBC which offers lots of different grammar reference pages which include short video exercises to check understanding. These are also useful for practising listening.

Listening (Comprehension)

Listening is a very important skill to practice and ICAO language test takers will be assessed on their COMPREHENSION abilities.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english offers topical discussions which introduce relevant vocabulary, as well as the opportunity to hear various accents of the presenters and guests that they interview. As the title suggests, 6 Minute English programmes are relatively short to listen to and you can download the tape-script if you need to check your understanding.

https://www.esl-lab.com/ - Randall’s ESL Cyber Listening Lab is another great source of free listening exercises on all kinds of subjects. However, the majority of recordings use only American accents.

ESL Lab listening ICAO comprehension

Pronunciation

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/pronunciation/introduction – The BBC offer help with pronunciation using a series of videos which demonstrate how to form your mouth and place your tongue in order to produce the 44 sounds of English speech.

However, the best way to improve your pronunciation is face-to-face or online with an English language teacher. They can point out your pronunciation errors and help you create the correct sounds.

Fluency

The best way to improve your fluency is to speak English as much as possible. Find friends that you can practice English with. They don’t have to be native speakers. In fact, most aviation professionals will generally need to communicate with other speakers of English as a second language. An English Language teacher will also be able to help you identify your weakness and improve your fluency.

For aviation professionals it is important that you can speak at a steady pace. ICAO recommends 100 words per minute. You may think that speaking quickly will impress people but it is actually not helpful for those trying to understand you.

When to Pay for Aviation English lessons?

So, with all these free resources available is it really necessary to pay for aviation English lessons?

The simple answer is YES.

Once your basic level of English is adequate enough (at least pre-intermediate or B1) then it is definitely worth paying for aviation English lessons with a qualified and experienced aviation English teacher. They will be able to help you improve your English language even further while teaching you in the context of aviation. Being topic focused will make the lessons more interesting for you as well as introducing more relevant vocabulary and situations which could be included in an ICAO language proficiency test.

When Should I Take the ICAO Language Proficiency Test?

Your aviation English teacher should be able to advise you when you are ready to take the test. As the test is very expensive (approx. £135) it is really not a good idea to attempt it until you have successfully improved your English language abilities. You should also check that the specific test you plan to take is recognised by your local Aviation Authority and by any company that you wish to work for.