English Language Proficiency
Training and testing of ATM
personnel in France
ENAC - DGAC
1
Current regulatory context
• ICAO SARPs
– Annex 1
– Annex 10
– Annex 11
• Eurocontrol
– ESARR5
• EU Directive (late 2005)
– ATC Licence
• National regulations
– initial - ENAC
• progression
requirements
• minimum exit level 4
– continuation - DGAC
• placement testing
• training requirements
2
Objectives
• Acquire ICAO level 4
– develop general language skills
– focus on specific topics/functions/skills for aviation R/T
– teach specific aviation language
• Develop learner autonomy
– strategies
– resources
• Maintain ICAO level 4
– regular practice
– refresher training
3
Recruitment
• National competitive entrance exams
– annual
– academic
• 2 populations trained exclusively at ENAC:
– TSEEAC (ATC in small aerodromes)
• high-school diploma (baccalauréat) + 1 year ENAC
• minimum level (oral): 3,5
– ICNA (ATC in 79 large aerodromes and 5 ACC)
• high-school diploma + 2 years advanced maths
• minimum level (oral): 3,5
4
ENAC Language Department
• 14,000 hours of training per year (2004)
• Teaching staff
– 50 teachers, mixed nationalities
– aviation specialisation
• Facilities
– dedicated rooms (multimedia, discussion, selfaccess)
– books, audio, video, satellite TV/radio
5
Historical background
•
1948: ENAC founded, Paris
– English training
•
1968: ENAC moves to Toulouse
– aviation English materials (Y Rengade)
•
1990: new ATC basic course
– 3 years, 520 hours of ELT, alternate school/OJT, 6 weeks immersion
UK/USA
•
1990 - present:
–
–
–
–
–
introduction of national rating scale (8 levels)
development of continuation training provisions on local basis
publication of “syllabus checklist” (reprinted in ICAO Doc 9835)
development (with Eurocontrol) and implementation of PELA test
member of PRICESG (ICAO language proficiency SARPs)
6
Initial training - general
• Phraseology (ATC staff)
– bilingual (French/English)
• DGAC standard
– computer-based training
– simulation training
• Plain language (ELT staff)
– small groups(8)
– tutorials(1-4)
– methodologies/materials
• communicative/formal
• simplified/authentic
– extensive
• general + aviation
• 4-6 hours/week
– intensive/immersion
• general only
• 2 weeks/ 6 weeks
7
Initial training (ICNA)
ENAC
ENTRANCE
POST
ASIGNMENT
POST
CONFIRMATION
MOD1
MOD2
MOD3
MOD4
MOD5
MOD6
ENAC
MIXED
ENAC
CTRE
ENAC
CTRE
8 months
4
3
3,5
3
MOD7 MOD8
IMM
ENAC
1,5
1
6
ENAC
MANAGEMENT
FULL
QUALIFICATION
MOD9
MOD10
CTRE
CTRE
From 3 to 18 months
CENTRE
MANAGEMENT
From 3 to 4,5 years
ENGLISH TESTS (ENAC)
ENGLISH TESTS
(PELA+ENAC)
8
Training strategies
• Direct
• Indirect
– Language training
• extensive/intensive
– immersion
– class groups
– tutorials
• self-study
– school intranet
– multi-media rooms
– course documents
– Learner training
• self-study guide
• teacher-student
relationship
– Human factors
training
• theory
• observation
• debrief
9
Continuation training
• a national policy (DGAC)
– regular working groups
– regional linguistic co-ordinators
• language trainers at each facility
– ACC
– TWR/APP
• minimum national requirement
• individual English training plans (PIFA)
10
Language Testing
• initial
– progress/achievement testing (in-house)
– proficiency testing (PELA)
• continuation
– benchmarking/diagnostic testing (TNP)
– proficiency testing (???)
11
Problems encountered
• initial
– learner attitudes conditioned by previous schooling
– motivation of students with levels higher than 4
– resources for development of specific training materials
• continuation
– training for all on a voluntary basis
– older populations
– test acceptance for benchmarking
12
Future perspectives
• initial
– multimedia technologies facilitate learning outside the
classroom
• increase overall training effort (knowledge, listening skills)
• focus classroom activities on speaking
– content instruction in English (human factors,…)
– closer collaboration between language and ATC instructors
• continuation
– stronger requirements to undergo training
– national coordination
13