The ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements
In September 2003 the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO), a division within the United Nations, announced changes to
provisions strengthening language proficiency requirements. These
requirements will come into effect from March 2008.
All pilots operating on international routes and all air traffic
controllers who communicate with foreign pilots will need to have their
English language proficiency formally assessed. The ICAO language
proficiency requirement requires that pilots and air traffic controllers
be able to communicate proficiently using both ICAO phraseology (ICAO
Doc. 9832) and plain English (ICAO Doc. 9835).
ICAO has established six levels of language proficiency:
- ICAO Level 6: Expert
- ICAO Level 5: Extended
- ICAO Level 4: Operational
- ICAO Level 3: Pre-Operational
- ICAO Level 2: Elementary
- ICAO Level 1: Pre-Elementary
The minimum language level for licensing purposes is ICAO Level 4. To
be assessed at ICAO Level 4 or above, a pilot or air traffic controller
must achieve Level 4 in all six of the ICAO skill areas: Pronunciation,
Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and Interactions.
The strengthening of the provisions occurs as a result of changes to
ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in several Annexes:
Annex 1:
Aeroplane and helicopter pilots, air traffic controllers and
aeronautical station operators shall demonstrate the ability to speak
and understand the language used for radiotelephony communications to
the level specified in the language proficiency requirements in the
Appendix.
Annex 1 also contains an Appendix: the ICAO six-band Language proficiency Rating Scale.
The Appendix states that: The language proficiency requirements are
applicable to the use of both phraseologies and plain English.
Annex 6:
Operators shall ensure that flight crew members demonstrate the
ability to speak and understand the language used for aeronautical
radiotelephony communications as specified in Annex 1.
Operators shall ensure that flight crew members demonstrate the
ability to speak and understand the language used for radiotelephony
communications as specified in Annex 1.
Annex 10:
ICAO standardised phraseology shall be used in all situations for
which has been specified. Only when standardised phraseology cannot
serve an intended transmission, plain language shall be used.
The air-ground radiotelephony communications shall be conducted in
the language normally used by the station on the ground or in the
English language.
The English language shall be available, on request from any aircraft
station, at all stations on the ground serving designated airports and
routes used by international air services.
Annex 11:
An air traffic service provider shall ensure that air traffic
controllers speak and understand the language(s) used for radiotelephony
communications as specified in Annex 1.
The Manual on the Implementation of ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements
ICAO has published a guidance manual (Manual on the Implementation of
ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements, Doc. 9835) to highlight the
changes to the language requirements and provide the aviation industry
with an overview of what the changes mean.
ICAO has published a guidance manual (Manual on the Implementation of
ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements, Doc. 9835) to highlight the
changes to the language requirements and provide the aviation industry
with an overview of what the changes mean.
According to Doc. 9835 a language test used to assess language for the ICAO Language standards should:
- be aviation-specific (not assess general English proficiency) and
be related to the language of radiotelephony which pilots and air
traffic controllers use in their work
- assess language based on the criteria established in the ICAO Language Proficiency Rating Scale
- not assess a knowledge of phraseologies, but must assess communicative ability in both phraseology and plain Language
- assess speaking and listening skills directly (not assess
language knowledge indirectly, or assess reading and writing ability).
ICAO also requires the personnel assessed at Level 4 and Level 5 be
retested, at recommended intervals of 2 years of Level 4 and 6 years for
Level 5.