The level of the CAA International EALT

The ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements consist of Operational Level 4 of the ICAO Language Proficiency Rating Scale (Attachment to Annex 1 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (3)) and the ICAO Holistic Descriptors of operational language proficiency (Appendix to Annex 1).

The minimum language proficiency required of a candidate to achieve Operational Level 4 on the ICAO Language Proficiency Rating Scale is as follows:

• Pronunciation, stress, rhythm and intonation, though influenced by the candidate’s first language or regional variation, only sometimes interfere with understanding.
• Basic grammatical structures and sentence patterns are used creatively and are usually well controlled and while errors may occur, particularly in unusual or unexpected circumstances, they rarely interfere with the candidate’s intended meaning.
• Vocabulary range and accuracy are usually sufficient to communicate effectively on common, concrete and work related topics, with the candidate often able to paraphrase successfully when lacking vocabulary in unusual or unexpected circumstances.
• Stretches of language are produced at an appropriate tempo, and although there may be occasional loss of fluency on transition from rehearsed or formulaic speech to spontaneous interaction, effective communication is not prevented. Use of discourse markers or connectors is made, although perhaps limited, and fillers are not distracting.
• Comprehension is mostly accurate on common, concrete and work related topics when the accent or variety used is sufficiently intelligible for an international community of listeners, although when confronted with a linguistic or situational complication or an unexpected turn of events, comprehension may be slower or require clarification strategies.
• Responses are usually immediate, appropriate and informative, with exchanges initiated and maintained even when dealing with an unexpected turn of events. Apparent misunderstandings are dealt with adequately by checking, confirming or clarifying.

The key indicators of the level of communicative competence required to achieve compliance with the ICAO Holistic Descriptors of operational language proficiency are the following:

• The ability to communicate effectively in voice-only (telephone/radio-telephone) and in face-to-face situations
• The ability to communicate on common, concrete and work-related topics with accuracy and clarity
• The ability to use appropriate communicative strategies to exchange messages and to recognise and resolve misunderstandings (e.g. to check, confirm, or clarify information) in a general or work-related context
• The ability to handle successfully and with relative ease the linguistic challenges presented by a complication or unexpected turn of events that occurs within the context of a routine work situation or communicative task with which they are otherwise familiar
• The ability to use a dialect or accent which is intelligible to the aeronautical community