Plain English - expecting the unexpected

You may be sort of confused because how a person can expect something that is not expected. But to tell you the truth, pilots need to have this feeling. Ask yourself how many times you have already faced an event you had not been waiting for. I'm almost sure you would say you've faced some...

Nevertheless, you would be able to explain them to anyone the way they happened by providing details of some important points using your mother language, wouldn't you? And if you had the necessity to describe these events/situations to one of your American/British friends? Could you do it?

Now, imagine yourself as the captain/first officer of an airplane heading for any other country where the usage of English is essential, and during the approach you find your plane is surrounded by a large number of birds. How would you communicate the situation to the controller? Go ahead and try.

Did you get it? Doing it or not what I am trying to explain is why plain/general/academic English is important for communication in unexpected situations. Please read the article below.

Summary of Aviation English language

Aviation English (AE) is split into three key areas;

1. Phraseology,
2. Plain English and
3. General English.

All three areas work side by side to create language ‘moments’ in the sky and on the ground. Phraseology is the scripted communication that every pilot and controller has been trained to use. Plain English is a way to communicate simply without use of over-complex language. It may help to aid understanding and deliver the meaning of something and indeed save lives in certain situations. General English is not a specific part of many Aviation English courses but it is integrated and assumed. You need General English as the foundation before you add the building blocks to create your dream home.

The main rule is that you cannot have one linguistic area without the other. It is a fair assumption that some people discredit or rather devalue the use of ‘plain’ and General English in Aviation English, but the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) completely disagree. ICAO state that pilots/controllers at level 4 standard can “handle successfully with relative ease the linguistic challenges presented by a complication or unexpected turn of events.” After all, unforeseen events in the sky may not be as predictable as a holding pattern around London Heathrow.

Attention: Phraseology will not get you out of every situation

The official phraseology used by aviation personnel is highly specific and fine-tuned, it will form the basis of all flights, and is indeed a ‘special’ feature of Aviation English. Phraseology is the result of decades of expert knowledge due to accidents, incidents and logic. The framework needed to get from A to B safely. However, it is not enough and you need Plain and General English to get you out of strange and unpredictable problems. English is one of the most important aspects of ICAO level 4 and above language testing. For example, what if there are animals loose in the aircraft? What if there is a piece of luggage blocking the taxiway? How would you explain this to a controller in English?

Professional Aviation English practice will help you integrate all 3 aspects of Aviation English language. This is done by training you to use a wide range of language skills to get you out of those ‘sticky situations’ when you need to explain an unusual situation. The ICAO level 4 requirements state, “(this person) can often paraphrase successfully when lacking in vocabulary for unexpected circumstances.” This requirement means that you do not need to know every word in aviation or general English, but you do need to know how to get around not knowing certain vocabulary.