WORKSHOP

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS IMPLEMENTATIONLANGUAGE PROFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS IMPLEMENTATION

3 - 5 March 2010Rome - Italy

REGULATORY ISSUES ON REGULATORY ISSUES ON TESTINGTESTING

Eleonora ItaliaEnac Personnel Licensing Director

1.2.9 LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Refers to pilots and flight navigators, ATCOs 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:

ICAO ANNEX 1

- ICAO ANNEX 1 APPENDIX 1

- ICAO doc. 9835

- ICAO Circular 318-AN/180

To meet the language proficiency requirements contained in section 1.2.9 an applicant shall demonstrate

compliance with

the holistic descriptors at section 2 and

the ICAO Operational level of the ICAO rating scale

As a whole, the scale serves as benchmarks for training and testing, and in assisting candidates to attain the ICAO operational level

ICAO ANNEX 1 APPENDIX 1

in a manner acceptable to the licensing authority

ACCEPTABLE TO THE AUTHORITY

WHICH ARE THE KEY CONCEPTS TO FOCUS ON FOR CONSIDERING THE DEMONSTRATION OF

PROFICIENCY

THE STATE AVIATION AUTHORITIES MAINTAIN OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITIES

ACCEPTABLE ?

To fulfil ICAO provisions requiring that pilots and controllers demonstrate language proficiency sufficient for SAFE and EFFICIENT radiotelephony communications

To provide BENCHMARKS by which the EFFECTIVENESS of language training and learning may be evaluated

LANGUAGE TESTING IN AVIATION HAS HIGH STAKES BECAUSE CAREERS LANGUAGE TESTING IN AVIATION HAS HIGH STAKES BECAUSE CAREERS AND SAFETY ARE AT STAKEAND SAFETY ARE AT STAKE

Proficiency test evaluate OVERALL ability against a set of criteria⇒

AVIATION LANGUAGE TESTING

DOC. 9835 CHAPTER 6

PURPOSES OF TESTING:

TESTS PURPOSE:

1. Provides RELIABLE and VALID results

2. Are VALID – RELIABLE – EFFECTIVE – APPROPRIATE- PRACTICABLE

VALID: indicates the degree to which a test measures what is supposed to measure

RELIABLE: refers to the stability of the test, in terms of standard of evaluation and rating

PRACTICABLE: signifies the balance between resources required and resources available

AVIATION LANGUAGE TESTING

influence of testing on teaching and learning

POSITIVE WASHBACK the test encourages learners and ⇒trainers to focus on PROFICIENT-BUILDING LANGUAGE

learning activities, to improve proficiency level,

and NOT

to focus on the easier way to get a higher score

TEST WASHBACK

ICAO CIRCULAR 318-AN/180

HIGH QUALITY TESTING WILL ENCOURAGE HIGH QUALITY TRAINING !!!

⇒ A TESTING SERVICE THAT CAN CONTINUALLY PROVIDE NEW TEST ITEMS

⇒ THAT CAN TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION DIFFERENT SCENARIOUS (AB INITIO PILOS AND ATCOs, PPL, PROFESSIONAL PILOTS AND ATCOs,

HELICOPTER PILOTS, AEROPLANE PILOTS)

AND

⇒ A LARGE NUMBER OF RATERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES IS REQUIRED (6.6.1)

⇒ A TESTING SERVICE THAT CAN CONTINUALLY ASSURE SECURITY AND QUALITY CONTROL

TESTING SERVICES RATHER THAN “A TEST” ARE

REQUIRED

TEST PREPARED WITH THE INPUT OF PROFESSIONAL TEST DEVELOPERS

WRITING TEST SPECIFICATIONS

DECIDING TEST METHOD AND CONTENT

DEVELOPING TEST ITEMS TRIALLING TEST ITEMS

ANALYSING THE RESULTS

REVISING TEST ITEMS

RE-TRIALLING THE TEST AND TEST ITEMS

VALIDATING THE TEST

ESTABLISHING A RATING PROCEDURE

ESTABLISHING A RATER TRAINING PROCESS AND A QUALITY CONTROL PROCESS

ESTABLISHING RECORD KEEPING ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS

BEST PRACTICE FOR LANGUAGE TESTING IN AVIATION (6.5.4)

RATERS AT LEAST TWO

- TRAINED, QUALIFIED, EXPERIENCED

- ABLE TO IDENTIFY DEFICIENCIES IN PERFORMANCE

-ABLE TO GUIDE CANDIDATES TOWARDS LANGUAGE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

- INSPIRE TRUST AND GAIN THE CONFIDENCE OF BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND CANDIDATES

-AGREE UPON STANDARDIZED PROCEDURES

-COMMIT THE BEST PRACTICE (CODE OF ETHICS)

↓

THEN, THE RATING SCALE IS USED TO MAKE INFORMED JUDGEMENTS ABOUT CANDIDATES

BEST PRACTICE FOR LANGUAGE TESTING IN AVIATION

STANDARDIZED AND TRAINED RATERS

Initial and recurrent training documented – rater training records maintained – audit conducted and documented periodically

CAN ONLY GUARANTEE THE VALIDITY AND THE RELIABILITY OF THE TEST

DIRECT

Candidate interacts with a tester directly or with other candidates while being observed by a tester.

Requires more time and human resources

Benefits: more natural, communicative

because of the interaction there is an infinite supply of tests prompts

SEMI-DIRECT

Speech samples are elicited based on pre-recorded prompts

Inflexibility

Benefits: test takers receive the same prompts

less time (more candidates tested at the same time)

Appropriate strategy: incorporate both direct and semi direct methods in a single testing system

PROFICIENCY TESTS

HOWEVER

AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDING

OF THE TEST PERFORMANCE IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR

VERIFICATION AND RECORD-KEEPING PURPOSES

IT ALSO HELPS IN APPEALS PROCEDURES, WHICH HAVE TO BE ESTABLISHED

TEST ADMINISTRATION

CIRCULAR 318-AN/180

TO PUBLISH A COMPLETE SAMPLE OF THE TEST

DOCUMENTED TEST RATING PROCESS AVAILABLE

DOCUMENTED INSTRUCTIONS TO TEST TAKERS, TEST ADMINISTRATION TEAMS, TEST RATERS AVAILABLE

TEST ADMINISTRATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURE AVAILABLE

DOCUMENTED APPEALS PROCEDURE ESTABLISHED

TEST SECURITY

ENFORCE SECURITY MEASURES TO ENSURE THE INTEGRITY OF THE TESTING PROCESS

TEST MATERIAL HELD IN CONFIDENCE AND WELL STORED, NOT PUBLISHED OR PROVIDED TO TEST TAKERS BEFORE THE TEST

RECORD-KEEPING

AUDIO AND/OR VIDEO RECORDING

EVALUATION SHEETS AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

SCORE-REPORTING PROCESS

HOW ENAC ENFORCED LPR KEY CONCEPTS AND REQUIREMENTS

ONE TEST FOR PILOTS AND ONE TEST FOR ATCOs standardisation and uniformity of evaluation needBOTH DIRECT AND SEMI-DIRECT METHODS IN THE TEST

EXAMINERS AND TEST ADMINISTRATORS APPLY TO ENAC

EXAMINERS CERTIFIED AFTER SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETING 20 HOURS ON SELF STUDYING, OVERSIGHT BY DISTANCE AND TWO DAYS OF STANDARDISATION AND CERTIFICATION SESSION HELD BY THE TEST DEVELOPER AND ENAC 46 ACTIVE EXAMINERS⇒

TEST ADMINISTRATORS BRIEFED AND TRAINED ON TEST ADMINISTRATION, SECURITY PROCEDURES AND RECORD-KEEPING

TEST CENTRES REQUIREMENTS EVALUATED BY ENAC, CERTIFIED BY THE TEST DEVELOPER ⇒ 39 TEST CENTRES CERTIFIED

THE LIST OF THE TEST CENTRES PUBLISHED ON ENAC WEB SITE

HOW ENAC ENFORCED LPR KEY CONCEPTS AND REQUIREMENTS

TEST CENTRES AUDITED BY ENAC

TWO RATERS

RESULTS CONFIRMED AFTER THE SECOND RATE

TEST RESULT ENDORSED BY ENAC ON THE PILOT’S LICENCE: “language proficiency : ENGLISH Level ….. EXP. …… date of the test + 3 years (Lv. 4) date of the test + 6 years (Lv. 5) ITALIAN Level 6

DATA BASE WITH TEST RESULTS AVAILABLE TO ALL ENAC AIRPORT OFFICERS

IN CASE OF DEMONSTRATION OF PROFICIENCY BELOW LEVEL 4: “restricted to VFR domestic activity, other than public transportation”

Any Any questions?questions?