1. Further English Language Development of Experienced ATCOs

2. Czech Air Navigation Institute
Division of Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic
Established in 1983
Initial and recurring training for:
230 licensed Czech ATCOs and ATCO trainees
Technicians and support staff
Foreign ATCOs and professionals from more than 15 countries

3. Czech Air Navigation Institute
Training follows Eurocontrol common core content and ICAO guidelines
Wide range of skills training within Air Traffic Services
English language training

4. English Language Level 4 or Higher
Training and testing all ATCOs since 2001
ELPAC test
Recruitment minimum level 4
100% Level 4 or higher since 2009
After 100% ATCO level 4 certification, what next?

5. ATCO Refresher Course

6. ATCO Refresher Course
Mission Statement: Further develop English language communication skills of active ATCOs to enhance operational safety and external productivity
Operational: signed on to an ATC position
External: job-related, but not ‘on the mike’
Functional English in various working environments

7. ATCO Refresher Course Licensed ATCOs, level 4 or higher
5 days, 3 X 90 minutes per day = 22.5 hours
Once per year
Participants relieved of all other job-related duties
Led by 1 to 3 different native English teachers with Aviation English teaching experience, selected and trained specifically for this course

8. ATCO Refresher Course Core Language Components
Aviation vocabulary building
Listening (mostly from materials developed in-house)
Speaking
Reading
Refresher grammar

9. ATCO Refresher Course Classroom activities
Aviation-related case studies with discussion
Student presentations (end of week)
Analysis of real world ATC dialogues
Both native and non-native English speaking pilots and ATCOS

10. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
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Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
Listening and Analysis using materials developed in-house
Relevance
Medical emergencies occur in approximately 1 in 25,000 passengers
Flight diversions occur in up to 7% to 10% of these cases*
Mandate
Where standard phraseology does not suffice, communication will be conducted at all times in plain language that is precise, concise and unambiguous
*Source: Commercial Aviation In-flight Emergencies and the Physician
Emerg Med Australis 2007 Feb 19(1):1-8 Review

11. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
February 19, 2011
Air France 636, Paris to Houston, emergency diversion to St. John’s, Newfoundland
Dialogue length: 1 minute 10 seconds

12. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency

13. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency

14. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
0:06 ATCO “Heart attack”
0:17 Pilot “Cerebral attack”
0:24 ATCO “Brain aneurysm”
0:46 ATCO “Brain issue”
0:51 Consensus “Brain attack”
Cost of consensus: 5 different attempts, 51 seconds, 9 radio transmissions

15. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
Aneurysm
Too specific
Low in universal comprehension
Brain Attack
Marginally acceptable
Possibly misleading
Is patient awake and in pain or unresponsive?
Requires more questions before actionable response
Stroke
Precise
Concise
Unambiguous

16. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
Stroke: rapidly developing loss of brain function due to a disturbance in the blood supply to the brain
Specific enough to allow an actionable response
Not too specific so as to mislead medical responders
Cost of consensus: 1 attempt, 5 seconds, 2 transmissions
Ensures safety for the ailing passenger and all other parties

17. ATC: Sir I just want to confirm that the patient is a 57 year old male with a heart attack, is that correct? Pilot: Negative negative it is cerebral problem cerebral (unreadable) <pause> (unreadable) attack ATC: Okay sir say again the condition Pilot: Cerebral attack for a passenger brain problems with blood in the brain ATC: Okay some sort of brain aneurysm is that correct? France 636 I think I stepped on you there just confirm it’s a brain aneurysm of some sort Pilot: I don’t know this way in English (unreadable) in the brain for Air France 636 passenger ATC: Ok, yeah, I take that it’s a brain issue, maybe an attack of some sort in the brain, is that correct? Pilot: That’s correct perfect and we need assistance

18. Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
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Sample Teaching: Medical Emergency
Solicit feedback from students
Repeat subtopics as necessary
Success is measured in applicability to real-life working environments

19. Thank You