The Test of English for Aviation (T.E.A.) is a language proficiency test designed and developed by
Mayflower College in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
Following several
accidents and incidents where language was a contributing factor (see e.g. ), the
International Civil Aviation Organization
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international sch ...
now requires all
civil pilots and
Air traffic controllers
An Air traffic controller (ATC) is a person responsible for the coordination of traffic in their assigned airspace. Typically stationed in area control centers or control towers, they monitor the position, speed, and altitude of aircraft and c ...
(working in an international environment) to have a minimum level of
English. The T.E.A. assesses candidates' written and spoken English abilities through the skills of vocabulary, structure, pronunciation, fluency, comprehension, and interactions. It is a test of ability in
plain English
Plain English (also referred to as layman's terms) is a mode of writing or speaking the English language intended to be easy to understand regardless of one's familiarity with a given topic. It usually avoids the use of rare words and uncommon euph ...
in aviation settings, not of
aeronautical phraseology.
The test is administered by a single examiner in an interview setting with the candidate, and takes 25–30 minutes. The test has three parts. In the first part, the interviewer in the candidate have a general conversation regarding the candidate's interest and experience in aviation. In the second part, the candidate listens to recordings of international English speakers in aviation-related scenarios and responds appropriately. In the third part, the candidate is presented with pictures and is asked to discuss them in English.
See also
*
Aviation English
Aviation English is the '' de facto'' international language of civil aviation. With the expansion of air travel in the 20th century, there were safety concerns about the ability of pilots and air traffic controllers to communicate. In 1951, the I ...
*
English Proficiency Test for Aviation
References
External links
Online language proficiency test ( Level4, Level5, Level6 ) for pilots in English or GermanTest of English for AviationMayflower CollegeAviation EnglishPlymouth UniversityEnglish for Aviation Courses
{{DEFAULTSORT:Test Of English For Aviation
English language tests
English-language education
English for specific purposes