Assessing proficiency in English for Specific Purposes: the case of Aviation English

Assessing language proficiency in aviation has been a contentious matter. In 2003 the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) introduced a standard for assessing proficiency in English for licencing pilots and air traffic controllers involved in international operations. ICAO’s Language Proficiency Requirements (LPRs)  articulate this standard mainly through the language proficiency rating scale and a set of holistic descriptors of various categories of linguistic performance. The main focus of this attempt at standardization – the language proficiency rating scale – has since its creation come under considerable criticism from both linguists and aviation professionals for different reasons. Furthermore, although ICAO did impose a standard of minimum language proficiency, it currently does not offer a standardized test for assessing the minimum required level of this proficiency. Thus, both the standard for determining successful performance and the assessment tools used for this variety of English for specific purposes have been a focus of continuous research and debate. In our paper we will present the key points of this debate with a particular focus on how they can inform theoretical and practical problems of ESP proficiency assessments. First, we will present why ICAO’s attempt at standardization of minimum proficiency requirements has garnered so much criticism. Second, we will talk about problems with validating Aviation English tests. In our conclusion, we will bring these two points together to show what assessing proficiency in Aviation English can teach us about ESP testing in general.