English for Air Traffic Controllers

Introduction

English for Air Traffic Controllers is an online course, consisting of 56 units of English, and providing approximately 60 hours of study for students.

Course aims

To give students at Intermediate, CEFR B1/Upper Intermediate B2 level practice in general and business-oriented language required for business contexts at this level, specifically tailored towards the specialisation of air traffic control. The course blends grammatical structures necessary for this level, with vocabulary, reading, listening, writing, speaking, and pronunciation.

Grammar

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

Use present and past tenses correctly
Use the appropriate conditional forms to talk about situations and consequences
Use the present perfect to describe a link between past and present events
Use going to and will to talk about future predictions and intentions
Use the passive form correctly
Distinguish and be able to correctly describe countable and uncountable nouns

Vocabulary

By the end of the course students will have learnt approximately 120 expressions used in air traffic control.

Skills

By the end of the course students will have had exposure to and practice in reading and hearing formal and informal English from a variety of accents and air traffic control contexts.

Unit summary

Module 1

Grammar: Present tenses
Vocabulary: Key aviation and ATC terms
Reading: A brief history of aviation and air traffic control
Listening: An overview of the roles and responsibilities of air traffic controllers
Writing: My journey to Air Traffic Control
Speaking: Discussing experiences and motivations for working in ATC
Pronunciation: Anxious and Chess + connected speech

Module 2

Grammar: Past tenses
Vocabulary: Basic ATC terminology and concepts
Reading: Understanding the structure and organization of ATC
Listening: Controllers and pilots communicating in routine situations
Writing: Crafting clear, concise, and informative ATC messages
Speaking: Practicing standard ATC phraseology
Pronunciation: Beats and Beach + connected speech

Module 3

Grammar: Going to and Will
Vocabulary: Weather-related terms and phenomena
Reading: The importance of weather in aviation and ATC
Listening: Weather briefings and updates
Writing: Interpreting TAFs
Speaking: Summarising and reporting weather conditions
Pronunciation: Bet and But + connected speech

Module 4

Grammar: Present perfect
Vocabulary: Airspace classifications and navigation concepts
Reading: The structure and management of airspace
Listening: Providing navigation instructions to pilots
Writing: Documenting and reporting route deviations and incidents
Speaking: Confirming and clarifying route information
Pronunciation: Bud and Bird + connected speech

Module 5

Grammar: Countable and uncountable nouns
Vocabulary: Emergency situations and procedures
Reading: Case studies of past aviation incidents and accidents
Listening: Managing in-flight emergencies and coordinating assistance
Writing: Writing incident reports and debriefing statements
Speaking: Providing clear instructions and reassurance during emergencies
Pronunciation: Cart and Cut + connected speech

Module 6

Grammar: First conditional
Vocabulary: Key ICAO terminology and concepts
Reading: Understanding ICAO regulations and their impact on ATC
Listening: Controllers and pilots adhering to ICAO standards
Writing: Reflecting on the role of ICAO in personal ATC experiences
Speaking: Discussing the importance of international standards in aviation
Pronunciation: Day and Ray + connected speech

Module 7

Grammar: Passive
Vocabulary: Human factors and their impact on ATC performance
Reading: The importance of managing stress and fatigue in ATC
Listening: Controllers discussing challenges and coping strategies
Writing: Developing a personal plan for addressing human factors
Speaking: Sharing personal experiences related to human factors
Pronunciation: Guess and Yes + connected speech

Module 8

Grammar: Second conditional
Vocabulary: Career-related terms and concepts
Reading: Advancement opportunities and skills development in ATC
Listening: Controllers discussing their career paths and future goals
Writing: Drafting a professional development plan for career advancement
Speaking: Setting personal goals and identifying areas for growth
Pronunciation: Hope and Hop + connected speech

Follow-up

Students completing the English for Air Traffic Controllers course should feel confident in tackling any upper intermediate course, including our Upper Intermediate Business Power course.