Online Aviation English Rater Course
Learn to apply the ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements online with Aviation English test samples (TEAC).
Lenguax is proud to offer a high-quality 40-hour online rater course for those interested in obtaining or renewing a certificate in applying the ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements to Aviation English test speech samples.
The speech samples used are from the Test of English for Aeronautical Communication (TEAC). As such, the rating scale will be applied to performances on these tasks.
The course is a mixture of online group discussion sessions and self-access reading and listening activities.
Study in the UK!
We are now taking bookings for closed-group, in-person rater courses to suit your needs. We have venue options in Wimbledon (London), Brighton or Perth (Scotland). Please email Ben (ben@lenguax.com) for details.
Course Content
Overall there are 8 modules of self-access study, filled with real-world examples of candidate performances and commentary from expert ELE and SME raters. In total, the online material amounts to about 25 hours of content. Including online meetings and final assessment the course amounts to 40 hours.
In addition, we will meet for 5 sessions on Zoom where we will listen to more tests and discuss, as a group, our rating.
The timings of these meetings will depend on the time zones of everyone who enrolled for the course: we will do our best to accommodate everyone. The daily 3-hour meetings typically start between 0900 and 1100 UK time. But, until the meeting times are arranged, you should make yourself available throughout the whole week to join the meetings. If you cannot attend one session we can arrange to record it for you.
Our course is accepted by the LBA Germany
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Fantastic course! I suggest to all to participate in this course. Clear explanations - very, very good online material which is not only informative but exciting (I could hardly leave it once I started to study)! Good, useful exercises... the Zoom training is also amazing and very good indeed: well-structured, a lot of exercises and discussion. All this happens in a very friendly and tolerant environment: we were talking like old friends. Do not miss it!
Zsuzsanna Rahóci
Licencisng officer, caa of hungary
Upon enrolling you will have access to three modules (see below for details). These will form the basis of discussion during the first discussion session.
After this, on consecutive days you will receive two more modules each day, and these will be the focus of the next daily session. Each session involves listening to real-life test performances from candidates from a range of countries, and assessing them for their performances in the areas that have been covered to date.
In the final sessions you will be able to confidently assess performances across the range of abilities in all 6 ICAO language areas.
You can download a brochure here.
Rating Task
Lastly, you will listen to a number of TEAC tests, and submit the score you think the candidates should be awarded in each area. You will be given individualized feedback in your rating in the form of comments about the scoring from our team of experienced ELE and SME raters and language assessors, and a statistical analysis of your "harshness" or "leniency" in the form of a Rasch analysis.
This feedback will, we believe, help to guide you in your future rating career, whichever test you provide assessments for. Please note, however, that tests other than TEAC may include somewhat different tasks, and we cannot guarantee that this rater course will provide all the input necessary to know how to rate those tests accurately.
What’s in the rater course?
Here you can read about the contents of the self-access modules.
1
Module 1: ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements & Language Testing
In this module we explore the actual requirements from ICAO by looking at Document 9835. We also consider some of the issues involved in language testing by considering the topics of reliability and validity.
2
Module 2: ICAO Descriptors - Pronunciation
In this module we think about Pronunciation and how to assess fairly using the ICAO language descriptors. We consider issues of intelligibility, English as an International Language and some of the intelligibility issues that speakers from different language backgrounds may experience. We listen to samples of speakers from around the world and consider how their pronunciation does or does not "interfere with meaning".
3
Module 3: ICAO Descriptors - Structure
This module considers Structure and how we can assess it using the ICAO language descriptors. We think about the notions of "basic" and "complex" structure and interference with meaning, and some of the difficulties faced by speakers of other languages in learning English grammar. We then listen to some examples of different levels of performance.
4
Module 4: ICAO Descriptors - Vocabulary
In this module we think about the "range and accuracy" of different examples of Vocabulary performance and how to assess these with respect to the ICAO descriptors. We also consider what "idiomatic" language might mean in this context.
5
Module 5: ICAO Descriptors - Fluency
Fluency involves both "flow" and the use of discourse markers - two quite different concepts. We will examine both then listen to some examples of different levels of ability.
6
Module 6: ICAO Descriptors - Comprehension
We will consider Comprehension in the abstract: how can we know what someone understands in a reliable and fair way? We will use the listening tasks from the TEAC as our instrument, and listen to different ability levels attempting the tasks, and learn how to map these performances to scores.
7
Module 7: ICAO Descriptors - Interactions
The interactions descriptor can be quite confusing for new raters: we will try to demystify it and show how different test performances exemplify different degrees of proficiency in this pragmatic skill.
8
Module 8: Examiner Behaviour
For valid, reliable testing examiner behaviour is critical: each candidate should receive a similar testing experience, and the way an interlocutor behaves can radically affect the performance that the candidate is able to deliver. We will read about best practice, and consider some examples of.. less good practice!
9
Module 9: Rater Performance
Finishing a rater course isn't the end! It is important to monitor how raters rate tests even after they complete their training. This module looks at using Many-Faceted Rasch Analysis as a way to monitor how raters are interacting with tests, in order to ensure fair scores for candidates.
Why choose the Lenguax Rater Course?
There are a number of different Aviation English rater courses out there, but this one is different!
We have a highly qualified team of raters and trainers who are here to help you navigate through the complexities of Aviation English rating!
Among the skills we bring to the table are more than twenty years combined of rater training, and three MAs in Language Testing, as well as long careers working in Aviation English as examiners and teachers. We know very well the difficulties in applying the sometimes confusing ICAO LPRs.
Our course is designed around two principles:
1) The content should be engaging and interesting: language testing is interesting and the course should reflect that!
2) Participants should feel supported: different raters bring different experience and knowledge to the discussion, and every viewpoint is valid.
Through engaging discussion and an informal atmosphere we can learn from each other to become accurate, standardised raters!
A full course certificate is earned through several factors. These include satisfactory completion of the rating task after the course, in which trainees must demonstrate consistent competence in the rating of speech samples, and observations from the trainers during the training sessions. We wish to see evidence of knowledge gained from the online modules and discussion of suitable linguistic evidence to justify ratings appropriately.
It looks like the example presented here.
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An excellent, stimulating and challenging course. Thoroughly enjoyed all the sessions.
Marcus
ATCO
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Well organized, well managed and well explained. Remarkable!
Shanila
PILOT
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The course followed an easy-to-understand building block approach to English Language Testing. Every lesson had clear and well organised content. All examples were helpful in gaining a good understanding of the subject matter.
Online sessions were very well presented and organised. Exercises and group discussions (whether as a whole group or split up in separate rooms) were great tools to understand each descriptor and give an appropriate grade. Even for someone who's never dealt with Aviation English tests outside of my own test many years ago, everything made sense at the end of the week and I feel comfortable rating a test myself now.
Tomas
PILOT
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Great experience. Very informative and practical. The instructors were there to assist and manage the course in a highly professional way and at the same time in a very cosy and friendly way. The course content was on point; the right amount of information that you need to be a rater without going too deeply into language theory. There a was A LOT of practice which is maybe THE strength of this course; a lot of discussions on practical issues. I also enjoyed the peer and group work, it helped me see other raters points of view regarding in the rating process. Overall, a great course that I'd suggest to anyone who either is looking for a refresher, or wants to start in the journey of language proficiency rating.
Mehdi
ATCO
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