ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements — Rated Speech Samples

Language Proficiency Rating

General Remarks

The test taker exhibits very strong proficiency, performing at Level 5 or higher across most of the ICAO Language Proficiency Skills. However, his fluency brings his performance to a Level 4.

Pronunciation

There are many examples of stress being used naturally:

• So, now I am a commercial pilot for uh multi-engine aircraft with instrument rating, that is my background. (01:02 - 01:12)
• Talking about dis, disadvantage, the first thing is cost (02:59 - 03:03)
• Not automated (09:16 - 09:17)

Intonation is usually correct. One exception was:

• mountaineous (08:54 - 08:55)

The test taker is sensitive to natural rhythms that facilitate understanding and enhance expression:

• Also uh, it is very costly to maintain the aircraft. (03:09 - 03:15)

Although pronunciation is influenced by the test taker's own language, the only cases when this interferes with ease of understanding are the occasional failures to pronounce the final ‘s’ and distinguish singular and plural:

• most of uh flight service, uh which are located in airport (10:08 - 10:16)

Structure

The test taker demonstrates his ability to control even complex language structures accurately and appropriately:

• Talking about dis, disadvantage, the first thing is cost (02:59 - 03:03)
• After I took off, and retracted gear, uh the red right (light), I mean red uh gear warning light, uh kept uh blinking. (04:36 - 04:52)
• I uh, I flew for a while uh to check what was happening (05:03 - 05:08)
• but there was no uh sound uh that the gear was retracting or extending (06:00 - 06:08)
• Nothing else could be uh uh fatal. (06:43 - 06:46)
• Well, I will uh turn my transponder to 7700 and go back to (06:56 - 07:02)
• Many of uh light aircraft accident in Japan are related to uh weather (08:05 - 08:14)
• but some of the private pilots fail to utilize those system. (09:40 - 09:46)

There is one instance of an inappropriate use of a verb tense which affects ease of understanding momentarily:

• Yes, I am joining a small uh flying club in Japan and I fly probably once a month (01:23 - 01:34)

Vocabulary

Vocabulary range and accuracy are sufficient to communicate effectively on common and work-related topics:

• multi-engine aircraft with instrument rating (01:07 - 01:11)
• costly (03:12 - 03:13)
• retractable gear (04:31 - 04:33)
• blinking (04:50 - 04:52)
• retracting or extending (06:06 - 06:09)
• current and forecast weather (09:28 - 09:30)

He demonstrates mastery of idiomatic stylistic expressions:

• in those days I started uh to learn flying. I went to a flight school in the United States and took my very first certificate (00:21 - 00:35)
• step by step (00:52 - 00:53)
• only once (04:03 - 04:04)

The test taker paraphrases successfully:

• when I was uh about 30 years old, at the age of thirty years (00:15 - 00:20)

and also qualifies his own statements:

• When uh I, uh I learned, I I I mean I started to learn (01:47 - 01:54)

Fluency

The test taker is able to speak at length about a wide range of topics and varies his speech flow, combined with stress, as a stylistic device in a way that is characteristic of Level 5:

• Well, there is no advantage in Japan. (02:50 - 02:55)
• Yes, in Japan, even though uh we fly on the VFR, we have to file a flight planning every time. (09:51 - 10:00)

He demonstrates consistent use of appropriate speech markers:

• in those days (00:22 - 00:23)
• After that (00:38 - 00:39)
• So, now (01:02 - 01:03)
• Well, there is no advantage (02:50 - 02:53)

Although his discourse is relatively slow, it is measured and extremely thoughtful, and might be evaluated at a Level 5 overall. However, there are several instances of loss of fluency when addressing some new topics (07:59 - 09:08, 10:38 - 11:36, 13:32 - 14:09) which require the rating to be assessed at Level 4.

Comprehension

Comprehension is consistently accurate in all contexts and includes evident comprehension of linguistic and cultural subtleties. In this interview, he deals unhesitatingly with two different accents.

Interactions

The test taker's responses are immediate, appropriate and informative. He manages the speaker/listener relationship effectively and sensitively. He makes very idiomatic use of discourse markers (see Fluency) to engage expressively with his interlocutors.

Influence of the test format

The format of the interview with two interlocutors covering a wide range of topics enabled the test taker's capabilities to be explored quite fully.