AIR SAFETY, LANGUAGE ASSESSMENT POLICY, AND POLICY IMPLEMENTATION: THE CASE OF AVIATION ENGLISH

The language of international aviation communication, especially between pilots and air traffic controllers (ATCs) via radiotelephony, is English. Annex 10 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Aeronautical Telecommunications, in Volume II, Communications Procedures, and Chapter Five, Aeronautical Mobile Service (paragraph 5.2.1.1.1), recommends the following: In general, the air-ground radiotelephony communications should be conducted in the language normally used by the station on the ground.