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The background

English is the default language of international aviation

‘Never assume the person you're talking to has the same level of comprehension as you. Stick to standard phraseology (it exists for a reason).’ Tommaso D. - Italian pilot ‘Native English speakers should speak slowly, clear with short sentences. They don’t know how difficult sometimes is for us to understand them, especially in USA and UK.’ Nuno P. - Portuguese pilot

The Language Proficiency Requirements have certainly improved matters but a large part of the safe communication challenge is still outstanding ...

ICAO requires ALL personnel to: Speak at the mandated rate of no more than 100 words per minute Stick to Standard Phraseology as much as possible Speak in a way that can be understood by the international aviation community Use appropriately short transmissions But neither group (native or non-native English speakers) currently undergoes training or testing to ensure these requirements are met. The SayAgain training addresses these issues and also focuses on the human factors involved in safe communication: WHY we sometimes don't speak up when we should WHY we sometimes speak too quickly WHY we don't always ask for help when we need it WHY some of us may feel 'superior' or 'inferior' because of level of English The training is self-paced and online - it takes approximately two hours.

English is of course the language of international Aviation. In 2008, ICAO introduced the Language Proficiency Requirements (commonly referred to as ICAO Level 4). Non-native English speaking pilots and controllers must be formally tested and most are required to be re-tested every 3-5 years. Native English speakers are typically ‘signed off’ by other native speakers during flight checks.