| WHEN: | Thu 16 – Sat 18 May, 2024 |
| WHERE: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University Hong Kong, PR China |
ICAEA’s next conference will be in Hong Kong, from Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 May 2024, hosted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
As we look ahead and beyond the ICAO LPRs at the communication needs of aviation personnel, there is clear scope to incorporate communicative competence into training and assessment. Changes in the demographics, cultural and language backgrounds of aviation personnel increases the need for focus on interaction skills and strategic competence for the dialogic aspects involved in two-way communication. This conference will explore how research and developments in the field of language and communication can shape how we include communicative competence skills into aviation English training and assessment, and, how we can continue to utilise the technological developments that are already changing modes of training and testing delivery into the future.
The conference will consider the following questions:
- What is communicative competence in aviation and what communication strategies can trainers develop among both highly proficient (English L1) and less proficient (English L2) personnel?
- With the ICAO LPR assessment criteria focusing on the individual’s language proficiency, how can we expand the notion of proficiency to include other communication-related competencies?
- How can research provide insights into: how communication breakdowns occur; the role of language proficiency; workload effects on communication and other communication related factors?
- How can developing communicative skills help to provide a means of preventing aviation incidents?
- What is the role of communications training alongside language training?
- What role does technology, including Generative AI, play in developing and delivering communications and language training in the future?
- What needs to be considered in designing and delivering LPR assessment for online delivery?
- What lessons have we learned after 20 years of the ICAO LPRs and what policies would be worth reviewing?
| hosted by |
 |
Theme
The introduction of the ICAO LPRs over 20 years ago has increased awareness of the role of language proficiency for safe and efficient operations. Although the LPRs focus on developing language proficiency, and have shaped curricula, assessment and training programmes, there is still scope to look at skills beyond individuals’ language proficiency and consider the role of communicative competence, taking account of interactive skills and the dialogic aspects involved in two-way communication in aviation.
As we look ahead, research and developments in the wider fields of language and communication can also shape how we develop and deliver aviation English training and assessment. In addition, the advent of technological developments is already changing modes of training and testing delivery. Taking on board how skills associated with communicative competence could be incorporated into training and testing and developments in technology, what aspects of the LPR policies and guidance material could be expanded upon and updated to ensure training and assessment practices are effective?
As the demand for aviation personnel grows, and with Asia Pacific leading the growth in aviation, we are seeing a rapid change in personnel demographics. We will continue to see more aviation personnel who need to use English to communicate in their jobs, but for whom English is not their first or primary language. In the coming decade, these changes will require developing skills beyond those associated with the ICAO LPRs, including communication skills to equip personnel to limit, identify, and repair misunderstandings and communication breakdowns.
Topics
Presentations and practical hands-on workshop sessions will cover a range of topics including:
1) Linguistic strategies and communicative competence
- Recognising factors that determine communicative competence.
- Identifying training needs to develop communication strategies.
- Developments from other domains and applications to aviation.
- Research methods and tools to explore what communication involves and its application in aviation.
- Developments in assessment methods (including test design and delivery).
- Developing awareness and training trainers in communications training.
- Defining a construct for aviation English testing.
- Washback effects of testing practice – the link the between effective testing and training.
- Aspects of how the ICAO LPRs that could be reviewed, with recommendations.
- Preparing and delivering online assessments – considering the online test construct, task types and administration.
2) Training and assessment in communications
- Applying research findings to practice in training or assessment.
- Incorporating cross-cultural communicative needs for a multi-cultural aviation environment in training.
- Designing and developing curriculum materials to develop strategic skills.
- Adapting pedagogy, teacher roles and delivery to new technology.
- Professional development and teacher training needs to reflect current and future needs.
Participants
This conference aims to bring together stakeholders from airlines, ANSPs, CAAs, training providers and educational institutions to share and exchange ideas from operations, research, training and assessment. We will focus on the practical application of knowledge and experience, enabling participants to reflect and apply ideas to their own context, addressing the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s aviation English and communications learning and testing environment.
Call for Papers
Submissions are invited for either:
| 1. | Workshop (90 minutes) + introductory presentation (10 minutes) |
| Workshops will be based on practical experience or research developments related to one of the conference topics (see above). Workshops will encourage participants to engage in interactive tasks that relate to the practical applications in training and assessment. Handouts, resources and other material for delegates are encouraged. Workshop groups may comprise 30-40 participants and will be delivered in separate workshop rooms.
Presenters will have 10 minutes to deliver a short introductory presentation prior to their workshop. |
|
| 2. | Presentation (30 minutes) + Q&A panel (10 minutes) |
| Individual presentations will share research or experience related to a current or future practice and/or theory related to one of the conference topics above. Presentations will be made in the main auditorium to all conference delegates.
Presenters will join a Q&A panel at the end of each session. |
Check ‘Call for Papers’ for full information and how to submit your proposal.
Important Dates
| Proposal submission deadline: | 15 January 2024 |
| Speaker acceptance notifications: | 29 January 2024 |
| Finalisation of speakers and programme: | 12 February 2024 |
| Release of provisional programme: | 19 February 2024 |
Programme
The conference will be 2.5 days: Thursday 16 (full day), Friday 17 (full day) and Saturday 18 May (half day) 2024.
Conference Venue
| Name: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
| Address: | 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, PR China |
| Website: | https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/ |
| Location: | Google Maps |
Suggested Hotels
Information coming soon
Meals
The university will generously provide lunches and refreshments during breaks in the conference.
Airport Transfers
For information about options for transfer to/from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), check:
Gala Dinner
Hong Kong Polytechnic University will generously host a gala dinner for all conference attendees.
Information coming soon
Attendance Fees
Earlybird Rate – available until 29-Feb-2024
| ICAEA Members | US $300 |
| Non-Members | US $400 |
Standard Fees – from 1-Mar-2024
| ICAEA Members | US $400 |
| Non-Members | US $500 |
Membership
| ICAEA Membership | US $50 / year |
Note: all Membership benefits (including Member conference attendance fee) are available immediately after joining.
MORE INFORMATION
Research and developments in aviation communications
Practical applications in training and assessment
| WHEN: | Thu 16 – Sat 18 May, 2024 |
| WHERE: | HKG Polytechnic University Hong Kong, PR China |
ICAEA’s next conference will be in Hong Kong, from Thursday 16 to Saturday 18 May 2024, hosted by Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
As we look ahead and beyond the ICAO LPRs at the communication needs of aviation personnel, there is clear scope to incorporate communicative competence into training and assessment. Changes in the demographics, cultural and language backgrounds of aviation personnel increases the need for focus on interaction skills and strategic competence for the dialogic aspects involved in two-way communication. This conference will explore how research and developments in the field of language and communication can shape how we include communicative competence skills into aviation English training and assessment, and, how we can continue to utilise the technological developments that are already changing modes of training and testing delivery into the future.
The conference will consider the following questions:
- What is communicative competence in aviation and what communication strategies can trainers develop among both highly proficient (English L1) and less proficient (English L2) personnel?
- With the ICAO LPR assessment criteria focusing on the individual’s language proficiency, how can we expand the notion of proficiency to include other communication-related competencies?
- How can research provide insights into: how communication breakdowns occur; the role of language proficiency; workload effects on communication and other communication related factors?
- How can developing communicative skills help to provide a means of preventing aviation incidents?
- What is the role of communications training alongside language training?
- What role does technology, including Generative AI, play in developing and delivering communications and language training in the future?
- What needs to be considered in designing and delivering LPR assessment for online delivery?
- What lessons have we learned after 20 years of the ICAO LPRs and what policies would be worth reviewing?
| hosted by |
 |
Theme
The introduction of the ICAO LPRs over 20 years ago has increased awareness of the role of language proficiency for safe and efficient operations. Although the LPRs focus on developing language proficiency, and have shaped curricula, assessment and training programmes, there is still scope to look at skills beyond individuals’ language proficiency and consider the role of communicative competence, taking account of interactive skills and the dialogic aspects involved in two-way communication in aviation.
As we look ahead, research and developments in the wider fields of language and communication can also shape how we develop and deliver aviation English training and assessment. In addition, the advent of technological developments is already changing modes of training and testing delivery. Taking on board how skills associated with communicative competence could be incorporated into training and testing and developments in technology, what aspects of the LPR policies and guidance material could be expanded upon and updated to ensure training and assessment practices are effective?
As the demand for aviation personnel grows, and with Asia Pacific leading the growth in aviation, we are seeing a rapid change in personnel demographics. We will continue to see more aviation personnel who need to use English to communicate in their jobs, but for whom English is not their first or primary language. In the coming decade, these changes will require developing skills beyond those associated with the ICAO LPRs, including communication skills to equip personnel to limit, identify, and repair misunderstandings and communication breakdowns.
Topics
Presentations and practical hands-on workshop sessions will cover a range of topics including:
1) Linguistic strategies and communicative competence
- Recognising factors that determine communicative competence.
- Identifying training needs to develop communication strategies.
- Developments from other domains and applications to aviation.
- Research methods and tools to explore what communication involves and its application in aviation.
- Developments in assessment methods (including test design and delivery).
- Developing awareness and training trainers in communications training.
- Defining a construct for aviation English testing.
- Washback effects of testing practice – the link the between effective testing and training.
- Aspects of how the ICAO LPRs that could be reviewed, with recommendations.
- Preparing and delivering online assessments – considering the online test construct, task types and administration.
2) Training and assessment in communications
- Applying research findings to practice in training or assessment.
- Incorporating cross-cultural communicative needs for a multi-cultural aviation environment in training.
- Designing and developing curriculum materials to develop strategic skills.
- Adapting pedagogy, teacher roles and delivery to new technology.
- Professional development and teacher training needs to reflect current and future needs.
Participants
This conference aims to bring together stakeholders from airlines, ANSPs, CAAs, training providers and educational institutions to share and exchange ideas from operations, research, training and assessment. We will focus on the practical application of knowledge and experience, enabling participants to reflect and apply ideas to their own context, addressing the challenges of today’s and tomorrow’s aviation English and communications learning and testing environment.
Call for Papers
Submissions are invited for either:
| 1. | Workshop (90 minutes) + introductory presentation (10 minutes) |
| Workshops will be based on practical experience or research developments related to one of the conference topics (see above). Workshops will encourage participants to engage in interactive tasks that relate to the practical applications in training and assessment. Handouts, resources and other material for delegates are encouraged. Workshop groups may comprise 30-40 participants and will be delivered in separate workshop rooms.
Presenters will have 10 minutes to deliver a short introductory presentation prior to their workshop. |
|
| 2. | Presentation (30 minutes) + Q&A panel (10 minutes) |
| Individual presentations will share research or experience related to a current or future practice and/or theory related to one of the conference topics above. Presentations will be made in the main auditorium to all conference delegates.
Presenters will join a Q&A panel at the end of each session. |
Check ‘Call for Papers’ for full information and how to submit your proposal.
Important Dates
Proposal submission deadline:
15 January 2024
Speaker acceptance notifications:
29 January 2024
Finalisation of speakers and programme:
12 February 2024
Release of provisional programme:
19 February 2024
Programme
The conference will be 2.5 days: Thursday 16 (full day), Friday 17 (full day) and Saturday 18 May (half day) 2024.
Conference Venue
| Name: | Hong Kong Polytechnic University |
| Address: | 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, PR China |
| Website: | https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/ |
| Location: | Google Maps |
Suggested Hotels
Information coming soon
Meals
The university will generously provide lunches and refreshments during breaks in the conference.
Airport Transfers
For information about options for transfer to/from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), check:
Gala Dinner
Hong Kong Polytechnic University will generously host a gala dinner for all conference attendees.
Information coming soon
Attendance Fees
Earlybird Rate – available until 29-Feb-2024
| ICAEA Members | US $300 |
| Non-Members | US $400 |
Standard Fees – from 1-Mar-2024
| ICAEA Members | US $400 |
| Non-Members | US $500 |
Membership
| ICAEA Membership | US $50 / year |
Note: all Membership benefits (including Member conference attendance fee) are available immediately after joining.
MORE INFORMATION