Pedagogical Approaches to Aviation Phraseology and Communication Training in Collegiate Flight Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine how collegiate aviation programs in the United States provide aviation phraseology and communication training. Possible differences in pedagogical approaches when teaching aviation phraseology to native vs. non-native speakers of English were also explored. This work builds on literature (Day, 2004; Mathews, 2004; Philips, 1991; Prinzo & Britton, 1993; Ragan, 2002; Verhaegen, 2001) which suggests that failure to use standardized aviation
phraseology, improper pilot/air traffic controller communications procedures, and lack of English language proficiency threaten flight safety. This study explored aviation phraseology and communication instruction curriculum in use at accredited university aviation flight programs. The study was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, administrative faculty from each of the sixteen Council on Aviation Accreditation (CAA) accredited flight programs completed an online survey. Faculty administrators from seventy-five percent of the accredited flight programs participated in a follow-up phase including two focus groups and one interview. While not generalizable to all flight training institutions, recommendations are discussed in terms of potential research applications for collegiate aviation programs.