French DGAC award English pilot only level 5 English!
I am an English native speaker, I have no regional accent, I speak grammatically very correctly and clearly.
Yet today I went to Paris to have my English tested by the DGAC. They awarded me level 5!
I know that there is nothing wrong at all with my English - so clearly there is a problem with the test used by the DGAC. The examiner (who was English) told me that I was not the first native English speaker to be awarded less than level 6. Apparently, there was recently a New Zealander who only just reached level 4!
The problem seems to be in the ATC listening comprehension, whereby they play short excerpts of genuine ATC/pilot exchanges, and then the student has to translate a short phrase onto paper. As a native speaker I understood completely both sides of the conversation - but failed because I did not use the exact same words as in the exam. So, for example, if the recording says "turn heading 190, and climb to level 120", and you write "turn heading 190, and climb level 120", you will lose a mark!! Similarly, if on the recording the grammar is incorrect, or slang is used, but you reply in correct grammar, and without slang, then you will be penalised! So if a recording of an american pilot announces "I'm gonna take next left, then taxi up runway Lima", but you write "I am going to take the next left, then taxi up runway Lima", you will be penalised!!!
Even more ironically, although I did all my training in France and now hold a French CPL, I do not speak French to mother tongue standard and probably never will. However, the DGAC have awarded me level 6 French, without ever making me do a test, simply because I have a French licence.
So according to the French government, I speak French better than English!!!
These ICAO language requirements are a real mess!!
Last edited by richatom; 14th Apr 2008 at 16:33.