Spanish ICAO study material

[biroimi]

Hello everyone!
I'm not Spanish, but grew up there. I currently hold and English level 5 and Hungarian as it is my native language. I would like to do the Spanish exam to extend my possibilities to get a job when things get normal again (before covid I met Iberia Express' criteria, except the language exam). I found that FTE Jerez does exams, but I can't find any kind of preparation material to study from. Can you help me by sharing some kind of book, or whatever?
Thank you in advance!

[janrein]

When I contacted them back in 2015 I received the following response together with a 9-page pdf-attachment "Spanish ICAO Test Preparation Tips" which also included two YouTube links of aviation events for watching and listening to. I found it adequate as preparatory material ahead of the test which was scheduled about a week later.

Estimado [...], [...]

El Supervisor español -Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea, en adelante AESA- ha aprobado dicha prueba y, como tal, es aceptada en todos los países miembros del entorno EASA.

La prueba tiene una duración aproximada de 35 minutos y consiste en una evaluación presencial. Este examen evalúa todos los niveles lingüísticos ICAO del 1 al 6.

Contenido de la prueba:

1. Preguntas abiertas para ayudar al candidato a relajarse.

2. Describir una fotografía relacionada con la aviación y preguntas relacionadas con este tema.

3. Colacionar instrucciones de radiotelefonía.

4. Identificar errores intencionados en las comunicaciones entre un piloto y un controlador aéreo.

5. Ver un video acerca de un incidente aeronáutico y describir lo visto.

6. Escuchar un informe acerca de un incidente aeronáutico y volver a narrar lo escuchado con las palabras del candidato.

7. Preguntas sobre temas de aviación general.

Tenga en cuenta que debe acudir a nuestro centro de Jerez para realizar la prueba. El test una vez grabado se envía a un examinador experto que es el encargado de evaluarlo.

Cuando lo tengamos calificado, podremos emitir el certificado.

El coste total de la prueba es de 175€. Se puede pagar el mismo día del examen en efectivo o con tarjeta de crédito.

Antes de realizar la evaluación nos tiene que facilitar los siguientes datos personales:

• DNI o número de pasaporte
• Fecha de nacimiento
• Una fotografía tamaño DNI
• Número de licencia de piloto/ controlador
• Dirección postal
• Email
• Número de teléfono móvil

Esperamos que esta información le sirva de ayuda, quedamos a su disposición para responder cualquier pregunta.

Atentamente,

[...]

Assessment Officer


As they were sending recordings away for independant evaluation elsewhere it was two weeks later when I received the result and the certificate. Not sure if Hungary or other non-spanish EASA Member States would include the spanish language proficiency level in the licence, the UK (at the time an EASA Member State) and Ireland would not. In that case you just keep it as a separate document. Would you hold a spanish EASA licence you will be able to proudly show it containing two ICAO language proficiencies! :)

[biroimi]

Thank you for the information! Are you native Spanish speaker?
No they won't include any other in the Hungarian one, but still, it would be useful to have it, and I have time to study until the industry gets a bit better. Can you maybe share that pdf and videos you got?

[janrein]

Nationals of countries with spanish as the official language when taking a flight test in Spain for a spanish licence with a spanish examiner are generally issued the SLP-6 based on that flight test provided the RT has been satisfactorily conducted in the spanish language as judged by the examiner. In that case the SLP will be entered into the spanish licence. Not so in my case, I had to take the test in order to provide official proof of spanish language proficiency (SLP) and I keep the FTE-issued certificate as a separate document.

It is definitively worthwhile to obtain your SLP and it will open up opportunities that you would otherwise find inaccessible.

[ygonzales]

Can you please also send me the pdf and video links?

Also, I am not a native speaker of Spanish but my father was and we usually spoke in Spanish. In college I completed Spanish 1-3, Hispanic Literature, Advanced Grammar, Development of a Civilization (Mexico) in Spanish and a few other Spanish courses, and I was rated as an intermediate speaker. I can still read at a fairly high level and had no difficulty reading the other info you provided in Spanish. After learning the ICAO phraseology in Spanish do you believe that someone at this level would have much difficulty with the Spanish test?

Thanks so much in advance for your assistance!

[janrein]

Can you please also send me the pdf and video links?

Also, I am not a native speaker of Spanish but my father was and we usually spoke in Spanish. In college I completed Spanish 1-3, Hispanic Literature, Advanced Grammar, Development of a Civilization (Mexico) in Spanish and a few other Spanish courses, and I was rated as an intermediate speaker. I can still read at a fairly high level and had no difficulty reading the other info you provided in Spanish. After learning the ICAO phraseology in Spanish do you believe that someone at this level would have much difficulty with the Spanish test?

Thanks so much in advance for your assistance!

Hello YG, I see you're from the US and your situation may be different than that of the OP. The OP a "local" in EASA-Europe, resident in Spain, and with the aim of entering a Spanish airline, for which a good command of Spanish next to English (both official ICAO languages) is a requirement and who would therefore need to hold both ICAO ELP and SLP at levels 4 or above to be considered for the job. Unfortunately the OP has not reported back to the forum; it would have been interesting to know if he had actually taken the test, his experience, opinion, and whether it had landed him the desired job.

With your Spanish language experience after studying the preparatory material (aeronautical situations) I think you should have no problem passing the test, but I am no language assessor, I have only been a test-taker and that was 6 years ago. Read the email from the assessment officer up-thread, that will give you an idea.

In your area, is holding an ICAO SLP a requirement for (US?) airlines? In any case, being bi-lingual and having both qualifications could be regarded as a plus, depending on what airline, what routes to fly.

In my situation apart from prior studying all it took was a day trip and sweating the exam. More recently during the COVID lock-downs many schools have developed on-line teaching/learning, but on-line examination is another matter and I doubt whether there are options for that, but you can always ask. Check their website https://www.ftejerez.com/language.php and contact details https://www.ftejerez.com/contact.php and then you can ask them directly for their latest preparatory material.

Best of luck,
jr