Revisiting aviation English as a lingua franca: insights from domain specialists

Abstract In aviation, particularly in pilot and air traffic controller radiotelephony communication, English functions as a global lingua franca. While the current construct of competence in radiotelephony communication reflects traditional, linguistically focussed proficiency, research indicates that such proficiency may hinder safe and effective communication, highlighting the importance of profession-specific and accommodation skills. This study examines the perspectives of Australian domain specialists (first-language English users) in evaluating peer performance during an abnormal situation and compares their views with those of Korean domain specialists (English as an additional language users) from a previous study. Ten workshops with individual Australian pilots and air traffic controllers were conducted and analysed thematically, with findings compared to the earlier study. Both groups shared substantial common ground in valuing clear and concise communication, the ability to adjust language for users with varying repertoires and experiences, and familiarising oneself with accent varieties, all of which are essential in this professional English as a lingua franca setting. Meaningful differences were also identified: while the Australian informants focussed on overall performance, the Korean informants focussed on more minute details. These findings have important implications for assessment in aviation and beyond, suggesting that the concept of competence needs to be redefined.