Some ideas to prepare for the test
Here we show you some ways of how to prepare for the language proficiency test in an easy and uncomplicated way - free of charge:
LISTEN TO FOREIGN ACCENTS
You could listen to an English radio station. But unless you can read what they say it might be hard to improve.
One good way is to listen to ATIS messages - because you can check if you understood them correctly!
READ ENGLISH LANGUAGE BOOKS
Every book or text helps.
But reading about aviation is especially helpful. You'll get in touch with correct grammar structures and you'll get in touch with aeronautical vocabulary and terms that are typically used in aviation.
USE SOFTWARE & ONLINE TOOLS
Many candidates fail because of a lack of basic grammar knowledge. There are lots of free tools available on the internet.
Listen to foreign & unfamiliar accents
How can you listen to foreign accents and at the same time check what you hear?
One possibility is to use ATIS messages. There is a website which allows you to listen to live aeronautical radio communications - check out: liveatc.net. Whilst you cannot check what you hear during usual radio communications on 'tower' or 'radar' frequencies, the ATIS allows you to check your comprehension skills by simply reading the current weather report.
We found some stations which might be of interest - click on the links and you'll be redirected to the site liveatc.net:
- EHGG (Groningen, the Netherlands) - good quality
- CYYZ (Toronto, Canada) - good quality
- KJFK (New York, USA) - might be harder to understand
- KSFO (San Francisco, USA) - might be harder to understand
- OPLA (Pakistan) - lower quality, might be even harder to understand
Crosscheck the information
Right on top of the website of liveatc.net you can see the METAR information, which is basically the information included in the ATIS message. Write down what you heard and cross check with the METAR to see if your comprehension skills regarding foreign accents are increasing.
Read English aviation materials to improve your vocabulary knowledge
Recommended reads
There are some recommended reads which are really interesting. Have you ever read a book about pilot training or aviation in the English language?
There are several excellent books available on the website of the US Federal Administration (FAA), free of charge. Follow this link >>