Aviation english language training - a perspective

All international aircraft operators, whether pilots or air traffic control officers (ATCOs), must meet minimum English language proficiency requirements specified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which come into effect on 5 March 2008. The aim of ICAO is to raise standards in 'Aviation English' communications globally, as a means of improving safety both in the air and on the ground.

Aviation communications in any language are highly specialized. The term 'Aviation English' embraces a considerably wider field of language knowledge and expertise than most native speakers of English utilize in their everyday lives. Moreover, a further important consideration is that of the aviation environment and 2 significant factors of everyday life in that community: those of the emergency situation and of the non-routine situation. Aircraft operators learn very precise procedures, definitions, and rules and regulations, and all are presented in very formal, precise and unambiguous language. Introduce the unknown, those frequent occasions when something does not happen in the way it should, or in the way that those involved are expecting, and we can readily identify where many of the major communication problems lie.

Pilots and ATCOs are well trained to deal with the unexpected; nevertheless, no organization or individual can cater for every eventuality in such a precarious operating environment. In such situations, therefore, yet another factor comes into play: that of the degradation of an individual's performance under stress and under duress. In a very difficult, ever-changing and ever-challenging working environment, which is fraught with danger and the unexpected, circumstances can change within seconds, inducing both crises and panic in those directly concerned. At that juncture, individual performance levels plummet and instinct takes over. Effective communication becomes paramount and must be instinctive. If one then considers the added complication of a particular individual, if not 2, one in the air and one on the ground, operating in a second language, performance can degrade further. Hence, the importance and necessity of a high level of English-language proficiency in all concerned.

English language trainers therefore face an enormous task in facilitating the service necessary to meet the demands for effective training in Aviation English worldwide. The ICAO impetus, quite rightly, is on general English-language comprehension, which has to be the basis for any training. However, to meet the minimum communication standards for safe aircraft operations internationally, trainers must also consider the contextual issues. It is the enormous scope of English in the context of aviation that presents language trainers with a significant challenge.

Aircraft operators require an enormous range of knowledge, terminology and phraseology to function effectively in their everyday roles. In a short English-language course for aircraft operators, therefore, trainers must consider where to place the emphasis. Many trainers focus on R/T phraseology; however, whilst standard phraseology is an important aspect of aviation communications, it is merely one of many. Most aviators are familiar with standard R/T phraseology; they use it every day. Language trainers therefore need to place the emphasis on the many aspects of non-standard and non-routine phraseology that might be used in emergency situations and that potentially create difficulties for non-native speakers, ie those aspects of English not necessarily covered in aviation manuals.

Often, language training is a requirement more often than not driven by budgetary constraints, operational constraints and logistical considerations on the part of a client, who invariably lacks appreciation that Aviation English training takes time. Trainers are frequently required to train sponsored groups of trainees, a scenario that works well only when the specializations of the individual trainees, their respective training needs and also the English-language levels of each are similar. It must be stressed that the needs of pilots and ATCOs are very different: whilst the sponsored-group scenario generally works well with pilots of similar rating, in the case of ATCOs training must take account of 3 very different professional specializations, each of which has its own particular requirements: Aerodrome Control, Approach Control and Area Radar Control.

Problems arise on those occasions when either a particular sponsor elects for, or the training provider attempts the 'one-size-fits-all' scenario, an option that is all too frequently deemed the most practical on the part of the sponsor, for operational reasons, or the most economic on the part of the training provider in terms of facilitation. The outcome is all too often unsatisfactory, with single trainees, or small group of trainees, being placed on courses where the group as a whole is totally mismatched - by far the least effective way of achieving a satisfactory result from any viewpoint.

Provided there is adequate compromise, understanding and agreement between the client and the training provider, nevertheless, the sponsored-group scenario can work well, so long as all the parties concerned ensure that each group selected for training comprises trainees of the same aviation specialization, individuals of similar experience and personnel with comparable English-language proficiency skills. The real key to success, however, is that prior to course commencement, the training objectives and learning outcomes are clearly defined and that, importantly, they are agreed in advance between the client and the training provider. Within such a package, professional trainees can then negotiate their own learning programme and achieve precise and specific learning outcomes both efficiently and effectively.

Distance learning mba basics

If you've ever tried to earn a degree, no matter where or how, you know what it takes to reach your goals. If you've already achieved an Associate or Bachelor's degree, why not take your education, and your earning clout, to another level by earning your Master's degree? What? You don't have the time with your job and family commitments to attend a traditional campus any more? No worries! Earn a distance learning MBA degree from the comfort of your own home or office.

Master of Business Administration degrees will open doors that you thought might be permanently closed. Today, there's no reason for anyone not to be able to attain the education dreams they've always aspired to, with the wealth of distance learning colleges out there. More state university systems are also adding online or distance learning curriculum to their rosters, because they understand the needs of today's students and adults who would like to pursue further education goals.

Because traditional campus learning requires a major portion of any person's time, and one must often perform feats of magic to blend school time with work, job and family responsibilities, the concept of distance learning has taken education to a new level in the 21st century. If you have a computer, you can attend online classes from anywhere in the world. No longer are you limited to state or community college systems that are within driving distance of your front door. Taking advantage of a distance learning college or university to pursue your Master of Business Administration can get your career on the fast track. Work is available within just about every job sector market when it comes to degrees in business administration. You don't have to work in a bank or other financial institution to put a MBA degree to good use. Every industry in the world needs gifted and educated men and women in their ranks to take care of the finances, legalities and day to day running practices of their companies. The health industry is one of the largest growing fields around the world these days and is expected to hire millions before the year 2014. No matter which sector you enter, there are positions open and waiting for business administration graduates in health care management, billing, recording, and administrative. The same goes for the law enforcement field, within both private and governmental sectors.

Distance learning colleges and universities or extension programs should be fully accredited, so make sure they are before you fill out applications. You may also want to check into student financing and student support services before you decide. A distance learning MBA is one of the degrees that can be used in the widest variety of job sectors. Distance learning opportunities offer the courses you need, fully accredited and ready for you to start. Finding the college or university that offers the MBA course you are looking for is your decision. Completing coursework can be done as quickly as you want, or you may take your time. That's the beauty of distance learning. It's your decision when to sit down and study, not the other way around.

Psychology journal article resource guide

The psychology journal article is the essential document for several study tasks. And the more specific or narrow the topic of study, the more precious the psychology journal article. So where do you begin, for your own paper or research in psychology, sociology, or many other science branches?

Begin with the major indexes, those databases that have directed, dated (or updated) sources and resources and internationally published and professional psychology journal articles. These indexes typically include APA, NIMH, and other renowned journals; and the journal-finding sites are, for example, as follows:

PubMed—pubmed. gov

PSYCLINE--psycline. org/journals/psycline. html

Hanover College Psych Dept Journals ---

psych. hanover. edu/Krantz/ journal. html

Oxford Journals--ei. oxfordjournals. org

The Worldwide Web Virtual Library Psychology Journals

-- dialogical. net/psychology/journals. html

You can access most if not all of these and several more indexes through your college or local library, both of which usually also have a number of back issues of the journals with the psychology journal articles you are looking for. In the county where I am from, for example, the community colleges offer ProQuest Psychology Journals, InfoTrak Expanded Academic ASAP, and links to Psychology Journals’ Websites, among other access/search engines.

In several cases, however, you can access the journal article online and off-campus can download and print it, too. Some cost a few dollars, and some are free.

Once you get to an index you like, you will want to look first for the psychology journal. Make sure it will render 1) a literature review; 2) methods; 3) results; 4) discussion; and 5) data [according to Skyline College librarian suggestions]. And once you get to the specific journal, to search for a psychology journal article, look for complete articles by clicking on the “full text” option. When you get a list of psychology journal articles, you can click on the title, then click on the “get article,” “download,” or “print” options.

Learn use german fillers

The German language has its own and many expressions and fillers. In German, words that are called particles or fillers are called Wцrter. However, these words could get you really confused since each word is entirely different from the other. But the real tricky part here is that some of the Wцrter could serve too many purposes in different ways and situations.

aber, auch, denn, doch, halt, mal, nur, schon and ja

Take for example the word schon. It could have a whole lot of different meanings at one point (depending on the use of the word in a sentence) and then it could mean nothing at all at other times. This is the reason why learning German has to be all about the basics and once you’ve already mastered them, you’re on your own however you choose to use the German language.

But for now, the German language could still be a huge maze for you. As an example for what we were discussing earlier, the German word schon could mean many things such as already, again, just, don’t worry or alright, ever etc. There are cases when there’s no need to translate the word schon to English. This is true with other Wцrter of the German language because there are cases when a German word just don’t need to be translated to English or it’s found that it’s completely irrelevant to even include the word in the English translation.

There’s also the thing with English-German dictionary about particles or fillers. Dictionaries just don’t have a way of translating these words because of their idiomatic appeal but then again, if you know the German language very well, you’d know how to use these words in the correct timing.

Some German filler almost has the same equivalent with the English “you know” expression. So to clue you in further, these German Wцrter can be said correctly in the right time. Try to master the functions of these fillers and you’ll sound like a natural German speaker in no time.

Language on the go

Learning a new language is the trend nowadays. People who do it have a lot of reasons. And most of the time, their reason is to have that edge over competitors in the field of business. But even if you are not into business, it still gives you a lot of advantages. Think about it. When you are done convincing yourself, you can now start assessing on what kind of language suits you best. Here are the things that you might want to consider before choosing a certain language.

Useful

Some people study a certain language because to them, it would be useful in the long run. Others use it for business. What about you? What do you do that makes you need to learn a new language? What kind of people do you usually encounter in your line of business? Would it help improve or even make your life easier? Answering these questions would greatly help you come up with a fewer selection of languages that you could use. Don't even think of studying two languages at the same time. To be able to fully understand and speak fluently a certain language, it would be better if you just focus on just one. Then you can proceed to another one later on. Of course, you can choose not to study another one. But if it is still useful, then you should also consider it.

Want

You need to want it first in order to learn a new language. The willingness to learn a new language is the key to everything. It would make studying and everything else that comes along with it a whole lot easier. Just maintain that eagerness all throughout the studying period. And besides, even if you don't have to learn one, you will also have fun studying. That drive will take you places. And who knows, you might need that tongue sooner or later. So by all means, go for it.

Time/Convenience

You know, you can always waste your free time on watching TV, listening to the radio or surfing the net. Of course, you will do all these and study at the same time. This is because, you can watch TV shows that use the language you want to study. Audiobooks are available, too. Last but not the least, many websites offer online tutorial and lessons. With all the new technologies that we have nowadays, having not enough time is no longer an excuse to not being able to do something or anything. Multi-tasking is definitely the word that best describes what everyone is doing. But if you don't think that you could take all the stress, then don't do it. Just take one baby step at a time. For example, you can study a new word per day and try using it in your daily conversations. On the other hand, if you have all the time in world, going to school that specializes in teaching a certain language is the way to go.

Budget

If you have loads of money to burn, then you can always enroll in a good, if not prestigious, language school. There you can try speaking, comprehending, and engaging in conversations with people who talk with the same tongue to your heart's content. Teachers are also available for consultation. But if you can't do that because of lack of funds, there are always a lot of available cheaper alternatives. Like the ones mentioned above, you can try listening to audiobooks, which are available in some libraries for a rent or for free. This is best if you have chores to do around the house. But if you just sit in your little office cubicle, then spending your break time browsing for sites that offer online tutorials is a good idea. If you get lucky, you might come across one website that offers it for free.

A computer science degree is not just for geeks anymore

Years ago, a computer science degree was seen as something that attracted mainly math and computer nerds. The stereotype may not have been fair, but it looks as though the computer science students have the last laugh in any event. Today, courses and programs of study in computers offer not only excellent job opportunities, but also some very creative courses as well. Thanks to the fact that computers have evolved so rapidly and are now being used in every field, graduates of these computer programs have a cachet and coolness factor that simply did not exist before.

A computer science degree, at its simplest, is any degree that studies computers and their systems in depth. Students in the computer sciences study subjects such as algorithms, programming languages, computer hardware, software, program design, and other subjects. Of course, degrees vary widely. Some students focus on theoretical or mathematical work, while others focus on studies that will allow them to build practical systems and software programs for businesses.

A student with a computer science degree has plenty of career options, many of them very creative and interesting. Advertising agencies, digital artists, and web design companies require graduates to help transform creative ideas into creative software, graphics, and multimedia. Rock stars and music industry executives rely on students with computer science skills to assemble high-tech music videos, special multimedia effects for concerts, and other computerized effects.

Today, as animated films and movies with special effects are more popular, computer science students are in demand by movie studios. Students not only help build and fix computer systems, they are also often involved in creating some of the most popular cultural products of today. From movies to music to television and Internet trends, students from the computer sciences are responsible for many of the entertainment options we enjoy.

Students with a computer science degree may also build systems or software that is used by companies, by NASA or by home computer users. The possibilities are virtually endless. Now that so many people use computers, the work of people with computer skills is vital.

The employment news for students with a computer science degree is also very good. The U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the Computer Programmers section of the 2002-03 Occupational Outlook Handbook, states that computers scientists are expected to be the among the best growing occupations through the year 2010. Companies at all levels require workers with excellent computer skills. Today, even small businesses hire experts to create personalized computer systems or custom-built software elements for a business.

Major corporations such as NASA, IBM, and major movie studios, hire students from the computer sciences. Often, students graduating with this sort of degree can expect great career options, a well-paying job, and good benefits. Students with these skills are in demand, and companies have responded with attractive employment offers.

Students who are familiar with computers and want to pursue one of the more creative computer career options have plenty of choices. They should look for degree programs that offer plenty of hands-on experience. A degree with a good reputation goes a long way towards helping a student land a good job. Beyond that, networking can help students in applying for careers that are of interest. Many companies, even in glamorous fields, are actively looking for computer professionals. Networking is often as simple as letting prospective employers know about your skills. Many schools that offer good computer programs have career centers. These are also excellent resources that should not be overlooked.

Virginia schools hail successes and fund challenges

Virginia Schools recently received national acclaim for some of its successful schools. Newsweek released its list of the top 5% of schools in the nation, and 87 Virginia Schools made the cut. Eleven Virginia Schools made the top 100, and an additional two were included in the list of the “public elites.” Those two were Maggie Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Both were included because of the higher than average SAT and ACT scores of their students.

Virginia Schools achieve these results while spending about $7,751 annually per pupil. This puts the state right in the middle for national spending. Clearly some good results are coming from some of the efforts of Virginia Schools. But there are still some big concerns and certain gaps. Like the rest of the country, Virginia Schools struggle with an achievement gap for minority students. African-American and other minority students consistently score lower as a group on standardized tests. Socioeconomic factors have proven to dramatically effect a student’s academic success.

One way that the Virginia Schools are trying to remedy this problem is through a partnership with the ECMC Foundation. In 2003 the ECMC and the Virginia Department of Education teamed up to create the Virginia ECMC Scholars Program to “increase participation in postsecondary education by economically or otherwise disadvantaged students, and to challenge these students to better prepare during the junior and senior years of high school.”

2007 will be the fifth cycle of funding and the ECMC has upped its pledge for Virginia Schools to $3 million dollars in scholarships, mentoring stipends and program funding. Participants in the programs are selected from Virginia Schools at the end of their sophomore year. What makes this scholarship program different is that educators select students they know. Anonymous strangers who base the decision on faceless essays or a qualifications list choose participants in most other scholarship programs.

ECMC and Virginia Schools select children based on future potential rather than past grades. The participants are mentored and tutored through their junior and senior years to bring out their best potential. Ten Virginia Schools were selected on basis of need, and the program is funded through 2009.

Privately funded programs like the Virginia ECMC Scholars Program are one way that Virginia Schools hope to close the achievement gap and propel the state school system forward. Virginia had its own testing system in place (Virginia Standards of Learning) prior to the 2001 No Child Left Behind Initiative. But the national mandate implemented class size and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) markers for every school in the nation. Pressure for students to meet passing marks in both Virginia Schools and across the nation has been intense. Educators and politicians continue to debate the merits and pitfalls of standardized testing as a way to raise learning standards in the nation.