archive: 2020

Structure: passive voice

Study the passive voice and do exercises for free on the British Council website.

Vocabulary: weather

You may have seen this joke around: a "weather forecasting stone". It's not really a weather forecast, because it does not predict the future. It only shows current weather. But it's still funny, so people around the world put up these signs with sentences such as:

• If the rock is wet, it's raining.

• If the rock is warm, it's sunny.

• If the rock is swinging [=moving side to side], it's windy.

• If the rock is difficult to see, it's foggy.

• If the rock is white, it's snowing.

• If the rock is jumping up and down, there is an earthquake.

• If the rock is under water, there is a flood.

• If the rock is missing, there was a tornado.

What can you learn from those sentences? When do you use "it's" vs. "there is"?

Extra: If you would like to check the weather for aviation around the world, go to the Aviation Weather Center website.

Vocabulary: boarding bridge

There are many words for this aerodrome equipment. Do you know some of them?

Find 5 of them below.

1. "As passengers disembarked, there were immigration health officers standing in the bridge checking body temperatures." (Samchui.com)

2. "On April 15th a Japan Airlines 737 was also rotated 90 degrees, again due to high winds, and hit a boarding bridge." (Samchui.com)

3. "We're also limiting the number of people going down a jet bridge at one time so they can also separate and socially distance themselves" (NPR)

4. "If being in an enclosed jetway with other passengers makes you nervous, Hollywood Burbank and Long Beach airports have outdoor flight boarding. You walk out onto the tarmac to climb a staircase or ramp to board planes." (LAist)

5. "A telescopic corridor at Taiwan's international airport connecting passengers between the terminal and planes collapsed on Monday but no one was hurt" (The Independent)

Find more names for this on Skybrary or on the poster.

How about "finger"? Can you call the "passenger boarding bridge" a "finger"? No, not really. As we see it, "finger" is how you describe part of the terminal, not the equipment.

Now fluency tip: go back to the example sentences and pay attention to the words that come together with this new expression. After all, knowing the vocabulary isn't enough. You need to be able to put it in a sentence!

Structure: adverbs of frequency

Do you know how to describe habits in English? Listen to the BBC 6 Minute Grammar lesson, read the transcript, and think of what you ALWAYS / OFTEN / SOMETIMES / RARELY / NEVER do at work.

True or false for you?

a) I always have coffee during the break. I'm an air traffic controller after all!

b) I always use standard phraseology.

c) I'm often exhausted after my shifts.

d) I sometimes have a snack during the break.

e) I rarely study for uni during the break. I'm mentally tired.

f) I never use my phone during my shift. It's really dangerous! Plus, it's prohibited.

Vocabulary: require or request?

Do you know the difference between "require" and "request"? Read the news article below:

An Air France flying from Atlanta to Paris was in the initial climb when the crew declared Mayday reporting the left hand engine had failed. The crew levelled off at 3000 feet and requested a left turn to return to RWY 27R. After landing, the crew requested emergency services to check their left hand engine to make sure there was no oil or other leak from the engine.

(The Aviation Herald, Jun 24th, 2019)

In this incident, the pilot requested to return, but we could say that, due to the engine malfunction, the aircraft required maintenance after landing.

Pronunciation: emergency

Many Brazilians mispronounce the word "emergency" and end up saying "emergence".

Listen to the correct pronunciation of this word on our Instagram or on the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.

Structure: Simple Past & Past Continuous

To tell stories, you need to know the past forms in English. Here's a 6-minute lesson with a quiz by the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/lower-intermediate/unit-7/session-2/activity-4

To use the Simple Past, you will need to know the irregular verbs. Here is a list: https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/irregular-verbs/

Vocabulary: navaids II

How would you describe the status of the MIA VOR? The “U/S” in the NOTAM stands for “unserviceable”, which is used in ICAO Doc 9432, too. MCA 100-16 offers “out of service” as a translation of “fora do ar” or “fora de serviço” and “unavailable” as a translation of “indisponível”. If you would like to listen to the pronunciation of these expressions, please go to our Instagram profile @an.eye.on.you.

Note the prefix “un-” meaning “not”. What other words do you know that start with "un-"?

Vocabulary: navaids

#commonmistakes
How do you say “auxílios à navegação” in English? If you said “navaids”, you’re right! Come back tomorrow for more vocabulary related to navaids and check our Instagram for the pronunciation of the word.

Vocabulary: engine problems

Contrary to popular belief, 'engine flameout' and 'engine on fire' are two completely different situations. 'Engine flameout' happens when there is no combustion. In other words, 'engine flameout' means that the engine is not working.

Pronunciation: the International Phonetic Alphabet

Alpha... Bravo... Charlie... Do you know why the International Phonetic Alphabet was created by ICAO? And how would an American pronounce those letters?

Find out in this video.

Vocabulary: acronyms and initialisms

Aviation is full of acronyms (pronounced as one word, e.g. PAPI), initialisms (pronounced letter by letter, e.g. ILS). Stop for one minute: how many acronyms and initialisms can you remember?

After you list all you can remember in 1 min, listen to the song (without the video!) and tick all the words you hear from your list.

Then watch the video again and check the spelling of the words. Is the pronunciation of any of them surprising to you?

Finally, can you try to sing along? It's quite a challenge. I'm out of breath already!

Pronunciation: <-ed> ending

How do you pronounce regular verbs in the past? Many Brazilians add a syllable and say things like mis-sed and tow-ed, but in most cases, the "e" in "ed" is silent. Go to our Instagram page to listen to the audios and learn this pronunciation rule. Then record yourself saying this sentence: "The plane departed from Galeão, landed at Congonhas, missed the exit and was towed to the apron."

Structure: your vs. his/her/its/their

If you say "US322, the aircraft behind you has reported fire in your engine", where is the fire? Is it the same as in the sentence "US322, the aircraft behind you has reported fire in its engine"?

Read the post on our Instagram page and learn the difference between your and his/her/its/their.

Fluency: Why do you love English?

Why do you study English? Do you like it?
Record yourself answering those questions and then compare your answer to this video.

Which ones of these reasons from the video are true for you?

I like English because...

( ) it's a global language.

( ) it gives me chances to learn other things.

( ) it generates business opportunities.

( ) it's easy to learn.

( ) it's fun!

Now record yourself again and try to use the grammar and vocabulary you heard.

//
Por que você estuda inglês? Você gosta do idioma? Grave-se respondendo a essas perguntas e compare suas respostas ao vídeo. Tome notas do vocabulário e da gramática e tente de novo. Que motivos acima são verdade para você?

Grammar: like

Many students confuse "Do you like...?" with "What is it like...?" Learn the difference with this video. The transcript is below it.

Pronunciation: <-ous> ending

How do you pronounce the "ous" ending in words such as "contagious" and "suspicious"? Do you know it sounds almost like "us"?

Go to our Instagram to check the recording. Then record yourself and listen to your pronunciation to compare. If you're at SRPV, send us the recording, too, and we will be glad to give you feedback.

Finally, expand: in what ATC situations would you use these words? Write sentences with the phrases and record them, too.

Aviation English tests: SDEA

One way you can practice for your Aviation English test is to try out past papers (= older versions) of the same test or other similar tests. In Brazil, pilots sit ANAC's Santos Dumont English Assessment (SDEA). Here's a model version of SDEA. As an air traffic controller, do you think you'd be able to pass this test or do you find it too pilot-oriented?

Vocabulary: story or History?

In Part 4 of EPLIS (Paper 2), do you tell a 'story' or 'History'? Are these words synonyms?

Find out the answer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/eiam/unit-1/session-3

If you need help to understand the video, click on the transcript under the video on the BBC page.

Interactions: communicable disease

The coronavirus pandemic has prompted an air traffic controller from Recife to ask us for more material on contagious diseases.

Go to our Instagram page (or Google Drive folder) and listen to the audio before you read the transcript below.

Aviation English tests: EPLIS Part 4 Describing a picture

Are you at a loss when you have to describe a picture on EPLIS? You can use these phrases to help organize your speech.

This document was put together by a teacher from Italy who helps people pass the Cambridge PET. As the test is different from EPLIS, not all phrases apply, but most of them are really useful.

Vocabulary: contaminated runway & braking action

Do you know the meaning of "braking action"? How about "contaminated runway"?

Learn more here and here.

How can those conditions affect your ATC unit?

Review: QUIZ TIME!

Do you remember the vocabulary from our Instagram Profile @an.eye.on.you these past months?

Do this week's quiz here and practice your vocabulary and comprehension.

Vocabulary: Switching shifts

A boss talks to an employee about her shifts. Learn how here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/emw/unit-1/session-14/activity-1

Aviation English tests: EPLIS Part 4 Telling a story

Do you get nervous when you have to tell a story at EPLIS? Do you say things like "Oh, I'm not creative"?

Lt Rossi, an experienced air traffic controller and ATC instructor, gives you tips about EPLIS, especially for Part 4 - Telling a story. There will be more videos in this series. Keep an eye on his video channel!

For more information, check the videos and Manual on EPLIS' website.

Aviation English tests: EPLIS - Getting to know the test

O que você sabe sobre o EPLIS? Um ex-aluno da EEAR conta o que ele aprendeu com a experiência de fazer o exame na Escola.

Algumas observações:

• O EPLIS agora se chama Exame de Proficiência em Inglês Aeronáutico do SISCEAB.

• Para passar para a Fase 2, você precisa acertar 21 itens da Fase 1.

• A criatividade não é avaliada no EPLIS.

• Olho na tartaruguinha. Ela é muito fofa. :)
  
  Para mais informações, veja os vídeos e o Manual no site do EPLIS.

Vocabulary: Animals on the ground

What is a runway incursion? Is a cow on the runway an incursion? See the answer here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B74Mk65H7Tv/

Vocabulary: Coronavirus pandemic

Learn vocabulary related to the covid19 pandemic at https://www.englishclub.com/vocabulary/coronavirus-covid19.php

and at https://www.instagram.com/p/B9xMUIHH_V7

Medical situations: Diseases & symptoms

Learn how to describe health problems and symptoms at bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/course/emw/unit-1/session-8/activity-1

QUIZ TIME! Common health problems

Do you know the words for some common medical conditions and problems? Learn at https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17918597068342810/

Medical situations: Baby on board

A Chilean woman had her baby aboard a flight from Rio to Santiago. What vocabulary would you need to retell that story? Learn at https://www.instagram.com/p/B58anRknSX5/