Native Language Effects on Flight Training Performance

Abstract

Collegiate aviation programs and flight schools enroll a significant number of international flight students each year, and most of these student pilots are non-native English speakers (NNES). Admission of international students to collegiate aviation programs is partially based on the results of English language proficiency assessments such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). According to Albritton (2007), these tests are not appropriate for assessing a student’s ability to successfully complete flight training. The TOEFL and the IELTS holistically measure a student’s English reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Since the total score is based on the combined scores for all these skills, a student who scores very high on reading and writing skills and very low on listening and speaking skills may be admitted to a collegiate aviation program based on the aggregate score. However, listening and speaking skills are critical for success in a flight training program, and a student pilot with inadequate listening and speaking skills may be unable to successfully complete flight training as a result. This research employed a survey sent to both native English speaking (NES) and (NNES) aviation students who recently passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Private Pilot check ride to determine the number of flight training hours to the first solo flight and the number of flight training hours to successful completion of the Private Pilot check ride. The number of flight training hours is thought to be a measurement of flight training performance. This study will determine if there is a significant difference in flight training performance between NES and NNES collegiate aviation students