TALKING RADIO

ICAO ELP Prep

General Information about the ICAO ELP Test

What will the examiner listen for?

Pronunciation - This is only important if it gets in the way of communication.
Don’t rush and speak too fast, speak clearly and you will be all right.

Sentence Structure - Using better sentences is the best way to improve your
speaking score in a short time, because using better sentences is how we
COMMUNICATE. Listen to the tense of the question – do you need to give your
answer in the present, past or future tense?
Vocabulary - Some students try to improve their speaking score by using
difficult words. However, using words incorrectly will LOWER your score! Avoid
using difficult words or expressions unless you are sure of how to use them.
Try to learn a few English words relevant to your job every week; it will help you
a lot in the test!

Fluency and Coherence - Of course fluency is very important but it is useless

if you are not understood (if you are not "coherent"). You do NOT have to
speak quickly, but too many hesitations are bad.

Interaction – Respond as quickly as you can, try not to hesitate. Give useful
answers relevant to the questions asked. Make sure you check, clarify and
confirm anything you do not understand.
Comprehension – This is important as far as understanding work related
topics – remember to listen carefully to the question! Also, you need to be able
to understand a variety of accents – try to listen to as many accents as you
can, you can use Google to find a few if you like.

Your Score
If you cannot make good sentences, if you hesitate too much, if your speaking is not
clear or if you use words incorrectly, you will be level 4 or below.

To be a level 5, you can make some mistakes with complex grammar and have
hesitations, but you must be able to make simple sentences easily and without
mistakes. You must also be able to answer questions quickly with appropriate replies
and even be able to control a conversation, if necessary. You must also be able to
understand a range of accents.

To be a level 6, you need a very wide vocabulary, use a variety of sentences and
connect the sentences well. You should be able to speak fluently on any topic. You
may make a few tiny errors, if those errors do not get in the way of communication.
You need to use a variety of language. Also, you should be able to paraphrase very
well.
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ICAO ELP Prep

Sentence Building
Make better sentences, get a better score!
Question: Tell me about your job.
Common Answer: I am a pilot.
Better Answer: I am a helicopter pilot. The helicopter I fly is called an MI8 and it is a
Russian helicopter. We have three crew members; the pilot, the co-pilot and the flight
engineer, I am the co-pilot.
Question: How long have you been flying?
Common Answer: 15 years.
Better Answer: Well, I started flying about 15 years ago when I joined the Air Force
as a military pilot. I was in the Air force for 10 years before I left to fly as a civilian
contract pilot.

Question: Do you like your job?

Common Answer: I like my job very much.
Better Answer: Flying has always been my passion so I really enjoy my job every
day. However, I often miss my family because I spend so much time away from them.

Question: Would you ever consider changing your career if you got the chance?
Common Answer: No, not really.
Better Answer: That’s a good question! Since I was a young boy I always dreamed
of flying helicopters. Now, it’s my dream come true and I am very happy doing my job.
So no, I would not change my career.
Question: What do you understand by the term CRM (Crew Resource
Management)?
Common Answer: It is the study of human behaviour in aviation.
Better Answer: We recently attended a course on CRM and learnt all about the
importance of communication, leadership and decision making of the crew members
in the cockpit. It is very important because human error in the cockpit has been the
cause of many aviation accidents.

Question: How much training do you need to become a pilot?

Common Answer: To become a helicopter pilot you need about 40 to 60 hours of
flying training.
Better Answer: It depends if you are talking about a private pilot or a commercial
pilot. Once you get your private pilot’s licence you still need a lot more training to
become a commercial pilot. Even after that, you need quite a lot of flying experience
to become a captain or pilot in command of a helicopter. So it really depends on what
you mean by pilot.

Question: Have you ever flown in bad weather conditions?

Common Answer: No.
Better Answer: Helicopters often fly at low altitudes so if the weather is bad there is
more chance of an accident happening due to poor visibility. For this reason we do
not fly in bad weather conditions and I have never flown in bad weather.
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ICAO ELP Prep

ELP Speaking Exercise:

Connecting Sentences

Do not use too many connectors when you speak, or it may sound unnatural. Here
are some of the most common connection words in English.

1. "after" or "before"
After we did that, we ~ed; Before we can fly to that airfield, we must ~; After that, I
went to... ;Before that, I was working in the military.
2. "although" or "even though"

Although that field is very small, we will be able to land there; Even though my
hometown is very crowded and noisy, I like living there very much.

3. "another"
Another good thing about my job is...; Another way to solve the problem would be
to...
4. "as with" or "just like"

As with the first question, we must consider this one very carefully; Just like Romeo
and Juliet, we fell in love.

5. "at the same time"

I wanted to be with her every day. At the same time, I felt I should obey my parent’s
wishes; There are too many cars in Beijing. At the same time, the city is building
more subway lines and adding more buses.

6. "besides" or "in addition to"

Besides that fact, here is another interesting point...; In addition to that law, there
are many other laws to prevent air traffic accidents.
7. "but"

This is usually true, but...; In most cases that is true, but...; In a typical situation that
may happen, but...; In an ideal situation we can do it that way, but...

8. "because"
Many people believe that is true. I disagree because...; My point of view is... The
reason I believe that is because...
9. "except for"

Except for that one case, I do not know of any other problems; Except for the main
character, all the others were bad people.
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ICAO ELP Prep

10. "for example"

I believe ~ is true. For example...; I believe that ~ is the best way. Let me give you an
example...

11. "however" or "yet"

I basically agree with you. However, I don't know if that will be true in the future; That
is what I have thought most of my life. Yet I wonder if I am wrong.
12. "rather than"

Rather than repeat that process, the hero of the story decided to do something
different; Rather than just accept the decision, I decided to change my job.

13. "the reason is"

I don't agree with that at all. The reason is...; The reason I doubt that is...

14. "this" or "that"

Some people say that... and I have to agree with them...; That was good too, but not
as good as...; That was good, and an even better way is...; Not only is that
interesting, but ~ is also quite fascinating.

15. "when" or "whenever"

When I think about such a topic, I think about...; When I remember how I grew up, I
realize...; Whenever I think about my studies, I wonder how I survived!

Tips for the the ICAO ELP Test

Before going into the room, take three DEEP breaths!

Do not worry about mistakes - everybody makes them! Instead, think about
communicating well.

Do not worry about your accent. Just speak clearly.

Avoid slang or very informal language. We only use such language with our
close friends.
Say NAMES slowly.

Do NOT use difficult words or expressions unless you are 100% sure you know
how to use them right. If you use words at the wrong time, your score will be
lower!
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ICAO ELP Prep

Make good, clear sentences to express your meaning.

Do not speak either too fast or too slow.

Always ask questions if you do not understand something or check to see if you
have understood it correctly.
Do not change the topic. The examiner will think you cannot speak enough on
that topic and will give you a lower score.
Do not memorize answers to prepare for the test. The examiner will hear that
you are not speaking naturally and will change the topic.
Practice speaking with a friend. Your friend can surprise you with all kinds of
questions.

GOOD LUCK!