PART II: ICAO LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY RATING SCALE

Found in the Attachment to ICAO Annex 1

1.1 Expert, Extended and Operational Levels

LEVEL PRONUNCIATION STRUCTURE VOCABULARY FLUENCY COMPREHENSION INTERACTIONS

Assumes a dialect and/or
accent intelligible to the
aeronautical community.
Expert Pronunciation, stress,
rhythm, and intonation,
6 though possibly influenced
by the first language or
regional variation, almost
never interfere with ease of
understanding.
Extended Pronunciation, stress,
rhythm, and intonation,
5 though influenced by the
first language or regional
Relevant grammatical
structures and sentence
patterns are determined by
language functions
appropriate to the task.
Both basic and complex
grammatical structures and
sentence patterns are
consistently well
controlled.
Basic grammatical
structures and sentence
patterns are consistently
well controlled. Complex
Vocabulary range and Able to speak at length Comprehension is Interacts with ease in
accuracy are sufficient to with a natural, effortless consistently accurate in nearly all situations. Is
communicate effectively flow. Varies speech flow nearly all contexts and sensitive to verbal and
on a wide variety of for stylistic effect, e.g. to includes comprehension of non-verbal cues and
familiar and unfamiliar emphasize a point. Uses linguistic and cultural responds to them
topics. Vocabulary is appropriate discourse subtleties. appropriately.
idiomatic, nuanced, and markers and connectors
sensitive to register. spontaneously.
Vocabulary range and Able to speak at length Comprehension is accurate Responses are immediate,
accuracy are sufficient to with relative ease on on common, concrete, and appropriate, and
communicate effectively work- related topics and
familiar topics but may not informative. Manages the
on common, concrete, and vary speech flow as a mostly accurate when the speaker/ listener

variation, rarely interfere
with ease of
understanding.
Operational Pronunciation, stress,
rhythm, and intonation are
4 influenced by the first
language or regional
variation but only
sometimes interfere with
ease of understanding.
Levels 1, 2 and 3 are on subsequent page.
A-7
structures are attempted work-related topics. speaker is confronted with
stylistic device. Can make relationship effectively.
but with errors which Paraphrases consistently use of appropriate a linguistic or situational
sometimes interfere with and successfully. discourse markers or complication or an
meaning. Vocabulary is sometimes connectors. unexpected turn of events.
idiomatic. Is able to comprehend a
range of speech varieties
(dialect and/or accent) or
registers.
Basic grammatical Vocabulary range and Produces stretches of Comprehension is mostly Responses are usually
structures and sentence accuracy are usually language at an appropriate accurate on common, immediate, appropriate,
patterns are used creatively sufficient to communicate tempo. There may be concrete, and work- related and informative. Initiates
and are usually well effectively on common, occasional loss of fluency topics when the accent or and maintains exchanges
controlled. Errors may concrete, and work-related on transition from variety used is sufficiently even when dealing with an
occur, particularly in topics. Can often rehearsed or formulaic intelligible for an unexpected turn of events.
unusual or unexpected paraphrase successfully speech to spontaneous international community Deals adequately with
circumstances, but rarely when lacking vocabulary interaction, but this does of users. When the speaker apparent
interfere with meaning. in unusual or unexpected not prevent effective is confronted with a misunderstandings by
circumstances. communication. Can make linguistic or situational checking, confirming, or
limited use of discourse complication or an clarifying.
markers or connectors. unexpected turn of events,
Fillers are not distracting. comprehension may be
slower or require
clarification strategies.

ICAO Preliminary Unedited Version — 5 April 2004

 A-8

1.2 Pre-operational, Elementary and Pre-elementary Levels

LEVEL PRONUNCIATION STRUCTURE VOCABULARY FLUENCY COMPREHENSION INTERACTIONS

Assumes a dialect and/or
accent intelligible to the
aeronautical community.
Pre- Pronunciation, stress,
operational rhythm, and intonation are
influenced by the first
3 language or regional
variation and frequently
interfere with ease of
understanding.
————————
Relevant grammatical
structures and sentence
patterns are determined by
language functions
appropriate to the task.
Basic grammatical
structures and sentence
patterns associated with
predictable situations are
not always well controlled.
Errors frequently interfere
with meaning.
Levels 4, 5 and 6 are on preceding page.
Vocabulary range and Produces stretches of Comprehension is often Responses are sometimes
accuracy are often language, but phrasing and accurate on common, immediate, appropriate,
sufficient to communicate pausing are often concrete, and work- related and informative. Can
on common, concrete, or inappropriate. Hesitations topics when the accent or initiate and maintain
work-related topics, but or slowness in language variety used is sufficiently exchanges with reasonable
range is limited and the processing may prevent intelligible for an ease on familiar topics and
word choice often effective communication. international community in predictable situations.
inappropriate. Is often Fillers are sometimes of users. May fail to Generally inadequate when

unable to paraphrase distracting. understand a linguistic or dealing with an

Elementary Pronunciation, stress,
rhythm, and intonation are
2 heavily influenced by the
first language or regional
variation and usually
interfere with ease of
understanding.
Pre- Performs at a level below
elementary the Elementary level.
Shows only limited control
of a few simple memorized
grammatical structures and
sentence patterns.
Performs at a level below
the Elementary level.
successfully when lacking
vocabulary.
Limited vocabulary range
consisting only of isolated
words and memorized
phrases.
Performs at a level below
the Elementary level.
Can produce very short,
isolated, memorized
utterances with frequent
pausing and a distracting
use of fillers to search for
expressions and to
articulate less familiar
words.
Performs at a level below
the Elementary level.
situational
complication or an
unexpected turn of events.
Comprehension is limited
to isolated, memorized
phrases when they are
carefully and slowly
articulated.
Performs at a level below
the Elementary level.
unexpected turn of events.
Response time is slow and
often inappropriate.
Interaction is limited to
simple routine exchanges.
Performs at a level below
the Elementary level.

Note.— The Operational Level (Level 4) is the minimum required proficiency level for radiotelephony communication. Levels 1 through 3 describe
Pre-elementary, Elementary, and Pre-operational levels of language proficiency, respectively, all of which describe a level of proficiency below the
ICAO language proficiency requirement. Levels 5 and 6 describe Extended and Expert levels, at levels of proficiency more advanced than the
minimum required Standard. As a whole, the scale will serve as benchmarks for training and testing, and in assisting candidates to attain the ICAO
Operational Level (Level 4).

ICAO Preliminary Unedited Version — 5 April 2004