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Rated Speech Samples Developed for ICAO by ICAEA
Click here to view the samples

Click here for more information about the RSSTA project

Welcome to the ICAO Rated Speech Samples Training Aid (RSSTA).

 

The RSSTA, developed under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation English Association (ICAEA), is designed to:

 

  • Raise awareness of what constitutes an acceptable or unacceptable level of English for communication between pilots and ATCs according to the ICAO scales
  • Provide examples of performance at each of the ICAO levels 2-6
  • Serve as an accurate and reliable reference for users
  • Promote rating standardisation between different raters and test service providers and between different regions of the world
  • Act as a training tool for the initial and recurring training of raters and examiners
  • Support ICAO’s efforts to enhance proficiency test standards

 

It includes:

 

  • Speakers from a number of different language groups
  • A variety of samples at ICAO levels 3, 4 and 5
  • A dedicated internet facility for streaming audio samples, or direct content download

 

The facility can be used as follows:

 

Samples are displayed on the website in groups which are representative of the level in which they have been placed by the raters with reference to the ICAO rating scale. Each sample carries brief information including task type, candidate's first language and the level rating determined for each applicable criterion. An online player is assigned to each sample enabling it to be played directly from the website. The samples are also available for direct download from the site. It is anticipated that further samples will be added as they become available.

 

Notes

 

A score is reported for a criterion in all cases where:

  • The score is sufficiently reliable; and
  • One or more of the descriptors in the criterion apply.

A reported score does not mean that all of the descriptors in the given criterion at the given level apply.

 

Where there is no rating for a given criterion, the criterion is marked ‘NR’. NR indicates that:

  • The score for the criterion was not sufficiently reliable; or
  • None of the descriptors for that criterion applies.

 

The speech samples contained in the training aid do not represent complete language tests. A complete language test will contain a variety of tasks that together test the full range of skills in the ICAO rating scale.

 

The ratings apply to test taker performances on tasks. The reported scores do not represent a language proficiency rating for the test taker in question and should not be interpreted as such.

 

Disclaimer


Inclusion of any speech samples should in no way be interpreted as an approval, endorsement or otherwise, of a test by ICAO or ICAEA. Similarly, inclusion or exclusion of a speech sample should in no way be interpreted as a judgement of the quality of the test tasks or test delivery practices.