Teaching for the test or teaching for life: an analysis of the washback effect in the teaching of aviation English
Keywords:
Aviation English, Washback effect, Training for the test, SDEAAbstract
Ten years after the implementation of SDEA, an English exam for civil pilots, it is important to seek an understanding of the washback effect of this specificity of language. In the classroom, the consequences of an exam can be positive, if they affect the teacher’s attitudes, or negative, if they end up narrowing the pedagogical content to the mere rehearsal of the test. In this article, we propose the investigation of a scope of the aviation English market in Brazil through internet-based materials addressed to civil pilots. To this end, we have used a list offered at ANAC´s website with 23 aviation English institutions. After analyzing the material from each institution, we verified an excessive focus on the SDEA items to the expense of the Proficiency Scale recommended by ICAO. We conclude this paper with suggestions of a future improvement in the Brazilian market.
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