TC Gobledegook - please translate

[photofly]

Our records show that you are the holder of a Operational level (4) language proficiency rating.
Since the Aviation Document Booklet (ADB)’s expiry date is based on the last date of a successful Language Proficiency (LP) examination for a holder of an Operational level (4) LP rating, Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) recommends that these applicants successfully pass a LP test within 12 months preceding the application date for renewal of the ADB.
This 12 month recommendation is for the benefit of the holder and if anytime different is required by the holder, this may result in a shorter validity period for their ADB.
If you have any concerns regarding your LP rating or validity period, consult your TCCA regional licensing office before submitting the application for the ADB. Please do not reply to this email message

I got that email today. Can someone tell me what on earth they're talking about?

[CD]

Probably something to do with this:

4.0 ASSESSING LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

1.Consistent with the ICAO standards, Canada has used an informal assessment process to determine the language proficiency of existing document holders. Most current licence holders have been assessed for language proficiency through this review process.

2.With the introduction of amendments to the CARs, new applicants must be formally assessed using the ALPT.

3.The ALPT rates language proficiency as either “Expert” (corresponding to ICAO Level 6) or “Operational” (corresponding to ICAO Levels 4 & 5) or “Below Operational” (corresponding to ICAO levels 1-3).

a.Those assessed at the Below Operational level do not qualify for a Canadian flight crew or air traffic controller licence;

b.Those assessed at the Expert level require no further testing; and

c.Those assessed at the Operational level must be re-tested every 5 years.

Advisory Circular (AC) No. 400-002 - Aviation Language Proficiency Requirements

[Shiny Side Up]

I got that email today. Can someone tell me what on earth they're talking about?

Clearly your inability to understand their english is why they want to re-test you.

[photofly]

That's hilarious.

[Old Dog Flying]

Let's see: holder of a pilots licence for over 60 years; ATC for 49 years; did I say 3rd generation Canadian?

I am bilingual: English and profanity, which would you like to hear?

Some jackasses just have no brains at all.
Barney

[photofly]

I wonder how I ended up with "operational" in the first place - I've never been tested.

[cdnpilot77]

I wonder how I ended up with "operational" in the first place - I've never been tested.

Clearly you haven't gone back and read some of your old posts. They were being kind.

[AirFrame]

I was one of the volunteers when they implimented this language testing originally... Due to a mixup, when they called me to do the test the person was speaking french. My french is passable, so I just spoke french for a while, thinking that they wanted to test me in French. About 1/3 of the way through I decided that I might want to say something just in case they really did mix things up... I was struggling with the language that I hadn't used conversationally in about 5 years.

I asked (in english) "is this entire test going to be in French, or do we switch to English soon?" There was a long pause... Then "French isn't your primary language?" Um... No.

We switched to English, ran through the entire thign again from the beginning, and then he told me that despite my weak French, I was still meeting the proficiency requirements. Maybe "operational" would have been my French level, if i'd allowed the test to finish that way.

I haven't heard a thing about proficiency since that initial volunteer survey. I have no idea how I was assessed, nor whether that result is visible anywhere in my aviation document. Is it? (I don't have it handy to thumb through...)

[Old Dog Flying]

It is there Rob...right beside your file number on the stickies.

Barney

[North Shore]

^ You guys have it all wrong!

What that paragraph says is: "We are about to send you a bill for unnecessary paperwork that you didn't ask for..."

[CD]

[Beefitarian]

Someone should test TC's language proficiency.

[Shiny Side Up]

^ You guys have it all wrong!

What that paragraph says is: "We are about to send you a bill for unnecessary paperwork that you didn't ask for..."

That's what I read, but then my license also has "LP:TC" on it.

[Big Pistons Forever]

Q: What is the favorite word for a dyslectic TC person ?

A: " On "

[azimuthaviation]

Transport Canada, God bless their little hearts, just arent that good at identify where problems are, and where problems arent. They have identified a problem with photofly's English proficiency but found no problem in their oversight of the safety of this railway bridge as of this morning.

[Beefitarian]

Pour que?

[ahramin]

When the language requirements came in I believe everyone was going to be grandfathered in as level 4 in either French or English. When I look at my TC file though it says level 6 and the date is right between when I wrote my SAMRA and SARON. Don't see how a multiple choice exam could judge my language proficiency but those are the only things close to that date.

But the licence booklets are only valid for 5 years anyway regardless of language proficiency no? So what difference does it make?

[Beefitarian]

So what difference does it make?

U gunna need X-sam lol 80 dalla

[PilotDAR]

Clearly you haven't gone back and read some of your old posts. They were being kind

Hahahaha!

When I have to Bell for some service, and finally get a real person on the phone, my very first question is always; "Are you in Canada?". If the answer is "Yes", and I can understand the speaker's English, we continue.

Perhaps it's worth determining the English language proficiency of the TC person who sent you the email - before you waste any more of your time!

When this whole thing rose above the horizon years ago, I did see the point, having shared airspace with pilots more and more in recent years who were entirely unable to communicate in either Canadian language. It is funny to hear ATC simply say: "aircraft calling remain clear of the airspace". I decided that it was a small price to pay to have to prove my linguistic skills to a bureaucrat, to share airspace with people I can understand.

I guess I did at some point, 'cause the next time I saw my license, it displayed: "LP:EN", and I have not heard a thing about it since.

I do still share Canadian airspace with pilots who cannot make themselves understood in English, so I wonder what the operational effect of licensing with language proficiency is anyway....

[Louis]

I wonder how I ended up with "operational" in the first place - I've never been tested.

That's odd. All the information I recall seeing back then was to the effect everyone would be grandfathered to level 6 of the language you had on file for correspondence at TC.

Those wanting the other language added just had to call to get it added in before the testing came in effect. I had written TC documentation stating this... Which leads to the following story:

My phone call to do just that inadvertently caused a stir at the Montreal office. Some time before lunch I got my level 6 English LPR grandfathered in two minutes flat by the person picking up at the licensing department.

After letting him in on the idea, my colleague called early afternoon for same, instead got forwarded to someone else whom had conjured up the idea of having commercial operators "vouch" for their crews in writing so as to curtail a flood of phone calls. Good thing is that it all got worked out in the end, with minimal hassle.