On Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:15:46 +0100, Mxsmanic
wrote in :

If I understand correctly, the ICAO is putting more stringent requirements for
English for pilots and crew into effect on the first of the year. Is that
true? If so, does anyone know where I can find an official description of the
new requirements? Searching the ICAO site pointed me to a zillion different
pages.


http://www.rmitenglishworldwide.com/icao.html
The ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements
How have the language requirements for pilots and air traffic
controllers changed?
In September 2003 the International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO), a division within the United Nations, announced changes to
provisions strengthening language proficiency requirements. These
requirements will come into effect from March 2008. These changes mean
that for the first time, all pilots operating on international routes
and all air traffic controllers who communicate with foreign pilots
will need to have their English language proficiency formally
assessed. The ICAO language proficiency requirement requires that
pilots and air traffic controllers be able to communicate proficiently
using both ICAO phraseology (ICAO Doc. 9832) and plain English (ICAO
Doc. 9835).

ICAO has established six levels of language proficiency:

ICAO Level 6: Expert
ICAO Level 5: Extended
ICAO Level 4: Operational
ICAO Level 3: Pre-Operational
ICAO Level 2: Elementary
ICAO Level 1: Pre-Elementary

The minimum language level for licensing purposes is ICAO Level 4.
To be assessed at ICAO Level 4 or above, a pilot or air traffic
controller must achieve Level 4 in all six of the ICAO skill areas:
Pronunciation, Structure, Vocabulary, Fluency, Comprehension and
Interactions. In other words, if a test candidate is assessed as ICAO
Level 4 in five of the six skill areas, but ICAO Level 3 in one area,
then, according to the ICAO requirement, they are assessed as ICAO
Level 3.

Where are the ICAO language proficiency requirements documented?
The strengthening of the provisions occurs as a result of changes
to ICAO Standard and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in several Annexes:
....