11.9 Conclusion
In this chapter, we reviewed a training method for air-traffic controllers that
is based on the principles of activity theory. The purpose of the method is to
develop the communication skills of air-traffic controllers in English. The main
concepts in the learning process are activity, goal, cognitive and behavioral
actions, self-regulation, strategy, sociocultural context, and so on. The major
units of analysis in the training process are cognitive and behavioral actions
(including verbal actions) and functional blocks. The trials and errors in learning
are considered in line with the self-regulatory process. One important prerequisite
for learning is the unity of external and internal activities.
For pilots and air-traffic controllers, communication is not just a simple
process of information exchange but an important tool for performing practical
actions under time constraints and stress. For developing an effective
method for English teaching, we used the problem-analysis system of
learning and training and some important ideas that were derived from
the self-regulation concept of learning. Particular attention was paid to the
development of the ability to use English in the process of operative thinking
in performing operative tasks. In the learning process, we should develop
the ability to form appropriate goals and adequate dynamic mental models
of the situation on the basis of verbal information. The method of teaching
the English language to the air-traffic controllers was divided into two
stages. The first stage involved the traditional method of acquiring a foreign
language. The second involved the development of communication skills in
problem-solving situations, which could be created on the basis of studying
past critical situations and accidents in the airspace. This method combines
the acquisition of the English language in game conditions, which imitate
real professional situations. Our experimental method prepares students to
communicate effectively in English in their future work as air-traffic controllers
in extreme situations of international airspace.