Tim Marchand

The Flight Operations (FO) Programme at J. F. Oberlin University was launched in April2008, and one cohort of approximately 20 students enters the programme each year. FO students spend the first three semesters at Oberlin and then go abroad for two years of flight training, before returning to Japan for their final semester. During the first three semesters the students study aviation ground school subjects and also undergo English language training to prepare them for living and training overseas. The FO English programme is divided into two distinct syllabuses: (1) TOEFL skills and study abroad English; and (2) aviation English. The first of these syllabuses – TOEFL and study abroad English – is the subject of this paper. The objectives and methodology of the syllabus are discussed, and TOEFL score data for the first two cohorts is presented and analysed. In addition, the paper describes the development of the students as autonomous learners, and it concludes by discussing various tasks that are specifically designed to prepare the students for life in an English-speaking country.