LEONARDO develops language training tools for airline staff
The EU's LEONARDO DA VINCI vocational training programme is supporting the Airline Talk project which aims to develop new multimedia training materials to help airlines' staff develop their language skills. Airline personnel such as check-in staff, cabin crew and customer services staff regularly come into contact with passengers who speak languages other than their own. The project will develop CD-ROM based tools which are ideally suited to self study, either in airline training centres or at home. A number of common scenarios - both routine and "crisis" - and specialized vocabulary will be included in the tool. At first, the CD-ROM will feature English, German and Spanish, with French planned as the project develops. The tool will be developed using standard templates which should allow additional languages to be added easily. Also, a World Wide Web interface will be developed, creating a virtual classroom for staff training. The project partners have benefited from the support of several airlines, allowing trialling and observation of cabin crew training.