William Agius (ZHAW School of Engineering) on language, culture and communication in aviation
On 14 November 2025, CULCOM hosted a talk by William Agius, Deputy Head of the Centre for Aviation of the School of Engineering at the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences, which explored the critical role of language proficiency and cultural knowledge in aviation safety. As a global industry, aviation constantly navigates challenges arising from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds amongst both crews and passengers. The discussion focused on the use of English as a lingua franca, highlighting how ‘aviation’ English differs significantly from everyday English, which complicates the notion of a ‘native’ speaker. The talk concluded by stressing the importance of specialized testing that accurately meets the specific requirements of the aviation industry.
William is the Deputy Head of the Centre for Aviation of the School of Engineering at the ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. William’s research focusses on test and rating scale development in contexts of (English) language use for specific purposes as a lingua franca. He is the lead developer for the ELPAC test suite for air traffic controllers and pilots.