The Department of English and Communication (ENGL) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) made a strong international impact at the 12th GEIA Seminar, held from 24–28 November 2025 at the Complexo Santos Dumont in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Led by Professor Eric Friginal, Head of the Department, the PolyU delegation delivered two presentations that highlighted Hong Kong’s distinctive approaches to aviation English education and professional technical communication. Their participation strengthened academic exchange between Hong Kong, Brazil, and the wider global aviation English community, contributing to a deeper understanding of how language training supports safety, efficiency, and professional development across the aviation sector.
The GEIA Seminar, organized annually by the Grupo de Estudos em Inglês Aeronáutico (GEIA), is recognized as one of the most influential international platforms for research and practice in aeronautical English. Bringing together educators, linguists, aviation professionals, policy makers, and safety specialists, the seminar fosters dialogue on language proficiency, communication standards, and training methodologies essential to aviation safety. This year’s event was attended by participants from various continents, reflecting the global nature of the aviation industry and the increasing demand for high-level English communication skills in multilingual environments.
Against this backdrop, the ENGL team presented two studies that showcased Hong Kong’s innovations in aviation English instruction—from secondary education to professional training—and its contributions to improving communication in high‑stakes safety contexts. The first presentation, delivered by Prof. Eric Friginal in collaboration with Dr Frederick Cheung, Principal of Chinese YMCA Secondary School and two secondary school students, Thomas Lok and Elena Liu. They examined how Aviation English is promoted and integrated into both secondary school curricula and university‑level cadet pilot programmes in Hong Kong. Their presentation offered a comprehensive view of Hong Kong’s vertically structured approach to preparing future aviation professionals.
At the secondary level, Dr Cheung shared how aviation-focused initiatives introduce students to foundational aeronautical concepts while emphasizing the development of Aviation English skills. These programmes aim not only to raise students’ aspirations but also to prepare them for the linguistic and cultural demands of the aviation workplace. Many participating students are encountering aviation terminology and communication conventions for the first time, making structured and engaging language instruction particularly crucial. The two secondary school students, Thomas Lok and Elena Liu, highlighted how Aviation English training is embedded throughout the programme, supporting young aviation enthusiasts as they progress toward their university education. By discussing the challenges of aligning language proficiency with operational requirements, the team demonstrated how Aviation English functions as a critical competency in modern pilot training.
Doctoral student Amber Wang, for her presentation shifted focus from spoken communication to the highly technical world of written safety documentation in aviation. The presentation addressed a critical but often overlooked aspect of aviation communication: the clarity and readability of maintenance manuals and technical written reports. Recognizing that approximately 80% of aviation maintenance technicians worldwide are non-native English speakers, this study sought to identify the linguistic structures and features that make maintenance documentation both precise and accessible using corpus linguistics methods. Findings identified four key communicative mechanisms essential to effective maintenance writing: structured elaboration of discourse, precise lexical choices, syntactic simplicity, and clear referential strategies. These features work together to ensure that complex technical procedures can be communicated clearly, consistently, and with minimal risk of misinterpretation.
Throughout GEIA 12, the PolyU team engaged with Brazilian aviation educators, DECEA Aeronautical English instructors, and international researchers, exchanging perspectives on curriculum design, English proficiency standards, and the future of aviation training. Their contributions were consistently noted for their strong empirical grounding, practical relevance, and the distinctive Hong Kong perspective they brought to global discussions on communication in aviation. The insights shared at GEIA 12 are expected to inform ongoing international collaboration and future research partnerships, contributing to safer and more effective communication across the global aviation industry. By representing Hong Kong on this international stage, the PolyU delegation helped strengthen cross-cultural understanding and showcased the university’s commitment to advancing impactful research and global engagement.
