The combination of national regulations and individual motivations has created a demand for generic aviation English rater training courses, a demand which is met by a number of providers who offer courses in varied shape and form. As rater training is largely unregulated, and as there is little guidance on what an aviation English rater training course should include, this article briefly explores this niche area of activity, suggests content that training courses should cover, and evaluates the usefulness of generic rater training.