Comments for Command of English Would Have Prevented Brazil's Worst Air Tragedy Ever at http://www.brazzilmag.com , comment 0 to 20 out of 22 comments http://www.brazzilmag.com Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:43:41 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_21786 Ideally every pilot should learn English? But what is the motivation or incentive to learn and reatin the fluency? Chinese pilots speak Chinese, Indian pilots speak Hindi. You won't do anything uless there is an incentive to do that. I think Brazilians can take a leaf out of Indians in this case. During my recent trip to Mumbai, India I came across few innovative English enhancement products called "Smarten Your English through...". These sure-fire educational - entertainment products are developed to create interest in the larner and make him learn positively. The developers, Espoir Technologies Private Limited has products like "Smarten Your English through Movies", "Smarten Your English through Success Secrets", "Sharpen Your English through Love & Romance", "Smarten Your Communication through WIt & Wisdom", "Learn English through Kama Sutra" etc. In each of these products, school English to IELTS / GRE / GMAT level is explained through a theme. For example if you like movies, you can get 700 hours of learning material through the topics of movies alone. An innovative technique to spped up skill building. If it is successful in Asia, why not try it in Brazil? - Scott Ikkara Sun, 19 Apr 2009 05:19:27 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7296 To Ric.Bo,Ch.C Did you guys read the article in the Financial Times, translated into Portuguese by Terra?. I did read the original. Quite interesting. To make it easy for our Brazilian friends to understand, I am posting the link: http://br.invertia.com/noticias/noticia.aspx?idNoticia=200702221102_BBB_30393882 The article makes lots of sense and forecasts about the Brazilian economy for the next 4 years. Your turn,Ric,being a wise old gentleman (I guess in Portuguuese it is called "O velho Sabio"). Take care guys. - Andy Murphy Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:40:12 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7249 No, maybe PA or NY - Ric Thu, 22 Feb 2007 03:10:39 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7236 this Ray Odierno is afrom El Salvador,right? - Andy Murphy Wed, 21 Feb 2007 23:39:56 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7224 To Ric "Valentino,Valentino" was really sung by Connie Franscis. She is a singer from Costa Rica with the "queen´s" English accent. I bet you will remember her after meditating for a few mintutes. It is one of my favorite songs of hers. I still have her LP with me and once in a while enjoy listening (Whenever my player functions!). - Andy Murphy Wed, 21 Feb 2007 21:07:13 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7223 The latest news I heard was that Joe Sharkey has thrown in the towel and no longer wants to get involved. I dont blame him either,because it is not easy for a witness to receive constant hate mail and to read illogical and premature conclusions about the causes of the tragedy from parties that were not directly involved. I hope good old Joe changes his mind and come back to throw more light in his blog. - Andy Murphy Wed, 21 Feb 2007 20:59:51 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7195 ENGLISH is the internationally-agreed language of air traffic control. - Winston Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:27:23 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7194 I screwed up. Well, it´s been 50 years. - Ric Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:03:24 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7193 No, Andy, just remembering the TV show, hero was Paladin, Have Gun Will Travel. Sorry for being so obscure. Nothing to do with English. I don´t remember the song by Connie Francis. - Ric Wed, 21 Feb 2007 02:00:21 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7192 To Ric What is up Ric, why this song "Paladino,Paladino"?. It reminds me of the famous song "Valentino,Valentino" sung by (I think) Connie Francis. Do you think that Paladino´s Englis was not up to the mark? I am curious about your new line of thoughts on this issue. - Andy Murphy Wed, 21 Feb 2007 01:15:46 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7175 Paladino..Paladino....A man called Paladino, Have Gun, Will Travel! Yes! Thank you, Norm!!! - Ric Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:53:20 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7170 Deixa de ser besta..... - Ric Tue, 20 Feb 2007 18:21:49 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7168 WHY WOULD THEY NEED ENGLISH FOR A DOMESTIC FLIGHT??? WHY DIDN'T PALADINO ANSWERED THE ATC IN SPANISH??? AND!!!! MORE DEVASTATING THEN EVER IS AN INTERVIEW IN SPANISH PALADINO GAVE TO A MEXICAN TV!!! BOY THIS SHIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTT IS GETING BETTER BY THE MINUTE!!! CHEERS!!! WHAT IS THIS SHIT? ARE THEY GOING TO PLAN “Z” NOW? HEY RICKY, BO SAID YOU WERE WONDERFULL !!! - Let the games begin. Tue, 20 Feb 2007 17:54:40 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7166 The key point is that ICAO has recognized that English proficiency is highly variable. That is why they are implementing language proficiency requirements starting March, 2008. From the ICAO description of the manual, "This manual provides guidance on the implementation of the ICAO language proficiency Standards for flight crew and air traffic controllers. It contains comprehensive information on a range of aspects related to language proficiency and training that will assist Contracting States, operators and air traffic services providers in implementing efficient language training and testing. It also contains information that will help the language training and testing industry in providing services that are relevant to the civil aviation context." Any English school owners out there trying to get a slice of the training pie? Only a year left! - Check out ICAO Tue, 20 Feb 2007 16:55:18 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7164 And don’t buy the ICAO manual. Showing a “proficiency” in English in practice is a very loose interpretation by host countries. The times I’ve flown in Brazil some controllers spoke excellent English and the rest a wide range. That is true all over the world where English is not the primary language. The other issue in some countries is their view at the time of the US. I would say that a higher percentage of the French controllers, for over 20 years, “seem to understand very little”. Of course they could still be upset that English was adopted as the official language and not French. I have been surprised over flying Cuban airspace as almost all spoke and understood English very well. - realgivp Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:58:52 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7163 Something does not sound right in this tragic air crash in which 154 souls perished.Everyone,including the media seem to speculating the causes,without waiting for the official rport to be issued. My questions are a) Why has the black box recordings of the Gol Boeing 737 never made public? b) I heard that a Columbian pilot who was flying a U.S. cargo plane from Miami and happened to be over the Amazon at the time of the accident,helped the Legacy pilots to land in Cachimbo airbase. Why was he not interviewed by any official authorities? c) Joe Sharkey says in one of his posts that Jan Paladino is the son of a Spanish mother and an Argentine father.So Jan must be familiar with Spanish which is very similar to Portuguese. Besides, lots of educated Brazilians,esspecially in the Armed forces understand English,when spoken slowly. They understand written English much better. I many more questions to ask.But my comment: Ladies and Gentlemen, lets wait for the official enquiry to be conducted and not indulge in any witch hunts prematurely.That way,we will be showing respect to the 154 souls who perished and their beloved ones. - Andy Murphy Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:04:00 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7157 Yes, that word will do it nine times out of ten. - Ric Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:37:37 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7155 The former controller believes that the little knowledge of English is not enough when a flight controller has do deal with an abnormal situation as the one with the Legacy. "If something out of the ordinary happens, the flight controller may not be able to communicate in English. After all, all he learned were typical and basic flight control phrases for when everything is normal in the air." and there it is...."Housewares"! - bo Tue, 20 Feb 2007 12:08:57 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7154 From the ICAO website (http://www.icao.int/cgi/goto_m_anb.pl?icao/en/trivia/peltrgFAQ.htm): ================ In which languages does a licence holder need to demonstrate proficiency? Amendment 164 to Annex 1 has introduced strengthened language proficiency requirements for flight crew members and air traffic controllers. The language proficiency requirements apply to any language used for radiotelephony communications in international operations. Therefore, pilots on international flights shall demonstrate language proficiency in either English or the language used by the station on the ground. Controllers working on stations serving designated airports and routes used by international air services shall demonstrate language proficiency in English as well as in any other language(s) used by the station on the ground. For more information, please refer to Annex 1, Chapter 1, paragraph 1.2.9 and Attachment to Annex 1, and also to Annex 10, Volume II, Chapter 5. Please, also refer to the FAQ "Guidance on the evaluation of language proficiency". ============================== By March 2008, all language proficiency must be tested. The ICAO faq has interesting information, The truly curious may spend $81 and purchase "Manual on the Implementation of ICAO Language Proficiency Requirements (Doc 9835)" (http://icaodsu.openface.ca/documentItemView.ch2?ID=9582) - Check out ICAO Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:51:19 +0100 http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/7917/54/#pc_7149 All International airline pilots and their co-pilots are required to speak English fluently. It’s been that way for decades. If Brazil ever wants out of a 3RD world country status, it had better get with the program…. - kenn Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:06:28 +0100