On Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:58:53 +0200, Mxsmanic
wrote:

This controller spoke very clearly; his accent was completely
unimportant.

Spoken like a true monophone American!

Accents are VERY important. You might try landing at Liverpool with a
controller speaking clearly in a Liverpudlian accent. You wouldn't
have a clue what he was saying.

It's not enough to speak clearly. The controller should speak a
standard English, like that used by network announcers and news
readers.

That said, there is a particular problem understanding Asians speaking
English that they learned in secondary school or later. Though they
were taught a standard English, either American or British, and though
they may be entirely fluent, it can be very hard indeed to understand
everything they say. I wrote a recommendation for a graduate student
applying to Harvard for a PhD program. I had no doubt whatever that
she could handle the work with ease, but I had to admit that I was
sometimes mystified by her speech. ("Wolf" for example. She pronounced
it with a long O, and it became another word entirely.)


Blue skies! -- Dan Ford

Claire Chennault and His American Volunteers, 1941-1942
forthcoming from HarperCollins www.flyingtigersbook.com