Use of Second Language and Aviation Safety 2
even more significant.
Furthermore, many operational crews (e.g., pilots) fly not only domestically, but also
internationally. What this means is that they have to deal with ATC communication in
different countries that often requires them to speak their second language. For non-native
speakers of English, the second language is exclusively English, the international aviation
language. Also controllers in non-English speaking countries have to communicate with
airplanes form other countries. This means that they have to also speak English in their ATC
communication. Even for English-speaking countries, like the United States, many non-native
English-speaking foreign pilots fly in its airspace. Thus, many U.S. controllers need to
communicate with foreign pilots who use English as a second language. When any aviation
personnel participate in international aviation, having decent commands of English is an
essential prerequisite for them to leave from “borderland” and to join the central field.
If one has once attempted to acquire a second language at a practical level, he or she
would strongly agree that it is not an easy task. Furthermore, those non-native English-
speaking pilots and controllers have to speak English in a highly practical level, even while
they need to perform their fundamentally uncompromisable task: to operate airplane safely.
However, in fact, they, as well as pilots who speak English as their first language, sometimes
fail to communicate, and in rare occasions, a failure in an ATC communication leads to fatal
accident.
METHODS
While this paper targets audience who are not familiar with the field of air traffic, it
attempts to examine various ATC communication problems and failures, especially when they
involve use of English as a second language. First, with citing several historically important
Convention