Thank you Hvogt and indeed everyone. The major problem we have is that the national pilots would never dream of speaking English outside (and sometimes in) the cockpit. Practise is what all language is about. You are absolutly correct in pointing out that standard phrasology is key in the simplification of the language, the trouble is JFK (or most of the USA), China, S. America and many others do not make it easy for non-English speakers.