Reality Cheque please !
Please be advised that only ICAO signatory states are required to use English as an aviation language.
Even countries like Algeria which have adopted ICAO systems are not signatories to ICAO and are not therefore under any obligation to controll in English. ( Even though it is the Queens language ).
So next time one feels inclined to mouth off at a controller for not using English check your Jepp to see if you are in an ICAO country's airspace.
Most of West and Central Africa (also Madagascar)are affiliated to ASECNA, not ICAO so they are doing you a favour by speaking English to you.
I feel it is the height of arrogance to expect the rest of the world to speak English without us having to make any effort to accomodate other widley spoken international languages.
I have collegues who have flown in Francophone Africa for years who are still incapable of ordering a so much as a beer in a local language anywhere between Luanda and Algiers because " English is the International Aviation Language", so they think everyone else should speak it.
I agree with BelArgUSA's comments and I think that spending an afternoon learning to count to 10 in French and Portuguese will do more to improve air safety in africa than trying to change and alter the entire aviation culture of other people's countries.
Uma cerveja per favor amigo.
Un bier sil voux plez mon amis.
Min faartlahk ais wahid beer sadigi. (although not during Ramadan in daylight)