Yes, ICAO Standard Phraseology is the problem. Maybe in particular for English native speakers. For them English is... English, no matter what accent, or pace, or local expressions they use. They think they will be understood. And they get generally understood... but by other English native speakers only.
xxx
Listen to a typical USA pilot on ATC flying in his country -
"Boxhauler Six Thirty Five, going down to One Nine (nein!) Oh...!"
"Six Three Five, roger, cleared to Fifteen Thousand contact approach on One Two Five point Five"...
"Okey-doc One Twenny Five point Five, so long"...
xxx
Any American will know the above, and Canadian too. I trust the Brits, Kiwis, Aussies and South Africans will too (rolling their eyes) and think "Gosh, these Yanks and their way to speak" will understand, no problem...!
xxx
But imagine pilots from Korea, China, or Japan trying to understand.
And ATCO will make no effort to speak and pronounce taking in account the differences in language of other pilots. Neither do they in London or Sydney.
xxx
Often doing line training with my South Americans to Chicago, New York, Miami or Los Angeles, no need to tell you, I let "my guys" handle the plane, and I was on the radio. ATCO must have said "wow, these Argentinos speak good English like we do"...!
xxx
Yes, I could pronounce "Ca-naah-see" to translate "Ca-narrrr-si" to my guys.
And no need to tell who was the only guy able to read back a clearance at Kennedy.
Clearance, or verbal speed contest to copy what we do...?
xxx
American ATCO dictionnary -
Decimal (as in frequency) is "point"
Alti-mett-her, you call it QNH
Line-up and wait is "position and hold"
Five is "fife" - nine is "niner" - oh is "zeero"
Be ready to say ten thousand for one zero thousand
Contact "point seven five" (after landing) means 121.75...
xxx
One thing I leave to the Yanks. Their English is spoken by nearly 350 million people and quite popular worldwide thanks to the Hollywood movie industry. The slow speaking of actors John Wayne or Gregory Peck is easy to understand. I wish the Brits all would speak like on BBC World, or like singer Roger Whittaker in his popular songs. Paul Hogan as Crocodile Dundee told us how to speak like Aussies.
xxx
You think you got problem with English...?
Try your Spanish in Buenos Aires, si no sos un Che porteño...
Or you, friend from Québec, take an interpreter for your French when in Paris.
xxx
Happy contrails
Moderators -
When you say "only English in the forum, which English shall it be...?
Is it ok, I write "program" for "programme"...!