Agreed ... only 21% of the "non-aviation" world speaks the English language.
BUT…
At this stage in his career, don’t you think there is a lot more important things for him than learning Spanish for a potential job in South America?
Just a bit of historical trivia for us:
In the year 1944 on the 1st of November in response to a British initiative, the government of the United States invited 55 allied and neutral States to meet in Chicago. Out of the allied States invited 52 attended this meeting. The aim of this meeting was to discuss the international problems faced in Civil Aviation.
Outcome of the meeting:
- The Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation.
- Formation of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)
The Chicago Convention saw the implementation of English as the official standardized language to be used in Aviation around the world. English speaking countries dominated the design, manufacture as well as operation of aircrafts, it thus made sense to have English as the standard language that would be used by all the countries involved in Aviation around the globe. Having a standardized language aids in avoiding misunderstanding and confusion, aspects which both have an effect on air safety. Non- native English speakers have to learn basic English Phraseology as all the aircraft manuals, rules and regulations, checklist etc are all written in English.