What is a good second language to learn to increase your flying opportunities?

[Rj111]

I read the other day that there is a lack of FIs in Poland. Which made me wonder if there's any language in particular which would potentially open up some GA or FI opportunites over the next few years?

[mierda]

I agree with you, a second or even a third language, would open a lot more doors. I think Spanish and French are the top ones to learn.
Best and quickest way to learn a language is to move to that country. You will learn Spanish or French fluently in between 6 months and a year.

Most educated Europeans will be fluent in English as well as their native language. British people will tend to be fluent in English and a tiny proportion Welsh and English.

Spanish is spoken in a huge amount of countries; all but one country in Latin America.
And French is also very widely spoken.

[INNflight]

Spanish for the lower two Americas I guess, French for almost any part of Africa. What else.....Arabic or Chinese I guess?

[Craggenmore]

Bull**** worked for me............:ok:

[BelArgUSA]

Spanish and French.
xxx
French covers you for large areas of Africa.
Spanish for Central and South America.
xxx
I speak 4 languages fully fluently, and can make a disaster of 2 more...
Knowing Spanish+French, you can read/understand Portuguese and Italian.
Never too old to learn. I started Spanish at age 50, and Portuguese at 55...
Being multilingual has helped me a lot in my airline career.
Such as being selected for charters, with a week layover at famous resorts.
English is the international aviation language, but not always spoken off airports.
xxx
:ok:
Happy contrails

[Rj111]

Thanks for the responses guys. :ok:

[Spam Up]

Hello all !

Last year I was thinking that learning Russian maybe a good idea as I see myself staying within the bizjet side of things and there are plenty of them out there, being a lazy bugger I never actually got round to it !

Guess where my new job is :8 !

Now where are me thermals :ok:

Spam !

[preduk]

I'm thinking about learning french again, I used to do years ago in High School but hated it.

I've also attempted to learn Mandarin while I was in Beijing studying(IMPOSSIBLE!)

[Dan Winterland]

I'm very good at talking bollox. That and English seems to get me by!

[BelArgUSA]

As usual, I read the dislike of many Anglo-Saxons against use of other languages.
Pprune, notorious to prohibit use of Spanish/Portuguese in the South American forum.
In that continent... English is only spoken in few nations. Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, a few islands...
And Canada - how about 20% of its population speaks French, and large area of Africa.
Those of you willing to learn 1 or 2 foreign languages make a commendable effort.
xxx
I personally believe that languages are not taught well in any schools.
I lived 25 years in USA. I tried to help kids who had problems studying French in school.
No wonder it was difficult for them to learn from teachers that could barely speak it.
Children learn language from parents, "look a nice doggy", or "you want candy from your daddy...?"
You did not learn your language at age 2 or 3 with conjugations and grammar rules.
You were given cartoon books to read, and watching TV with that language.
Learning your language was fun. Learning another language IS NOT in school environment.
xxx
Many of you are from UK and Ireland... so you use English. No problem.
Yet some of you go for summer holidays to Spain, France, or Italy... At times same place each year.
If you went 10 times to Las Palmas for the last few years, why not learn Spanish...?
xxx
To be a pilot, I knew I had to learn English. Apologies if I speak/write American...
I knew maths and physics would help, and studied English besides that.
I got based in Germany a few times, glad I had some German in school too.
Germans were happy with me, in the plane, I gave them a welcome in German.
All PanAm's IGS Berlin cabin crews spoke German to me to help me practice.
xxx
Finally, I settled in Argentina and my wife was a Buenos Aires lady.
No need to say she was my best Spanish teacher. Was fun to learn.
She spoke NO English, never learned. Her second language was Portuguese.
She had lived in Brazil as a child and had learned that language in school.
xxx
We got very upset one day at former PanAm colleagues who flew for Delta or United.
They visited me often when on layover in Buenos Aires.
We always invited them, at home... sometimes 4 or 5 crewmembers.
One night, my wife and myself were speaking Spanish during dinner.
I was translating the conversation. She only could say yes or no to them.
One of them, in front of her, said "why don't you teach her English...?"
I answered that she had no use for English.
He answered "yes, but she is your wife, and it is your home...!"
I answered "yes, she is my wife, but this is her country, and mine as well now...!"
My wife that night, asked me not to invite English speaking former colleagues.
xxx
So from then on, we invited friends we met, who were from France, Germany, Italy or Spain.
I never had such remark from them...
xxx
I retire next month. If I need extra money, I can always be an English or French teacher.
Or make technical translations. Or be a tourist guide with these languages.
Make an effort to learn languages. You will never regret it.
:(
Happy contrails, anyway...

[MartinCh]

BelArgUSA,

I would love to ask you few questions that are not easy to find on PPRuNe. I'd like to tap your wealth of experience flying around the world, living around, especially Argentina.

You don't allow PMs or emails on/from PPRuNe. I tried that before.
Please PM me with your email if you're willing to give some valuable opinion. I presume you are from the amount and style of your posts.

Yeah, you're right. Spanish speakers who don't speak much/any English are best. I may eventually end up living life somehow similar to yours (very roughly from what I read in your own words)

Thank you

Martin

[redsnail]

Russian or any romance (Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese) language is useful.

[CABUS]

I would go with French purely so you can say the name of the VOR RLP which is called something like Rolompon, or something! I have no idea, then can even make something simple like Aleso sound issusive. Saying that it depends on where you fly, just make sure you dont say Calamairi to a Greek controller!:ok:

[agent.oen]

I would recommend having a look at the strong airline companies and studying their language ;)

In my opinion, German and French as additional languages would be a great combo.

AO
together with English.

[Prophead]

To anyone thinking of learning French or Spanish i would reccomend the Michel Thomas audio cd's. Play them in the car on the way to work and it amazing how much you can pick up.

[Anonymus6]

IF YOU HOLD A JAR LICENSE AND HAVE EU PASSPORT, one language that will definetly increase your flying oportunites is GERMAN. Many airline jobs will open.