KLM Pilot's English Proficiency
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: UK
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nbairlines.............my question was meant not as a joke or a slur but in all honesty as a genuine question. The statement about the serious disease was not meant flippantly and was told to me by a Dutch engineer with whom the crew were enjoying a few cold beers.
Thanks for putting my mind to rest and clearing up a query that has been in the back of my mind for some time......
Thanks for putting my mind to rest and clearing up a query that has been in the back of my mind for some time......
I trained my first Dutch pilot around 15 years ago. I trained my last Dutch pilot one month ago. All of them spoke almost perfect English. All of them were fun to teach.
However, I have also trained quite a few Belgian pilots. All of them speak English and most of them speak Flemish and French as well, at the very least.
Some of them can also hack Spanish, Italian, Polish, German or even Yarpie.
We Brits have to be the laziest race in the world when it comes to linguistic ability. I know of only one British pilot who has learned to speak Dutch fluently and that took a marriage!
However, I have also trained quite a few Belgian pilots. All of them speak English and most of them speak Flemish and French as well, at the very least.
Some of them can also hack Spanish, Italian, Polish, German or even Yarpie.
We Brits have to be the laziest race in the world when it comes to linguistic ability. I know of only one British pilot who has learned to speak Dutch fluently and that took a marriage!
More than just an ATCO
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Up someone's nose
Age: 75
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TV probably plaays a large part.(German tv BTW still dubs most films) Interestingly in Belgium thr French Walloon tv stations mainly show French dubbed programmes whereas the Flemish ones will have the same programme in the original language) This is probably not done in order to promote English as a second language but for an economic reason . French dubbed or German dubbed will have a much wider market.
At university level i believe quite a number of lectures are giveen in English, certainly a large number of lecturers are British.
My GP claims not to speak English very well however at lweast half the medical text books on his shelves are in English.
The easiest way to learn the language? Start with "Een pils ... twee pils... ezv." and the best place to learn it is in bed
At university level i believe quite a number of lectures are giveen in English, certainly a large number of lecturers are British.
My GP claims not to speak English very well however at lweast half the medical text books on his shelves are in English.
The easiest way to learn the language? Start with "Een pils ... twee pils... ezv." and the best place to learn it is in bed
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Reykjavik, Iceland
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A throat disease..
This does not apply to the Dutch language but is a well known description
the Danish language. Danish, which today is hardly a language anymore,
is well known in the rest of Scandinavia as the troat disease:
dansk, det er ikke et sprog, det er en halssygdom
That dialect has had its influences from mainly German, but today is so much
influenced with English, they should formally change it......
the Danish language. Danish, which today is hardly a language anymore,
is well known in the rest of Scandinavia as the troat disease:
dansk, det er ikke et sprog, det er en halssygdom
That dialect has had its influences from mainly German, but today is so much
influenced with English, they should formally change it......
