Linguistic Lunacy
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Linguistic Lunacy
According to the Daily Telegraph, a NOTAM has been posted requiring pilots of flights arriving in Wales to make a Covid-related announcement in Welsh as well as English. To me, as a Welshman, this is madness. Firstly, I doubt that there's a single Welsh speaker in the 21st century who can't understand English. Secondly, Welsh is a consonant-heavy language, quite different to most mainstream tongues so reading a script intelligibly would be next to impossible for an outsider. Has the CAA really regressed to the point where it hasn't the nous to tell the Cardiff Bay morons to take a hike?
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Poor old Simon Calder got a kicking on Twitter for referencing the notam requirement for the Welsh announcement, pilot distraction and the Air Canada wrong runway incident. The nationalists came out in high dudgeon and the tweet was revised! There was even some criticism of the term Notam being sexist and gender specific. Made me laugh over the morning coffee!
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the NOTAM has been in place since the end of January
Q) EGXX/QAFXX/IV/NBO/E/000/999/5504N00500W999
B) FROM: 21/01/29 16:30C) TO: 21/04/29 23:59E) COVID-19: THE FOLLOWING ON-BOARD MESSAGE MUST BE DELIVERED BY ALL
FLIGHTS INTO WALES PRIOR TO DISEMBARKATION. THIS SHOULD BE COMPLETED
IN ENGLISH, WELSH AND AN OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED
LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY OF DEPARTURE.
-ANNOUNCEMENT STARTS- THE FOLLOWING IS A PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGE ON
BEHALF OF THE UKS PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES. BEFORE ENTERING THE UK,
YOU MUST COMPLETE A PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM ONLINE,
REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE ARRIVING FROM. YOU MUST ALSO
SELF-ISOLATE FOR THE FIRST 10 DAYS AFTER YOU ARRIVE, UNLESS YOU ARE
IN AN EXEMPT CATEGORY. THIS IS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND
OTHERS.VISIT GOV.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS ARE A NEW CONTINUOUS COUGH, A HIGH
TEMPERATURE OR A LOSS OF, OR CHANGE IN, NORMAL SENSE OF TASTE OR
SMELL. IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS,
HOWEVER MILD, YOU ARE ADVISED TO MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN TO THE CREW.
SIMPLE MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT YOURSELF AND FAMILY
ARE: WASH YOUR HANDS AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE WITH YOUR HANDS
CATCH COUGHS AND SNEEZES IN A TISSUE AND DISPOSE OF IT IMMEDIATELY
-ANNOUNCEMENT ENDS-. 2020-10-0279-AS2
Q) EGXX/QAFXX/IV/NBO/E/000/999/5504N00500W999
B) FROM: 21/01/29 16:30C) TO: 21/04/29 23:59E) COVID-19: THE FOLLOWING ON-BOARD MESSAGE MUST BE DELIVERED BY ALL
FLIGHTS INTO WALES PRIOR TO DISEMBARKATION. THIS SHOULD BE COMPLETED
IN ENGLISH, WELSH AND AN OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED
LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY OF DEPARTURE.
-ANNOUNCEMENT STARTS- THE FOLLOWING IS A PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGE ON
BEHALF OF THE UKS PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES. BEFORE ENTERING THE UK,
YOU MUST COMPLETE A PASSENGER LOCATOR FORM ONLINE,
REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE ARRIVING FROM. YOU MUST ALSO
SELF-ISOLATE FOR THE FIRST 10 DAYS AFTER YOU ARRIVE, UNLESS YOU ARE
IN AN EXEMPT CATEGORY. THIS IS TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND
OTHERS.VISIT GOV.UK FOR MORE INFORMATION.
THE SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS ARE A NEW CONTINUOUS COUGH, A HIGH
TEMPERATURE OR A LOSS OF, OR CHANGE IN, NORMAL SENSE OF TASTE OR
SMELL. IF YOU EXPERIENCE ANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS,
HOWEVER MILD, YOU ARE ADVISED TO MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN TO THE CREW.
SIMPLE MEASURES YOU CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT YOURSELF AND FAMILY
ARE: WASH YOUR HANDS AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE WITH YOUR HANDS
CATCH COUGHS AND SNEEZES IN A TISSUE AND DISPOSE OF IT IMMEDIATELY
-ANNOUNCEMENT ENDS-. 2020-10-0279-AS2
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So according to that NOTAM it doesn’t have to be from the flight deck. However you would need an English speaker, a Welsh speaker and someone fluent in the language of the country of departure - Good luck with that... Are there any flights going into Wales at the moment or is it irrelevant.
Not convinced this type of thing should be covered by NOTAM as it’s not relevant to flight safety, but that’s an argument for another day.
Not convinced this type of thing should be covered by NOTAM as it’s not relevant to flight safety, but that’s an argument for another day.
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I don't understand the concern.
Welsh is an official language in Wales.
All the airline has to do is record an announcement.
I've heard announcements in French, German, Mandarin, Cantonese and English arriving in Hong Kong,
I've heard Flemish, English, French and Dutch on the way out of Belgium.
What's the problem?
Are you objecting just because it's Welsh? If so that's frankly prejudiced if not borderline racist.
Welsh is an official language in Wales.
All the airline has to do is record an announcement.
I've heard announcements in French, German, Mandarin, Cantonese and English arriving in Hong Kong,
I've heard Flemish, English, French and Dutch on the way out of Belgium.
What's the problem?
Are you objecting just because it's Welsh? If so that's frankly prejudiced if not borderline racist.
Last edited by pilot9250; 17th Apr 2021 at 02:09.
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"THE FOLLOWING IS A PUBLIC HEALTH MESSAGE ON
BEHALF OF THE UKS PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES. BEFORE ENTERING THE UK,"
Well, I would have mentally turned off after hearing that, never mind the rest of it, and in perhaps another 2 languages as well. Evidently much of the Civil Service hasn't yet understood that effective messaging is achieved with short simple announcements.
BEHALF OF THE UKS PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES. BEFORE ENTERING THE UK,"
Well, I would have mentally turned off after hearing that, never mind the rest of it, and in perhaps another 2 languages as well. Evidently much of the Civil Service hasn't yet understood that effective messaging is achieved with short simple announcements.
Hipennine
"Well, I would have mentally turned off after hearing that, never mind the rest of it, and in perhaps another 2 languages as well."
AFAIK you are only expected to listen to it in your preferred language ...
And whether you listen to it or not won't make any difference to the way you are treated or what you will be required to do, it just means you will be more or less prepared, as appropriate.
This is a non-story.
"Well, I would have mentally turned off after hearing that, never mind the rest of it, and in perhaps another 2 languages as well."
AFAIK you are only expected to listen to it in your preferred language ...
And whether you listen to it or not won't make any difference to the way you are treated or what you will be required to do, it just means you will be more or less prepared, as appropriate.
This is a non-story.
Last edited by DaveReidUK; 17th Apr 2021 at 16:36. Reason: typo
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Last several flights I’ve SLF’d the people down the back don’t listen, either intent on chatting to their neighbours or listening to iPod/ etc. Happens both on arrival and departure.
Probably why hand luggage gets carted out in an emergency evacuation.
Probably why hand luggage gets carted out in an emergency evacuation.
Precisely-a point missed entirely by the illustrious Mr. Calder and every other news outlet who never bother to check a suitable source before pushing out this bilge!
