Wendy WilliamsSPAIN’S air traffic controllers – and pilots – have been ordered to learn English.
From March 5 they must actively seek to improve their language skills.
They will have a year’s grace to get up to scratch under the new edict.
It is thought that up to a quarter of Spain’s 2,000 controllers do not have a satisfactory level of the international language used for flying.
Que?
Why does this not surprise me. I don’t think in the main that Spanish people want to speak English. When we moved to Spain a neighbours daughter was still at school learning English and spoke it quite well, she left school 2 years ago and today you would think she never learnt it at all as she barely understands a word in English.
Not sure what point Peter is making. With regard to the air traffic controllers, English is the required language and for reasons of safety, they must speak it to a reasonsble standard. Many Spanish people want to and can speak English, much better than a lot of Brits living in Spain speak Spanish. Similar to Peter’s neighbour, I had french lessons during my years at school but forgot it all about 2 months after I left, never mind 2 years. Some Brits seem to think the Spanish only speak Spanish out of some kind of sense of devillment.