Air Traffic Control with foreign accent?

Question

I'm attending school for Air Traffic Control soon, and I know you should be able to read, write, and speak English very well, but I do have a slight Asian accent when speaking. Would this matter a lot? I mean, it's not bad, and I'm completely understandable and everything. It's very, and I mean VERY slight, like sometimes my r's will sound like l's or my f's will sound like b's. But you can always tell the difference. Should I be worried? If I did become an ATC, I can tell you that I wouldn't be worried that a Pilot wouldn't be able to understand me but does that even matter? I mean, will the professors at the school automatically hear the slight accent and that's it?

Answer 1

It shouldn't be a problem.  People in various parts of the country have local accents that cause every bit as much a problem as a slight asian accent would. (Try finding the "bonns" intersection when you're in the Boston area -- it's actually spelled BARNS, if I recall)

Answer 2

Okay, here's some specific guidance.  You didn't say if you were going for ATC positions in the US (FAA guidance) or elsewhere (let's assume ICAO guidance).  I will give you info on ICAO, as it losely applies to US as well.  ICAO has established language proficiency levels using standardized testing.  Level 6 equates to expert and evaluates written, spoken and read word.  The ICAO SARPS recommend periodic evaluation at levels below Level 6 proficiency.  Many countries chose a minimum requirement of Level 4 or 5.  It may NEVER matter for employment, but you may just have to take the tests every so often if your accent causes your test results to go below Level 6 proficiency.  I've been with controllers in Korea, Japan, Pakistan, UAE, Iraq, Germany, Spain and Italy.  None of them have English as a primary language, but they all knew Aviation English to varying degrees and all with native accents.  If they were evaluated to ICAO proficiency levels, then they were good to go, all with accents, so don't sweat it.  Just look at the facts in Annex 1 of the ICAO SARPS, and the web page below can help too.  Good luck.

Answer 3

i'm a student controller myself, and if you've ever heard real R/T conversations between pilots & ATCs, you'll know everyone have a bit of accent of where they are from! so i think as long as it's perfectly understandable via the radio it'll be okay!

Answer 4

As long as people can understand you it shouldn't be an issue at all. If it's to the point where people have to consistently ask for clarification and for you to repeat yourself, then you might consider trying to practice or something to reduce the accent. Personally, I find Asian accents one of the least confusing as long as the speaker is using words correctly.

Answer 5

As long as you can pronounce everything per the ICAO phonetic definition you should have no problem. You should talk to some pilots from China Air and ask yourself if they are ICAO compliant.

Just do your best

Answer 6

Practice speaking as good an English accent as you can.  You should defenitly not get woried.  Practice makes perfect!  No way on earth will it effect your application for an ATC controler.

Answer 7

I believe your language will be fine.  Just give a little more effort when encountering those pronunciations.

I'm starting the academy soon too, and I am searching for students that I may roommate with.  Please send me an email if interested with your school date.

Best of luck!!!

see ya out there

Answer 8

Not at all - ever flown through SE Asia.

Cant discriminate because you have a slight accent.

Cheers

Answer 9

This sounds like something that you could overcome with practice.   Good luck with the school.

Answer 10

I fly all over the world and the hardest controllers for me to understand are the first US controllers I talk to when I'm coming back home over the atlantic. Boston controllers really need to work on their accents.