In June 2007 a Polish airliner carrying 89 passengers nearly collided with another aeroplane over Heathrow Airport because the captain and the crew had problems communicating in English. The pilots had configured their navigational systems incorrectly and they had to rely on coordinates given to them by the English air traffic controllers. They could hardly understand what was being said, and several times they “turned the aeroplane in the opposite direction given by controllers” – causing an oncoming aeroplane to have to change course in order to avoid a catastrophic mid-air collision.
Like it or not, English has become the de facto language for many industries, including the aviation industry. The story above illustrates the importance of clear English communication in today’s world.
Thankfully, English miscommunication doesn’t always lead to fatal air accidents. In day-to-day affairs, however, it can lead to some embarrassing or funny situations. Check out the video we posted above to see an example of a truly disastrous instance of misunderstanding.
Do you have an embarrassing or funny experience to share about misunderstandings in English? Post it below and you could win one of the following prizes:
The first person to send a story will receive 4 Telephone Coaching sessions.
The best story will receive a 6 month subscription to The English Works Club.
I have fewer people to do the same amount of work (or more)…
Our organisation has fewer resources available to support the team…
These are a few of the most frequently mentioned comments from our clients lately. For those of you who know us, you know we like a good challenge.
Cutting the training budget doesn’t have to mean cutting quality. What is needed is a cost effective solution for English training programmes that address the real demands of the business and its people.
We all know that most successful companies continue investing in their people during bad times. That way their people are given support right when they need it most, and when the recession ends their business will be even more competitive.
This is why we would like to introduce you to Babelcom’s Webinars: virtual courses that provide all the benefits of our face-to-face seminars but with the convenience of being able to attend wherever people are.
Our Webinars are a resource-effective way to:
Eliminate all travel and accommodation costs
Manage complex logistics associated with seminars
Ensure participation is maximised (and avoid last-minute cancellations)
Continue to provide quality training with budget restrictions
Your teams can sign up for the Webinars and simply join at the allotted time via teleconference and web conference. Each Webinar session lasts one hour, which makes it easier for people to commit their time and better assimilate the content.
We have many useful and practical courses that help you and your team deal with common communication issues faced by people at work. If you would like more information on this service or would like to discuss your needs and how our Webinars could help, don’t hesitate to give us a call.
This is Babelcom’s way of communicating with professionals like you. Whether you are someone who uses English for work, or you are a Human Resources professional in charge of training and development, we would like to share a few of our ideas with you. As Seneca said, “There is no delight in owning anything unshared.”
For years we have sent ideas and information on a one-to-one basis to our clients. Over time, more and more people were asking us to send them information too, so we finally decided to share it with anyone who is interested through the Babelcom News and the Babelcom Blog.
Our newsletter and blog will not bombard you with commercial information, but you will find: Continue reading →
We all get stressed now and then, but lately many of us have been doing a stress marathon. Right when we need it the most, far too often we forget to look after ourselves!
You are probably thinking, ‘I don’t have the time!’. If you make the time, the rest of your time will be less stressful.
Here are a few simple ideas to keep stress from getting the better of you:
Get Active: Take up a relaxing exercise such as yoga, pilates or aqua aerobics. Yet again, maybe a good sweat in the gym, or running around in the park with the kids will make you feel better. Remember, exercising releases happy hormones! Continue reading →
In June 2007 a Polish airliner carrying 89 passengers nearly collided with another aeroplane over Heathrow Airport because the captain and the crew had problems communicating in English. The pilots had configured their navigational systems incorrectly and they had to rely on coordinates given to them by the English air traffic controllers. They could hardly understand what was being said, and several times they “turned the aeroplane in the opposite direction given by controllers” – causing an oncoming aeroplane to have to change course in order to avoid a catastrophic mid-air collision.
My training budget has been cut in half…
This is Babelcom’s way of communicating with professionals like you. Whether you are someone who uses English for work, or you are a Human Resources professional in charge of training and development, we would like to share a few of our ideas with you. As Seneca said, “There is no delight in owning anything unshared.”
We all get stressed now and then, but lately many of us have been doing a stress marathon. Right when we need it the most, far too often we forget to look after ourselves!