English proficiency is required for those who want to work as cabin crew for an international airline, and knowledge of other languages is highly desired for those seeking employment in this field. It’s possible that smaller airlines that exclusively fly inside a single country won’t have an English requirement, but as a general rule, that’s not the case for most airlines.
English Is the Aviation Language
Because English is the language of aviation, all conversations on an international flight must be conducted in English. This ensures that any possible misunderstandings are avoided, which is particularly important given the many cultural backgrounds of the flight crew. If there is an emergency, the cabin crew must communicate effectively within their team and with the passengers. This is necessary for reasons relating to passenger safety. It is of the utmost importance that every instruction is clear, exact, and understandable.
The primary responsibility of the cabin crew, which includes flight attendants, is to ensure passenger safety. Because it is their role to evacuate the aircraft in the event of an emergency, they need to be able to communicate in a way that is both clear and concise. Because misunderstandings and language difficulties may influence the safety of a flight, having excellent communication is vitally necessary. Also, learn nouns that begin with O compiled by Richardharringtonblog.com.
Language of Destination
Cabin crew members fluent in other languages have an advantage, particularly when the airline travels to overseas locations. The announcements made to passengers will be read by members of the cabin crew who are native speakers or have a very strong command of the language. These are often carried out in two tongues, namely the language of the country of departure and the country of destination. They will also help passengers who speak that language and deal with any passengers who need special assistance or have concerns while aboard. This concept is referred to as “languages of destination,” or LOD, within the airline industry.
LOD speakers may often receive more compensation for their language ability, which benefits the company. It is common practice to organize schedules according to the language of the destination to have a greater number of cabin crew members accessible aboard who are fluent in the language of the passengers. This may have its advantages, such as increasing the likelihood that you will be able to go back to your hometown more often to spend time with friends and family and patronize restaurants and stores that are familiar to you.
The disadvantage is that you may not be interested in going back to your own country, and you might repeatedly travel the same path. Because of the operating requirements, it is possible that no trip bids will be accepted by you (meaning you will have to choose another destination). It is only normal for many cabin staff members to pick up snippets of language as they travel, and it is courteous to use these phrases when you are on board.
Airline Requirements
There isn’t a standard list of languages that all airlines want their cabin staff to speak, although particular language requirements are often listed on individual airlines’ websites. Applicants will be tested on their linguistic prowess throughout the interview phase. “Fluent in English, both written and spoken,” is a requirement for crew members working for Emirates, and knowledge of other languages is considered a “benefit.” This is something that is constantly mentioned during the passenger announcements on Emirates flights since the airline takes a great deal of satisfaction in being able to accommodate passengers of up to 20 different nations and 12 different languages on a single trip. You can also know about emerald smoke detectors.
At Air Canada, proficiency in English and French is required, and knowledge in additional languages is helpful but not required. American Airlines often conducts recruitment efforts with the sole goal of finding bilingual English and LOD speakers. This is particularly true for a flight attendant position, which requires candidates to know languages including Greek, Hebrew, Dutch, Japanese, Hindi, and Korean.
