In your opinion, is there a general need for people to learn a second—or
even a third—language in order to perform in today’s business environment?
I think languages are essential in today’s business
environment. People travel all over the world—the world is a small place—and we
have to interact with people in various languages and cultures. I wish we’d all
be multi-lingual, it’d be so much easier to communicate with people all over the
world and we have so much contact with people all over the world.
What experience has prompted you to learn a second language?
Well,
as an airline pilot for Northwest Airlines flying throughout the world, I’ve
always felt it necessary to learn a little bit of the language of the countries
that we visit—not only in my job, but just on our layovers—to be able to
converse with the people that we meet, and to be able to learn a little bit more
about the places that we’re in. And since my work takes me to Japan regularly, I
learned Japanese.
What method(s) did you use to gain proficiency in Japanese?
I’ve
tried a variety of different methods. I bought language tapes from many popular
companies and I tried State Department tapes but the Pimsleur method was the one
that really worked for me. And that was the easiest and most effortless way of
learning a language that I found. It was very fluid, it was also fun—it wasn’t
any rote memorization, or “repeat after me,” time and time again. It was easy
learning, and the retention was much better than with any other method.
How did the Pimsleur Language Program work for you?
The Pimsleur
method worked really well for me. It was effortless learning and I was always
thrilled to go to the next language level. It kept my interest throughout the
whole program and it has been wonderful to be able to use it in my travels. The
flight attendants—and the interpreters—tell me that I have an excellent accent,
and it’s been easy to do it.
How important is it for you to be able to converse in a second language as
a pilot?
I feel it’s very important for all pilots to learn the
languages of the countries that they fly to. Of course, aviation is conducted in
English, but oftentimes, we hear foreign carriers on the frequency talking to
their own air traffic controllers in their own languages, and its very good for
us to understand where we are in the situation. It’s also nice to be able to
talk to passengers in their own language. I found our Japanese passengers love
to hear my announcements in both Japanese and English. By hearing their own
language, they feel much more comfortable.
Do you feel that learning a second language has helped you in your
career?
Yes, I feel like it’s been very important to my career to have a
second language at my command. My employer, Northwest Airlines, also encourages
pilots and flight attendants to learn the languages of the countries they fly
to. It’s great for passengers to be welcomed onboard an aircraft in their own
language, as well as in English. They believe it makes our passengers feel more
appreciative of Northwest Airlines.
How has your accent and command of the language been viewed by native
speakers?
We have Japanese interpreters on all of our aircraft flying to
Japan, and they tell me that the accent and the syntax are both excellent, and
I’m doing their job for them—they don’t have to do the translations!