Very hard to understand the ATC

[Kirill Tserkovniy-Eisner 1]

Hey there!

 

I am totally new in Vatsim and even in this kind of community, so I have to learn a lot of stuff. However, I watched all the guides in YouTube from the one good guy (I don't know can I say his name so I'll not). I even wrote down the texts that I have to say when talking to ATC, to be not like "oh hello i want to fly give me a runway and something else". Basically, after this videos I understood some basics in Vatsim. But there is one big trouble. I am not english speaking man and I never lived in english speaking countries, so it is pretty hard to understand them. Besides, I am learning English almost for 11 years and have IELTS 6.0, but my understanding of English speech is awful. So, I think you know what am I talking about. It is very hard for me to understand the ATC's speech. My first dialog with ATC was just like I requested the clearance and ATC said 4 times to me what the runway, what via, what SID and what the altitude until I finally understood that.

And I don't think that this is problem with my devices, I have SteelSeries Siberia V2 Illuminated headset with integrated soundcard, so it is pretty good.

Actually, to my mind there is two types of ATC: understandable and non-understandable. Because the ATC in the videos of that guy whose guides I was watching was brilliant, I mean I understood every letter. But in another videos and in my situation I cannot understand even a number.

So, what you will suggest for better understanding the ATC?

 

Regards,

[Don Desfosse]

Although it's not mandatory for controllers to read your flight plan remarks, one strategy might be to include a note in your flight plan remarks something along the lines of, "Non-native English speaker - please speak slowly and clearly". I know when I see such remarks, I really try to make a strong effort to speak slowly and clearly to help.

[Evan Reiter]

Another thing that helps is experience. The more familiar you become with the instructions, the easier it will be to understand them. If you come to expect certain clearances, headings, etc., I think it's easier to decipher what's coming. Of course, that doesn't make it any easier for the first few flights.

[Clive Gulliver]

You can always ask the controller to also send you his message by text -- that way you can read and compare with the spoken instructions. Experience should make it easier. I have come across the occasional controller in the US who take a perverse pride in speaking as rapidly as possible, but of course much more air time is wasted in requests for repeats.

[Andreas Fuchs]

That's just like in the real world! When you are new in training, you do not catch ANYTHING but "good morning" and "good afternoon". Then, with time, you get used to the standard phraseology (that's why it exists!) and you'll become more and more comfortable with it. Just keep on training, that's all. VATSIM is a learning environment and as long as you try hard and give your best, nobody will or should blame you for not understanding or making mistakes. As Don has suggested, add a remark to your flightplan so ATCOs know that you need clear and slow instructions. And if an ATCOs talks to you like a highspeed-train, then just ask him to "say again SLOWLY, please". Sometimes ATCOs get carried away and expect everyone to be perfect, not realizing that they create themselves more work by talking too fast, because they may have to repeat their instructions.

 

Conclusions:

1. add a remark to your flightplan
   
2. ask for "say again slowly" if you do not understand ATC
   
3. keep on learning, read through standard phraseology

 

Good luck and have fun with VATSIM!