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Tech which makes Sense

The pilot’s alphabet is a set of 26 words that represent each of the letters of the alphabet. Also called the Radio Alphabet or Spelling Alphabet, it is used to spell out important information in situations where people cannot see each other. INlpha Bravo VSharlie …It’s what airplane pilots use for two-way radio communication, where clarity and speed are essential. The familiar ABC alphabet used for writing in English does not work over the radio or telephone because the names of many letters sound the same.

A, J, K

B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, Z (US)

M, N

S, X

I and

U, W

When native English speakers need to provide specific information, such as the correct spelling of their name or address, they spell the words in a kind of cipher. In Canada, transmitting a postal code is the perfect example. The structure of the postal codes is standard, six units in the order: letter, number, letter (LNL) followed by a number, letter, number (NLN). Anticipating letters or numbers helps a little, but not much. Everyone in Canada has a zip code and no one can understand it over the phone.

Real life example

My zip code is L7J 1G5. The L and 7 are quite clear, but the J It may sound like an A or a K, so I usually say “John “instead of that letter. GRAM It is a homonymous train accident. For G, I just say “GRAMeorge. “When I dictate my zip code, I say”L7John 1Gbarley5,“which is understood as L7J 1G5. There are many circumstances in which code spelling is useful. In a noisy environment, on the phone, or in a situation aggravated by pronunciation problems, using whole words to indicate individual letters is an effective strategy for spelling out brief information.

ESL’s long-standing dread of the phone

If English speakers have a hard time making themselves understood, imagine how frustrating communication must be for non-native speakers. To compound the problem, phones, and especially cell phones, transmit sound with varying degrees of integrity. ESL students have enough difficulty with pronunciation without similar sounding letters and poor sound quality exacerbates the situation. Many non-native English speakers simply do not use a telephone.

Jackie Chan was a guest on the Ellen Degeneres talk show in January 2010. Jackie is one of the most beloved and accomplished action stars of all time. But whatever Jackie Chan had to overcome to achieve superstar status, his worst nightmare could be the phone. For fun, Ellen handed him a headset and asked him to get the number for “Pink Berry” as the world watched. Jackie scoffed at the request and made a noble attempt, but it was unsuccessful. He could not understand the voice recording at the end of the line or make himself understood by the machine. The joke was intended to be entertainment, but for the hundreds of thousands of non-native English speakers who will not answer the phone for any reason, the joke was a success.

The pilot’s alphabet is not a solution for ESL. Although it works well for pilots, “Delta”, “Sierra” and “Whiskey” are too unfamiliar and difficult for English learners. Students need a foolproof alphabet of their own to correctly spell names, addresses, and other important information when needed. Here is an alphabet designed by Thompson Language Center that is suitable for English learners when circumstances call for it.

ESL phone alphabet

ininpple

BBhey

vsvsArkansas

DDog

memeast

FFi have

gramgramOkay

hhor i know

IIthis cream

jjexternal transmission

kkIn g

LLemon

metermeteroney

nonoever

ororpencil

PPpeople

whatwhatueen

rred

sssummer

t tI me

you younion

v vis a

w work

X X-lightning

Y Yellow

z zero

pink becomes Ppeople, Ithis cream, noever, kIn g

Berry becomes Bhey meast, red, red, Yellow

Summary

Speaking in code is a coping mechanism that native speakers take for granted, but the skill can be a lifeline for someone struggling to survive in a new culture. Users don’t have to be newcomers to find the Telephone Alphabet as a useful survival tool.

Jackie, forget about stupid answering machines. Just press 0 for an operator and spell with the ESL phone alphabet.

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