What to do when your student just doesn't get it...

[popaviator]

I have 3 students right now. One just soloed today and the other is well on his way. Then there is the special student. I hate saying that but its true. His english is so flippin bad I'll ask him a question 3 or 4 times and he'll look over at me in a creepy way like the girl in the exorcist and just smile. :crazy: This happens almost every flight. I like the guy and he studies hard, problem is I think he's just studying to memorize because any type of intricate question I ask him like "why does the RPM drop when we apply carb heat during the run up?" just goes in one ear and out the other.

Any advice from other CFI's who have dealt with this type of scenario? I'm planning on having him fly with another instructor tomorrow and hopefully that can shed some light on the situation. :banghead:

 

[NEOHIO]

Don't know who you work for, but make sure that you start documenting everything that is happening with the student. You don't want your employer to think that the problem may be on your end. I think that all CFI's on the board have dealt with a difficult/slow student at one time or another, and you will get plenty of tips. Before anything drastic I always liked to have another CFI fly with the student to get another perspective.

Good Luck!

 

[c172captain]

I had a russian guy who didnt speak a lick of english but he was a great stick. What worked out exceptionally well was him bringing along his russian friend who would sit in the back and translate. This may not be the answer you were looking for but it brings home a point, think outside the box.

 

[Crockrocket94]

Rosetta Stone...

Is it that he is foreign and cannot speak english at all? Or is he just not really that smart?

 

[shdw]

Make sure to thoroughly brief each flight as teaching anything in the air is hard and will likely be near impossibly with the language barrier. Other than that, good luck.

 

[minitour]

The Gene Hackman school of Getting Results.

...I expect and demand you to learn at the highest level. If you can't, then that strange sensation you'll be feeling in the seat of your pants.......will be my boot in your butt!

-mini

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

50-60 hours to solo
100-120 hours for the private

Welcome to foreign flight training. If he doesn't speak very good English, he will pick up your tone and dialect pretty fast. He may not understand the tower, other aircraft, etc, but he will be able to understand you. You have to point to things, and demonstrate a lot in the beginning.

 

[SFCC/UND]

50-60 hours to solo
100-120 hours for the private

Welcome to foreign flight training. If he doesn't speak very good English, he will pick up your tone and dialect pretty fast. He may not understand the tower, other aircraft, etc, but he will be able to understand you. You have to point to things, and demonstrate a lot in the beginning.

I remember this one foreign girl took almost 100 hours to solo. The boss didn't trust her flying her alone, so she had to be paired up with a instructor during her time building.

 

[SFCC/UND]

Any advice from other CFI's who have dealt with this type of scenario? I'm planning on having him fly with another instructor tomorrow and hopefully that can shed some light on the situation. :banghead:

Good luck, I had three different instructors do the same thing and he still couldn't land to save his life.

 

[Joe Gremlin]

Not a CFI. But back when I was working on my private, I put an antenna on the roof of the house and listened to the local CTAF on a scanner to help me learn radio speak as many students are wanton to do. One day I heard a guy with a very thick foreign accent making calls with the same tail number that I was doing all my training in (the plane wasn't based at my local airport). I mentioned that I heard the plane's tail number on my scanner during next lesson and that the voice had a heavy accent. My CFI groaned 'oh Manu, he's the cause of every single gray hair that I own'. Manu had a ton of ambition and even more cash thanks to his oil Mogul father. But he didn't have much of a grasp on the English language and as a result, he didn't receive a large portion of the learning that his CFI was trying to impart during lessons. Not sure if this helps or not but your story reminded me of Manu and I always have a good laugh when I think of him and angst he caused my CFI.

 

[Roger, Roger]

Not sure if this helps or not but your story reminded me of Manu and I always have a good laugh when I think of him and angst he caused my CFI.

Oh man...we've all had students that were just constant angst. To the OP-I dunno, I'd listen to mojo. I've never really worked with students who didn't speak English well.

 

[popaviator]

Eh I probably shouldn't be saying anything about my company on the forums...but we are required to have them solo before 30 hours....and then have them finish the PVT @ 60 hours :crazy: I usually find myself doing ground from morning till night just to get a few simple subjects across to the student. The student who soloed yesterday was @ 27 hours, but he has been an exceptional student......I need a drink

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

Eh I probably shouldn't be saying anything about my company on the forums...but we are required to have them solo before 30 hours....and then have them finish the PVT @ 60 hours :crazy: I usually find myself doing ground from morning till night just to get a few simple subjects across to the student. The student who soloed yesterday was @ 27 hours, but he has been an exceptional student......I need a drink

Sounds like a recipe for disaster.

 

[African_Swallow]

Did you check out AC 60-28? http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_G...a8e4d4b08e98f6d8862569b9007091f6?OpenDocument

 

[Firebird2XC]

I have 3 students right now. One just soloed today and the other is well on his way. Then there is the special student. I hate saying that but its true. His english is so flippin bad I'll ask him a question 3 or 4 times and he'll look over at me in a creepy way like the girl in the exorcist and just smile. :crazy: This happens almost every flight. I like the guy and he studies hard, problem is I think he's just studying to memorize because any type of intricate question I ask him like "why does the RPM drop when we apply carb heat during the run up?" just goes in one ear and out the other.

Any advice from other CFI's who have dealt with this type of scenario? I'm planning on having him fly with another instructor tomorrow and hopefully that can shed some light on the situation. :banghead:

Last I checked, there's a language proficiency requirement that says pilots must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the English language.

If they can't, no rating. Ditch the student.

I was required to add an "English Proficient" rating to my license even though I've already been licensed for years.

Encouraging people who cannot speak the language to pursue U.S. pilot licenses will only continue to cause a breakdown of safety in airport environments. Don't believe me? Ask anybody that's seen a foreign crew just start doing their own thing at Chicago O'Hare because they can't communicate effectively with Ground Control.

 

[popaviator]

Thanks for the advice guys, and thanks for that post "swallow" I actually forwarded that to my boss. Teaching foreign students is way harder than I excpected....but I still love instructing. irate: