Non-English Announcements on SQ

[icn.sg]

In this case, I don't think the accent detracted from the message.

I believe what some of us here were trying to say is that it doesn't sound German, but we do not deny that some effort had been put in and at least it wasn't in halting German. She read it off the manual effortlessly.

However, I can't say if it effectively communicated the intent of the announcements to some German passengers onboard my flight... the German lady seated next to me gave me funny look when she first heard the announcement, and then shrugged her shoulders and asked me "Is that German?" and laughed. Some of her friends seated near her were also sniggering at the announcements.

[flo]

Unless SQ actually hires native German speaking FAs, I don't think you're going to get perfect pronunciations and what not in these announcements. Same goes for announcements in other languages where they do not have FAs who speak those languages natively.

However you do have to give them credit for effort.

sure but to my ears it really sounds like somebody is reading it off a manual. i give them credit for trying -- it's a nice gesture -- not many airlines try to reach all passengers with their message. (brr ... this klm flight two days ago from YYZ to AMS ... messages in Dutch and English. The French-Canadian couple in the row behind me did not understand anything and were pretty pissed about it haha) ...

[zvezda]

SQ takes the easy way out with flights into South India (just got back from there recently); they don't bother with cabin crew making the announcements: they've got a pre-recorded message playing. Solves the accent / enunciation issue right there!

LH do the same thing with flights to Lithuania.

[jhm]

LH do the same thing with flights to Lithuania.

(OT) ... and the person who recorded the announcements for those flights is actually a FT'er!

[zvezda]

sure messages in Dutch and English. The French-Canadian couple in the row behind me did not understand anything and were pretty pissed about it haha) ...

French Canadians should be able to understand spoken English even if they can't speak English well. It's bad enough on flights to and from VNO to have to hear announcements in English, German, and Lithuanian. If KLM should make announcements in French as well for YYZ flights, then LH should make announcements in Russian and Polish as well for VNO flights. There are still more adults in Lithuania who understand Russian than Lithuanian (including children, more understand Lithuanian). I hate hearing announcements in two languages. Three is dreadful.

[ycp81]

My flight on Swiss Airlines from Bangkok to Singapore has German, English, Thai and recorded Mandarin announcements. Beat that!

[KeithMEL]

My flight on Swiss Airlines from Bangkok to Singapore has German, English, Thai and recorded Mandarin announcements. Beat that!

Hmm didn't notice the recorded Mandarin announcements on the same LX segments. Maybe I'd had too much bubbly.

On LH - it was FRA-BKK and the flight was going onwards to KUL after I disembarked. There were German, English, Thai and recorded Malaysian announcements.

[ycp81]

My flight on Swiss Airlines from Bangkok to Singapore has German, English, Thai and recorded Mandarin announcements. Beat that!

add french to those as well. 5 languages!!

[zvezda]

My flight on Swiss Airlines from Bangkok to Singapore has German, English, Thai and recorded Mandarin announcements. Beat that!

That's easy to beat! Many flights have announcements in only one language. Better yet are ferry flights with no announcements.

[sqforever]

On LH - it was FRA-BKK and the flight was going onwards to KUL after I disembarked. There were German, English, Thai and recorded Malaysian announcements.

SQ should get effort for trying. I remember an experience UA once on a flight from NRT-ORD. The caucasian stewardess granny mistook my SG mum for a Japanese lady and tried conversing with her in Japanese. Her "kanichiwa" was decent but when the FA tried telling her to have a good flight and pointed out the general area of the seat, um yeah, didn't go down too well not like my mom would understand that much Japanese anyway!

Oh and Keith, I think you've mistaken Malay with Malaysian. Its a common error.

[KeithMEL]

:
Oh and Keith, I think you've mistaken Malay with Malaysian. Its a common error.

Hmm... didn't realise they're 2 different languages?

edited to add - after some poking around I now realise what you mean. Oops!

[iangoodwin]

Regarding the subtle nuances and unspoken undertones of what might well be a fair attempt at a German/Swiss/Austrian translation, those of us here in Australia are fortunate not to be plagued with these delicate issues.

Here's the Australian translation of the audio posted above....


Right you buggers!
Welcome to bloody Singapore!

If you can't figure out what the bloody time and day is then you can just bugger off and work it out for yourself!

And if you want to know what the temperature is outside its BLOODY hot because we're in bloody Singapore you bloody idiot!

And if anyone so much as LOOKS like they are going to stand up before we flick the frigging doors open you'll get a swift kick up the ar*e!

Oh, and go right ahead and leave all your personal belongings in the seat pockets because the cleaners get a real thrill when they find something valuable amongst the CRAP you stuffed in there you lazy bastards!

And if you want to know which baggage carousel your bags will be on I couldn't give a bugger because they never get it right so work it out for yourself!

And you should thank your lucky stars for flying with us because we don't take any crap from anyone!

Now, bugger off so we can get the next load of idiots shovelled on and get back to Sydney for a beer or ten!

[KeithMEL]

Umm - not all of us are from FNQ or Fountain Gate mate.

[iangoodwin]

Umm - not all of us are from FNQ or Fountain Gate mate.

How very true! The above "translation" is very much a quaint JQ dialect

[up and away]

SQ takes the easy way out with flights into South India (just got back from there recently); they don't bother with cabin crew making the announcements: they've got a pre-recorded message playing. Solves the accent / enunciation issue right there!

That doesn't always solve all these issues. Some airlines (like AZ) give their employees wrong mauals of what to say. But not only for "strange" languages like German- sometimes even the English anouncement advices have several grammatical mistakes in them. Very bad if the FAs HAVE to stick to these advices for every single word (and are punished if they don't).