LANGUAGE BARRIER. ACR CREW THOUGHT THAT THEY KNEW THE CLRNC; BUT SUBSEQUENT REMARKS BY THE CTLR CAUSED THEM TO SUSPECT THAT THEY MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE CTLR.

Narrative

ARRIVING IN THE MTY; MEXICO AREA; I WAS TRACKING FROM LRD TO RONDA INTXN AND INITIALLY CLRED FOR THE RONDA ARR TO RWY 11. ATC RECLRED US TO INTERCEPT AND TRACK TO ADN ON THE 025 DEG RADIAL; DSND TO 7000 FT. THEN CLRED TO 5000 FT. RIGHT OVER ADN; HE ASKED IF WE HAD TFC; A MEX B-727 AND ARPT IN SIGHT. WE DID AND REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE; ARPT AND TFC IN SIGHT. AFTER PAUSING AS WE CONTINUED PAST THE VORTAC; HE STATED CLRED FOR APCH TO WHICH MY FO (PNF) REPLIED UNDERSTAND CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 11. I THEN TURNED L TO LINE UP WITH THE RWY ABOUT 5 MI OUT ON FINAL; REQUESTED APPROX 120 DEG TURN; ATC CAME BACK WITH WHAT IS YOUR HDG? OUR RESPONSE WAS 060 DEGS. AS I TURNED BACK TO THE R AS WE JOINED FINAL; WE DID NOT OVERSHOOT -- EVEN WITH THE TERRIBLE CLRNC; ETC. THIS IS VERIFIED BY LOOKING AT THE FMS MAP DISPLAY OF FINAL AND THE OBVIOUS VISUAL LINE-UP ON THE RWY. NEXT; ATC SAID COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS; WHICH WAS VERY CONFUSING AT THIS BUSY TIME PERIOD. HIS TERSE SOUNDING STATEMENT MADE US WONDER WHAT HE MEANT AND SUGGESTED THERE MAY HAVE BEEN A PROB. HE SAID HE DID HAVE OTHER TFC COMING IN FROM THE N; WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. WE LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION OR INCIDENT. MAYBE IF MEXICAN ATC WOULD STOP THEIR OBVIOUS PRACTICE OF PUTTING EVERY MEXICAN ACFT WITHIN 100 NM OF ANY UNITED STATES ACFT; THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TO DO SO MANY WILD VECTORS AND RIDICULOUS CLRNCS. ALSO; THEIR ENGLISH IS SOMETIMES VERY POOR.