LANGUAGE BARRIER PROBS IN SOUTH AMERICAN OPS; SPECIFICALLY IN RIO DE JANEIRO. ACR FLT GIVEN WRONG SID DEP. CLRNC DEL CTLR VERY DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. PROFICIENCY IN DOUBT ATC. ATCT CLRNC DELIVERY CTLR QUALIFICATION IN DOUBT.

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THE ATC CLRNC WAS RECEIVED; WITH ALL 3 PLTS LISTENING BECAUSE OF THE FREQUENT DIFFICULTY IN COMMUNICATING RELIABLY WITH ATC IN SOUTH AMERICA; ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE ENG START AND TAXI OUT. I RECALL READING BACK THE CLRNC IN FULL; REPEATING IT AT LEAST TWICE FOR CONFIRMATION; AND HAVING TO REPEAT THE DEP CTL FREQ (129.35) 5 TIMES BEFORE THE ATC CLRNC DELIVERER DISTINCTLY SPOKE THE CORRECT FREQ. HE INITIALLY GAVE 118.3; ACCORDING TO MY EARS; AND SEEMED UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND ENGLISH; EXCEPT FOR THE WORD 'FREQ.' HE FINALLY GAVE THE CORRECT GND CTL TWR AND DEP FREQ AFTER HIS FIFTH TRY. THE SO STILL BELIEVED HE HEARD 119.20; OR SOME OTHER ERRONEOUS FREQ; BUT CONFIRMATION WITH THE FREQS ON THE APCH CHART CONFIRMED 129.35 WAS A GOOD FREQ IF THE OTHER WASN'T. THANK GOD FOR THE CORRECT FREQ; AT LEAST; FOR THE DEP PROC GIVEN WAS THE WRONG ONE. ON TAXI OUT; THE CTLR GAVE US A WRONG; BUT PLAUSIBLE; TWR FREQ ONCE (118.0 VERSUS 118.2); BUT BY MONITORING THE FREQ WE SORTED THAT OUT. (BEFORE TKOF; IN RETROSPECT; THE CAPT TOLD ME HE HAD AN UNEASY FEELING ABOUT THE DEP; BUT DUE TO DROPPING HIS CHARTS; TIME; ETC; DID NOT RECONFIRM IT AS HE HAD PLANNED.) THE DEP CTLR WAS EXCELLENT; AND CONVERSED IN GOOD; USABLE ENGLISH. HAVING COMMENCED THE 'PORTO 2' DEP PROC (A R TURN AFTER TKOF); THIS CTLR; BEFORE WE HAD FINISHED 90 DEGS OF R TURN; POINTEDLY DIRECTED US TO TURN L AND EXECUTE THE 'MERICA 4' DEP PROC. THE CAPT WISELY REQUESTED IMMEDIATE VECTORING; AND RECEIVED IT; FOR THESE DEP PROCS WERE COMPLEX AND QUITE DIFFERENT; AND TIME WAS OF THE ESSENCE WITH TERRAIN HAZARDS IN ALL QUADRANTS. NEEDLESS TO SAY; I KEPT TKOF PWR AND MAX CLB PERFORMANCE CONFIGN UNTIL THE MINIMUM SAFE SECTOR ALT (MSA) WAS REACHED; AND ALL ENDED WELL. BUT FOR AN ALERT AND COMPETENT DEP CTLR; THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. IN SOUTH AMERICA; POOR COM IN ENGLISH IS SO COMMON; THAT UNITED STATES PLTS ALMOST BECOME JADED AND COMPROMISED WITH THE SIT. THE SLOPPY; IMPRECISE; AND INACCURATE CLRNCS RECEIVED ARE SO COMMON THAT I CAN UNDERSTAND SOMEWHAT HOW ACR X WENT DOWN THE PRIMROSE PATH.