FLC FOREIGN CTLR MISCOM. LANGUAGE BARRIER AND CTLR FAILURE TO RESPOND TO RPTR'S READBACK OF DSCNT CLRNC. CTLR INTERVENED WHEN SEEING RPTR ACFT DSNDING INTO OTHER TFC.

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OUR FLT WAS OPERATING ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED TRIP FROM LEMD TO EBBR. WX WAS NO FACTOR AT ALT. WE HAD BEGUN OUR LETDOWN JUST N OF PARIS STEPPING DOWN TO FL180. THE CTLR HAD BEEN THE LAST CTLR PRIOR TO THE EVENT REMINDED US TO MAINTAIN FL180 AS WE APCHED THAT ALT. WE LEVELED OFF AND WERE PROCEEDING VIA THE STAR RTE INTO EBBR. SEVERAL MINS LATER WE RECEIVED A CLRNC TO DSND TO FL110. SINCE THE FRENCH CTLRS TYPICALLY SPEAK BOTH FRENCH AND ENGLISH IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR TFC FLOW AND/OR WHAT ALTS ANY ACFT ARE FLYING AT. HER XMISSION TO US WAS WEAK BUT DISCERNIBLE SO I MADE A POINT OF SLOWLY AND CLRLY READING IT BACK TO HER. OUR FLT WAS CALL SIGN XXXX. AFTER THE READBACK I LISTENED TO HEAR ANY CHALLENGE ON THE CTLR'S PART AS WELL AS ANY OTHER ACFT READING BACK A SIMILAR CLRNC WHICH WOULD ALERT ME TO THE FACT THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS. THE CTLR DID NOT CHALLENGE MY READBACK AND NO OTHER ACFT ON OUR FREQ RESPONDED. AFTER A BRIEF PAUSE THE CTLR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO 3 OTHER ACFT IN NORMAL FASHION. SHE DID NOT APPEAR TO BE RUSHED. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH FL167 SHE VERY EXCITEDLY TOLD US TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN FL180 AND SAID IT SEVERAL TIMES. THE COPLT IMMEDIATELY INITIATED AN EMER CLB TO FL180. AS WE PASSED APPROX FL174 WE ALL OBSERVED THE BE146 AT OUR 11 O'CLOCK AND 2 MI. IT PASSED WELL TO OUR R. AFTER ALL WAS DONE THE CTLR ASKED WHY WE DSNDED. I TOLD HER BECAUSE YOU TOLD US TO AND WE READ IT BACK TO YOU. SHE TESTILY TOLD US TO CALL BRUSSELS CTL AND GOOD BYE. CAUSAL FACTORS: 2 LANGUAGES; DIFFICULT SPEECH PATTERNS AND SOUNDS; NOT HAVING THE PICTURES ON TFC ON OUR OR ADJACENT AIRWAYS. HAD I KNOWN OF ANY TFC AT FL170 I MIGHT HAVE CAUGHT THIS ERROR BEFORE IT HAPPENED.