A DC10 FLC EXPERIENCES AN NMAC AT 17500 FT WITH TFC ASSIGNED TO CLB THROUGH THEIR OCCUPIED ALT DURING DSCNT INTO CALI; ON FREQ WITH CTR CTLR AT SKED; FO.

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WE WERE IN A DSCNT TO 17000 FT. AT APPROX 17800 FT; WE RECEIVED A 'TFC' ALERT FROM THE TCAS; ALMOST IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A 'CLB.' WE TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AS DIRECTED BY THE TCAS AND RECEIVED CLR OF CONFLICT AFTER PASSING FL184 IN THE CLB AWAY. FO WAS FLYING AND RPTED CLOSEST TFC WAS 400 FT APART ON TCAS. THE CTLR WAS IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED OF THE NEAR MIDAIR AND THAT WE HAD TO HONOR THE RA. THE CTLR DENIED THAT THE ACFT CAME ANY CLOSER THAN 1000 FT. SHE RPTED THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS CLRED TO CLB TO FL210. BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER; SHE CONTINUED TO SPEAK SPANISH TO THE OTHER ACFT AND ENGLISH TO US. NOT USING THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE OF AVIATION DEFINITELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE NEAR MIDAIR BY DENYING US THE ABILITY TO INCREASE OUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER ACFT. ALSO; THE CTLR ISSUING THE CONFLICTING CLRNCS REMAINED ON DUTY AND CONTINUED TO VECTOR US TO FINAL APCH. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THERE WAS A SMALL CLOUD DECK BTWN US AND THE OTHER AIRPLANE. AT THE TIME OF THE TCAS ALERT; ALL 3 CREW WERE LOOKING OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT CLRING OUR DSCNT PATH. WE DIDN'T COME INSIDE UNTIL WE GOT THE TCAS ALERT. WE NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT. CHALK UP ANOTHER ACFT SAVE TO TCAS!