LIMITED LANGUAGE SKILLS SUSPECTED AS BEING THE CAUSE OF NON COMPLIANCE WITH ISSUED CLRNC RESULTING IN A TFC CONFLICT.

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A LANGUAGE BARRIER APPARENTLY CAUSED A LOSS OF SEPARATION BTWN MY ACFT AND A FOREIGN OPERATED TRANSPORT. WHILE WE WERE IN WBOUND CRUISE FLT AT FL310 WE OBSERVED A LARGE WHITE ACFT AT OUR 1 O'CLOCK POS. THE TCASII SHOWED HIM TO BE AT OUR ALT. THE CTLR WAS HEARD TO ISSUE DSCNT INSTRUCTIONS TO THE SBOUND ACR Y (TO FL290) WITH ONLY THE BROKEN ENGLISH RESPONSE 'ACR Y.' THE EXCHANGE OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES AS WE OBSERVED THE ACR Y APCHING OUR FLT PATH AT OUR ALT. AS THE ACR Y WAS NOT DSNDING AS INSTRUCTED AND WAS VISUALLY ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH US; I DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A CLB TO FL320 TO AVOID THE APCHING ACFT. I ADVISED THE CTLR; WHO TOLD US TO ALSO TURN 30 DEGS TO THE L FOR TFC. AS I BEGAN THE MANEUVER; WE RECEIVED A TCASII ADVISORY 'TFC; TFC.' BECAUSE I HAD INITIATED EVASIVE ACTION ALREADY; WE DID NOT RECEIVE A TCASII RA. THE FO OBSERVED THE ACR Y TO PASS UNDER US AT APPROX 700-1000 FT. ONCE CLR OF THE TFC; I INITIATED A DSCNT BACK TO FL310 AND ADVISED THE CTLR. HE SAID THAT HE COULDN'T GET THE ACR Y TO 'DO WHAT HE WANTED' AND THANKED US. HAD WE NOT BEEN AS OBSERVANT OF OUR SURROUNDINGS; I BELIEVE THAT OUR SEPARATION WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH LESS. BECAUSE OF THE BROKEN ENGLISH RESPONSES OF THE ACR Y; I FEEL THAT A LANGUAGE BARRIER PLAYED A ROLE IN THE ACR Y'S FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ITS CLRNC. FORTUNATELY; WE WERE OUTSIDE AT THE TIME; AND WERE PREPARED BEFORE A TCASII ALERT (RA) WAS GIVEN.