LANGUAGE BARRIER AND FAILURE TO FOLLOW PUSHBACK SOPS RESULTS IN B737-900 TUG DRIVER DISCONNECTING THE TUG WITH BOTH ENGS RUNNING AND THE BRAKES NOT SET.

Narrative

I WAS THE FO DURING THE EVENT. WHEN THE GND PUSHBACK CREW CHKED IN ON HEADSET; THE HEADSET WAS SCRATCHY AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. THERE WAS A LANGUAGE BARRIER BTWN THE GND CREW AND OUR FLT DECK. THE GND PERSONNEL CHKED IN WITH THE WALKAROUND COMPLETE. BRAKES WERE RELEASED TO THE TUG WHILE CHKLISTS WERE FINISHED AND A CLRNC TO PUSH OBTAINED. DURING THE PUSH; THE GND CREW GAVE THE CAPT CLRNC TO START BOTH ENGS AND AT THAT TIME THE ACARS WT AND BAL MESSAGE CAME ACROSS. I BEGAN TO TRANSCRIBE THE WT AND BAL NUMBERS AND CHK TKOF PERFORMANCE DATA IN THE FMC WHILE THE CAPT WAS STARTING THE ENGS. THE TUG DRIVER'S RADIO CALL TO SET THE PARKING BRAKES NEVER CAME. ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE SECOND ENG START WAS BEING COMPLETED; THE CAPT REMARKED 'WHERE IS HE GOING?' REFERRING TO THE TUG DRIVER. I LOOKED UP TO SEE THE LEAD MARSHALLER STANDING 30 FT OR MORE OFF TO THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT (PROBABLY AT THE VISIBILITY LIMITS TO THE CAPT) AND THE TUG MOVING BACKWARDS. THE ACFT HAD STARTED TO ROLL. I STATED THAT THE ACFT WAS STARTING TO ROLL AND BEGAN TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THE CAPT WAS AHEAD OF ME AND HAD STOPPED THE ACFT AFTER ABOUT 3 FT OF TRAVEL. A GND SUPVR CHKED IN ON HEADSET AFTER THE EVENT TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS 'ALL RIGHT' ON THE FLT DECK. BETTER TRAINING FOR SAN JOSE GND CREWS ON CORRECT PUSHBACK PROCS. RESTRICTING PUSH CREW PERSONNEL TO THOSE WHO ARE FLUENT IN ENGLISH. OBTAINING BETTER HEADSETS FOR GND PERSONNEL. CHANGING FLT CREW PROCS TO COMPLETING LOAD AND BAL INFO WHILE THE ACFT IS STOPPED AT THE GATE OR AFTER ENG START.