It has been a while since I listen to that Youtube clip. It isn't a surprise to see some "experts" pretending they knew what's going on and commented on it. Here is the English transcripts, and my notes are in /* */.
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Kennedy ground control: Air China 981, make the right turn here at Juliette, join Alpha, hold short of Mike Alpha. /* Ground told 981 to turn at J, join A and hold
short of MA, where "hold short" is a Aeronautics term call Land and Hold Short" means, in this case, "a landing plane is instructed to land and hold on their runway before the intersection of it and a Taxiway, which will have other aircraft taxiing for landing or takeoff when they arrive." where J, A, MA are texiways. In civilian air control, MA is spelled out as Mike Alpha. The phonetic alphabet used here is NATO standard and adopted by ICAO */
Air China 981: Right on Juliette, hold sh c (uncertain tone to voice). Taxi Alpha hold November [unclear] Can we taxi now? /* 981 had confused about the instructions. November means N in phonetic alphabet which is used in Aviation English */
Kennedy ground control: Make the right turn here at Juliette, join Alpha, hold short of Mike Alpha, Air China 981. (Spoken with a hint of frustration.)
Air China: Air China 981, roger, join right Juliette, join Alpha, hold short to November. /* 981 still confused about the instruction, apparently not knowing what Mike Alpha was, and kept going to held short at the interception of taxiway N */
Kennedy ground control: OK, I fll say it again, hold short of Mike Alpha, "M" - "A" Mike Alpha, not November. (Spoken emphatically)
Air China: OK, hold short of Mike Alpha, 981
Kennedy ground control: Air China 981, have they cleared you into the ramp? /* Typical questions after hold short, since the ground may not know if the texiway is cleared. */
Air China: Roger, ramp to the (unclear) ramp, Air China 981. /* 981 ??? */
Kennedy ground control: OK, they had cleared you into the ramp?
Air China: (Silence)
Kennedy ground control: Air China 981, Ground.
Air China: (Silence)
Kennedy ground control: (Emphatically) Air China 981, Kennedy Ground.
Air China: 981, go ahead.
Kennedy ground control: (Emphatically and slowly) Have you been cleared into the ramp?
Air China: OK, cleared to the ramp.
Kennedy ground control: No, that was a question! Have the ramp people cleared you into the gate? (Emphatically)
Air China: Roger, to the gate, Air China 981.
Kennedy ground control: I'll try it again! It's a question! Hold your position. This is a question. Interrogative, have you been cleared into your gate?
Air China: OK, we hold here.
Kennedy ground control: OK, how about the question? Have they cleared you into the gate?
Air China: (Unclear) Tower (unclear) Ground, Air China 981, we are ... gate number 3 is open ... taxi to the northern ...
Kennedy ground control: Air China 981, taxi to the ramp.
Air China: Roger, taxi to the ramp.
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The ground control did a fine job, but the pilot didn't seem to know his Aviation English. ICAO required all international civilian crews to pass Level 4 aviation English by March 2008 or they will not be allow to flight on international space. Note this is not just for non-native English speakers, but all, also aviation English is not general English. The chance of that 981 pilot to make it through level 4 is very small if he doesn't make a significant improvement.