View Full Version : Speak English at World Cup
MiamiAce
22 Mar 2006, 09:06 AM
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=362401&cc=5901
Hey guys,
Just wondering what some of our French speakers think about FIFA's decision to make English the official language between referees and players. To be honest, English is my first language, but I don't think this is right.
'They are a team and one language must be predominant. We've opted for English. The referees are going to have to speak and write in English. This is going to promote team spirit.'
gaijin
22 Mar 2006, 09:25 AM
English is the most dominant language in the world. It is lingua franca to most countries.
What's the problem with that?
Choosing a language that most of the world can understand? :confused:
lefutur
22 Mar 2006, 01:21 PM
I think its another example of American imperialism and the subversion of world culture through the exportation of the mass media and corporate influence through an indoctrination of the world's population by means of a capitalist free market economy which marginalises local traditions, languages, and peoples.
Thats what I think!
Oh yeah.... Vive La France!
:D
RandyNA74
22 Mar 2006, 01:32 PM
I don't see why we need to institutionalize a certain language as the "official" one. The system has worked fine thus far. Who cares if the common language between the ref and team captains is Spanish? Let them speak whatever they want and get on with it.
gaijin
22 Mar 2006, 01:46 PM
Well when France play Togo in the World Cup and the referee in charge happens to be from Belguim - I doubt he will start using English.
Pierre-Henri
22 Mar 2006, 02:23 PM
Refs barely speak anyway. They use gestures and the cards most of the time. And, unless they are colorblind, the players know what they mean.
quentinc
23 Mar 2006, 01:36 AM
True. If you watch any match (especially in England, which is probably the most diverse league in Europe) players and refs communicate just fine. Players know when they've commited a foul by a simple whistle, and football is simple to the point where hand gestures or pointing get across 99% of everything needed.
And besides, English, besides Mandarin Chinese (which doesn't really apply here), is the world's most widely spoken language.
RandyNA74
23 Mar 2006, 07:49 AM
Well when France play Togo in the World Cup and the referee in charge happens to be from Belguim - I doubt he will start using English.
Exactly, and I'm sure FIFA knows this, so why the hell officially establish English as the language to be used? Again, the system is fine as it is...
gaijin
23 Mar 2006, 08:37 AM
And besides, English, besides Mandarin Chinese (which doesn't really apply here), is the world's most widely spoken language.
Correction its the most widely spoken first language.
And doesn't have lingua franca status throughout the world.
tino11
23 Mar 2006, 08:53 AM
I think its another example of American imperialism and the subversion of world culture through the exportation of the mass media and corporate influence through an indoctrination of the world's population by means of a capitalist free market economy which marginalises local traditions, languages, and peoples.
Thats what I think!
Oh yeah.... Vive La France!
:D
Surely you mean English imperialism???
Otherwise the referees will be calling each other dog and they would be hanging 10, 24/7!
Roehl Sybing
23 Mar 2006, 08:57 AM
I think this was a thread started merely to perpetuate the stereotype that the French hate to speak English.
tino11
23 Mar 2006, 09:00 AM
I think this was a thread started merely to perpetuate the stereotype that the French hate to speak English.
Well if they don't like it they can go on strike.....oh hang on.
sl7vk
23 Mar 2006, 11:05 AM
I think this was a thread started merely to perpetuate the stereotype that the French hate to speak English.
Ding ding ding ding!!!! We have a winner!
sl7vk
23 Mar 2006, 11:09 AM
Oh, and by the way, there are more Spanish speakers in the world then English speakers as well.
guignol
23 Mar 2006, 11:43 AM
not so fast... first of all, it doesn't affect what language the refs will speak on the pitch. the priniple of putting together refs that speak the same language is already in use.
it's unfortunate that this is going to be a criterion for selecting officials, but most top level refs already speak several languages at the level they need to do their job; for example, collina's french was pretty good, and his english probably better.
and don't forget what FIFA stands for...;)
what really gets me is that the WC has to have an official everything, from a barfy official mascot to an official aspirin.
but the worst of the worst of the worst? the official beer... budweiser! in germany! now that's, sick!:eek:
Gnafron
24 Mar 2006, 09:07 AM
(…)
what really gets me is that the WC has to have an official everything, from a barfy official mascot to an official aspirin.
but the worst of the worst of the worst? the official beer... budweiser! in germany! now that's, sick!:eek:
In the FIFA board there's even a well respected official incompetence. :cool:
RandyNA74
24 Mar 2006, 09:31 AM
what really gets me is that the WC has to have an official everything, from a barfy official mascot to an official aspirin.
but the worst of the worst of the worst? the official beer... budweiser! in germany! now that's, sick!:eek:
Amen. I'm surprised the Germans aren't rioting in the streets over that one. Hell, I feel like rioting myself!
Nanbawan
24 Mar 2006, 03:16 PM
I think this was a thread started merely to perpetuate the stereotype that the French hate to speak English.
Qu'est-ce qu'il a dit ? :confused:
gaijin
24 Mar 2006, 03:31 PM
Qu'est-ce qu'il a dit ? :confused:
je ne sais pas. :(
sl7vk
24 Mar 2006, 03:32 PM
The idea being that the thread was started with the hope that it would stir up the French board into a WTF is this shit type of argument. Since nobody here really cares what language the officials speak, that never materialized now did it?