Archive for August, 2008

LPGA English requirement

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) has recently instituted a new requirement that all its players have a minimal proficiency with English, in order for them to be able to speak for themselves at media events. 

There has been a lot of commentary against this decision, but I think it is a good one. I think any professional sports player should be able to communicate at a basic level in the country where s/he plays. Certainly, interpreters may be needed for more complex interactions, but what a good way to show team spirit and to support the country that is hosting you as an athlete.

Leave a Comment

Accent-ident

My local paper had an article about a police officer who was injured at a house fire. The article states “Due to a language barrier, firefighters were dispatched to Benton Street instead of Vinton Street, causing a delay in their response…”. 

Really, it was an accent barrier, and not a language barrier. Someone (I’m assuming the person calling in the fire, not the dispatcher) was speaking with an accent where /b/ and /v/ sound very similar. Here’s a PDF of the newspaper article: Accent accident

Comments (1)