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Provincial, chauvinistic television coverage
Published: Monday | June 28, 2010
Norman Thompson, Contributor
I watched in horror on Wednesday, June 16, when CVM-TV cut the post-game interview of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez of Uruguay. The following day the same station did likewise for Florent Malouda of France. However, on Friday afternoon, the Jamaican audience was made to listen to the interview of Steven Gerrard (England). How provincial! How chauvinistic!
Eight years ago, I called the same station because on one occasion when the English feed was not available and the persons in the studio opted for the French feed which was then unceremoniously cut for a boring in-studio commentary until the English feed became available. The host informed me that they couldn't continue with the French feed as the Jamaican viewers would 'cuss'. Well, let them 'cuss'! As it regards this year's World Cup, what can be so painful in listening to a two-minute interview in Spanish or French or Portuguese?
Dick Cardenas, a Panamanian jockey, rode Mark My Word to a dazzling victory in the Jamaica Derby recently. The Sunday Gleaner reported that Cardenas "is still struggling to speak English". That statement amused me. Cardenas chose to do some riding in Jamaica. in spite of the linguistic challenges. How many Jamaica sportsmen do you know who have chosen to do a stint in a non-English-speaking country? Onandi Lowe chose Canada over Mexico, Reggae Boys post-1998 refused to accept contracts in Turkey. It is amazing that we have retained the same attitude of the colonial power. When David Beckham went to Real Madrid, he bemoaned that his teammates didn't speak English. Well, where did he think he was?
We marvel at how well the Danes, the Norwegians, the Swedes, the Finns (Finland has arguably the best education system in the world) speak English. We also need to admire the linguistic prowess of Ghanaians. Most football fans remember that France was knocked out at the group stage in 2002. However, I choose to retain that Marcel Dessailly, the French captain of Ghanaian origin, gave a press conference in three languages - English, French and Italian! Do we really want to find out why Ghana continues to appear on the world stage in football?
I am really annoyed because during the World Cup I have heard some calls from men. One Jamaican male contended that asking him the capital of Ghana was not a fair question even though he declared that Ghana was his team. Another declared, "I didn't heard (sic) it." Media have a role in education. Media practitioners should themselves have learned a foreign language (i.e. other than English).
In this year's World Cup, there are seven countries where Spanish is an official language, five where French is an official language, two where Portuguese is an official language, two where German is an official language and eight where English is an official language. (My list is not exhaustive). It is amazing that so many Jamaicans support Brazil and Portuguese is not an important foreign language in Jamaica. Our linguistic policy is antiquated. I would say that it is 30/40 years behind time. It has not kept pace with the market.
Not surprised
How can we have a country with whom we have links and has a population of over 190,000,000 and Portuguese isn't in the school curriculum ? And what about Mandarin? Not only do we have commercial links with China, but Chinese domination will continue until China becomes the world's leading economy.
Did I say above that I was amazed that Portuguese is not an important foreign language in Jamaica? Well, I'm not. I've been a foreign language teacher for too long to be amazed. A Frenchman for whom I worked some time ago explained the Jamaican attitude to French in this way: "We'll sell your cars. We'll sell your wines. But we don't care two hoots about your language." It's the same for Brazil and Portuguese. "We adore your football, but we don't care about your language."
In many schools, we continue to perpetuate the opposition arts-sciences. In Europe, there is no such opposition. Students do seven years in their first foreign language and five years in their second.
In Jamaica, we continue to be left behind. Our trade is limited. Even our tourism is limited. Yes, the JTB has sent teams to China, but let it be known that visitors like when they can communicate in their language. After all, it is their money!
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...cleisure3.html
Published: Monday | June 28, 2010
Norman Thompson, Contributor
I watched in horror on Wednesday, June 16, when CVM-TV cut the post-game interview of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez of Uruguay. The following day the same station did likewise for Florent Malouda of France. However, on Friday afternoon, the Jamaican audience was made to listen to the interview of Steven Gerrard (England). How provincial! How chauvinistic!
Eight years ago, I called the same station because on one occasion when the English feed was not available and the persons in the studio opted for the French feed which was then unceremoniously cut for a boring in-studio commentary until the English feed became available. The host informed me that they couldn't continue with the French feed as the Jamaican viewers would 'cuss'. Well, let them 'cuss'! As it regards this year's World Cup, what can be so painful in listening to a two-minute interview in Spanish or French or Portuguese?
Dick Cardenas, a Panamanian jockey, rode Mark My Word to a dazzling victory in the Jamaica Derby recently. The Sunday Gleaner reported that Cardenas "is still struggling to speak English". That statement amused me. Cardenas chose to do some riding in Jamaica. in spite of the linguistic challenges. How many Jamaica sportsmen do you know who have chosen to do a stint in a non-English-speaking country? Onandi Lowe chose Canada over Mexico, Reggae Boys post-1998 refused to accept contracts in Turkey. It is amazing that we have retained the same attitude of the colonial power. When David Beckham went to Real Madrid, he bemoaned that his teammates didn't speak English. Well, where did he think he was?
We marvel at how well the Danes, the Norwegians, the Swedes, the Finns (Finland has arguably the best education system in the world) speak English. We also need to admire the linguistic prowess of Ghanaians. Most football fans remember that France was knocked out at the group stage in 2002. However, I choose to retain that Marcel Dessailly, the French captain of Ghanaian origin, gave a press conference in three languages - English, French and Italian! Do we really want to find out why Ghana continues to appear on the world stage in football?
I am really annoyed because during the World Cup I have heard some calls from men. One Jamaican male contended that asking him the capital of Ghana was not a fair question even though he declared that Ghana was his team. Another declared, "I didn't heard (sic) it." Media have a role in education. Media practitioners should themselves have learned a foreign language (i.e. other than English).
In this year's World Cup, there are seven countries where Spanish is an official language, five where French is an official language, two where Portuguese is an official language, two where German is an official language and eight where English is an official language. (My list is not exhaustive). It is amazing that so many Jamaicans support Brazil and Portuguese is not an important foreign language in Jamaica. Our linguistic policy is antiquated. I would say that it is 30/40 years behind time. It has not kept pace with the market.
Not surprised
How can we have a country with whom we have links and has a population of over 190,000,000 and Portuguese isn't in the school curriculum ? And what about Mandarin? Not only do we have commercial links with China, but Chinese domination will continue until China becomes the world's leading economy.
Did I say above that I was amazed that Portuguese is not an important foreign language in Jamaica? Well, I'm not. I've been a foreign language teacher for too long to be amazed. A Frenchman for whom I worked some time ago explained the Jamaican attitude to French in this way: "We'll sell your cars. We'll sell your wines. But we don't care two hoots about your language." It's the same for Brazil and Portuguese. "We adore your football, but we don't care about your language."
In many schools, we continue to perpetuate the opposition arts-sciences. In Europe, there is no such opposition. Students do seven years in their first foreign language and five years in their second.
In Jamaica, we continue to be left behind. Our trade is limited. Even our tourism is limited. Yes, the JTB has sent teams to China, but let it be known that visitors like when they can communicate in their language. After all, it is their money!
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...cleisure3.html
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