Thu 28 Aug 2008
LPGA Needs To ENCOURAGE English, Not REQUIRE It
Posted by Duff under Random Thoughts
[2] Comments
From the Golf.com article “LPGA will require players to speak English starting in 2009″
The LPGA will require players to speak English starting in 2009, with players who have been LPGA members for two years facing suspension if they can’t pass an oral evaluation of English skills. The rule is effective immediately for new players.
http://www.golf.com/golf/tours_news/article/0,28136,1836145,00.html
Here is another example of how smart people can be so dumb! Having all foreign players learn a little English is a great idea – Better interaction with sponsors, helping promote the game on a global level, a win/win on all sides, but a poor choice of how the LPGA has handled it. They should have taken a “we will work with you” approach instead of a “Learn it or you’re gone” position.
We live in a media hungry world where access to anybody’s background is deemed a right to know, publish and discuss. When you are in a profession where a camera and microphone can be whisked in front of you at any moment, you need to choose your words carefully, as they are documented, published and filed away to be brought up and cast upon you in a positive or negative light at anytime. One little slip of the tongue and you will be mocked in every global newspaper and magazine. Sure it can be humorous to hear a foreigner misinterpret an English word or phrase, but the media is not very forgiving or forgetful.
Ichiro Suzuki is a Japanese baseball player here in Seattle and since coming to the U.S he has chosen to speak publicly only through and interpreter, even though he is said to be fluent in English. Has this hurt Baseballs image or even Ichiro’s popularity? Not for a second! Why doesn’t he speak English? I don’t really know, but I can speculate that maybe he feels that when doing live interviews, he can respond more articulately using his native language than struggling to find the right words and phrases in English.
Note to the LPGA – Help these girls along. They are extremely talented, living in a foreign land away from their family for long periods of time, encourage them. Don’t punish them with suspensions for not learning English fast enough, educate them. Let them know that the more popular the LPGA becomes and the more sponsors they attract, the bigger the tournament purses can get, which in the long run means more money for them.
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:02 am
Sadly, once again the LPGA has arrogantly decided that they don’t need help with PR and Communications when clearly they do. This was a monumental communications blunder that turned a decision that could have passed largely unnoticed… or even been spun into a positive…into a highly negative PR nightmare.
Some of those LPGA spokespeople do seem extremely dumb and arrogant though, so I’m not really surprised.
February 5th, 2009 at 12:09 am
Suspension to LPGA members for not passing oral evaluation is very harsh.This kind of rules will only affect the game in a negative way. LPGA should take initiative to educate foreigners. LPGA should organize some programs so that these foreign golfers could speak English.