[Albion] Yves Bissouma learning English

Gwylan · Feb 19, 2019

Gilliver's Travels said:
Precisely. I wonder how many NSC posters are capable of more than a few words of conversation in any foreign language.

But you're not comparing like with like. We were not talking about learning languages per se but about people living in another country and learning that language. The question should really only be asked to NSCers living abroad.

It's such an English thing to say that learning languages is difficult: it's really not that hard. I have a few friends who speak five, six, seven languages (none of them are English, needless to say).

I always remember going to department store in Finland and seeing the staff with flags on the badges showing the languages they spoke - pretty much everyone spoke two, the vast majority spoke three and there were quite or few who spoke four or five. And these were people who worked in a shop, not high-powered executive roles.

If I moved to a foreign country, I would easily learn enough of a new language to answer a few simple questions about my job within three or four months.

Mellotron · Feb 19, 2019

NooBHA said:
It's called deflection.

Interviewers always start with a question where they compliment you to ease you into '' their agenda'' where they have several already lined up questions to antagonise you.

If you contradict their initial question it can sometimes take the line of questioning they had in mind in a different direction. If you fall into line with their leading questions then they run the interview. Chris is an interviewers nightmare because he seldom rises to their '' bait ''.

I could do his interviews because he has his answers ready, even if they are not even related to the question. It sometimes amazes me how he manages not to fall into their traps week after week

You’re giving Hughton far too much credit and reading too much into the questions, IMO.

Bakero · Feb 19, 2019

Gwylan said:
But you're not comparing like with like. We were not talking about learning languages per se but about people living in another country and learning that language. The question should really only be asked to NSCers living abroad.

It's such an English thing to say that learning languages is difficult: it's really not that hard. I have a few friends who speak five, six, seven languages (none of them are English, needless to say).

I always remember going to department store in Finland and seeing the staff with flags on the badges showing the languages they spoke - pretty much everyone spoke two, the vast majority spoke three and there were quite or few who spoke four or five. And these were people who worked in a shop, not high-powered executive roles.

If I moved to a foreign country, I would easily learn enough of a new language to answer a few simple questions about my job within three or four months.

Can you come to one of my classes and let my students know that learning a language is easy? I'm sure they'll appreciate the motivational speech

dazzer6666 · Feb 19, 2019

Easy 10 said:
He's literally the footballing equivalent of the Maybot. Says precisely the square route of f-all, every time. If I was a journo, I doubt I'd bother turning up. You already basically know pre-match and post-match exactly what he's going to say. Its scripted. Naylor must be tearing his corn out.

Just like you can guarantee that the Maybot will begin every Brexit answer with..."I've always been very clear...."

Its an art, of sorts. Love him being our manager, but shit the bed, he's boring. The polar opposite of Gus.

I watch most of his pre-match press conferences on player. You could basically substitute the name of the opposition, and any injured players, and replay the same thing over and over and save everyone the bother

-these are a good side
-need to be at our levels
-tough game ahead
-trained well
-he's close but not quite ready

etc

TWOCHOICEStom · Feb 19, 2019

Gwylan said:
But you're not comparing like with like. We were not talking about learning languages per se but about people living in another country and learning that language. The question should really only be asked to NSCers living abroad.

It's such an English thing to say that learning languages is difficult: it's really not that hard. I have a few friends who speak five, six, seven languages (none of them are English, needless to say).

I always remember going to department store in Finland and seeing the staff with flags on the badges showing the languages they spoke - pretty much everyone spoke two, the vast majority spoke three and there were quite or few who spoke four or five. And these were people who worked in a shop, not high-powered executive roles.

If I moved to a foreign country, I would easily learn enough of a new language to answer a few simple questions about my job within three or four months.

You're comparing apples to oranges though. Yves comes from a French speaking country where you don't need to speak English.

There's plenty of films, tv, music and general content out there to consume in French that you can live in that bubble and not really need to learn English. You might understand a bit, but it's not a necessity. Certainly not to speak it.

In Finland you're bombarded with English content and Swedish is an official language. So by 10 you've already learned Finnish (which is a mental language btw) and the constructs of other latin/germanic languages.

Where as if you haven't learned how to learn a language. It's bloody difficult. As us brits can confirm!

Suggesting that you could easily learn enough to do an interview on a football match within three months is very ambitious. (Certainly possible) But suggesting that everyone should be at that level is totally wrong IMO.

Gwylan · Feb 19, 2019

Bakero said:
Can you come to one of my classes and let my students know that learning a language is easy? I'm sure they'll appreciate the motivational speech

I'm not saying that it's easy. I'm saying that it's not as difficult as you make it out to be. The number of people in the world who speak multiple languages is proof of that.

TWOCHOICEStom said:
You're comparing apples to oranges though. Yves comes from a French speaking country where you don't need to speak English.

There's plenty of films, tv, music and general content out there to consume in French that you can live in that bubble and not really need to learn English. You might understand a bit, but it's not a necessity. Certainly not to speak it.

But he's not in France, he's in England.

And my original comment wasn't about Yves but about Sanchez, who can't speak English after several years here.

I appreciate that some migrants do struggle to pick up languages but that could well be down to working long hours or to cost - those factors wouldn't apply to Sanchez. And I do appreciate that the dominance of English makes it an easier language to learn but I do think this idea that learning languages is akin to rocket science is a particularly English (and American) trait.

Bakero · Feb 19, 2019

Gwylan said:
I'm not saying that it's easy. I'm saying that it's not as difficult as you make it out to be. The number of people in the world who speak multiple languages is proof of that.

But he's not in France, he's in England.

And my original comment wasn't about Yves but about Sanchez, who can't speak English after several years here.

I appreciate that some migrants do struggle to pick up languages but that could well be down to working long hours or to cost - those factors wouldn't apply to Sanchez. And I do appreciate that the dominance of English makes it an easier language to learn but I do think this idea that learning languages is akin to rocket science is a particularly English (and American) trait.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sk...anchez-speaks-english-in-sky-sports-interview

http://www.espn.com/soccer/english-...-destined-to-play-at-man-united-romelu-lukaku

GT49er · Feb 19, 2019

Bakero said:
Can you come to one of my classes and let my students know that learning a language is easy? I'm sure they'll appreciate the motivational speech

Learning a language in classes is a whole different beast from learning a language by living in the country where it is spoken, with work-mates and employers who speak it. In Bissouma's case (or any footballer's), no doubt some lessons as well would be useful - and IMHO they damn well should be learning the language of the club that is paying them thousands of pounds a week. It's not as if they haven't got plenty of time on their hands, is it?

daveinplzen · Feb 19, 2019

When I speak Czech, people often answer me in English. People want to learn English as it often means a better job. Czech is also an impossible language to learn at my age

Gwylan · Feb 19, 2019

Bakero said:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sk...anchez-speaks-english-in-sky-sports-interview

http://www.espn.com/soccer/english-...-destined-to-play-at-man-united-romelu-lukaku

I was responding to this:

Easy 10 said:
I saw an interview with Alexis Sanchez yesterday, the blokes been here for 5 years and seemingly still can't speak a word of english.

I hadn't seen the snippet in question so couldn't comment on the interview itself

Bakero · Feb 19, 2019

GT49er said:
Learning a language in classes is a whole different beast from learning a language by living in the country where it is spoken, with work-mates and employers who speak it. In Bissouma's case (or any footballer's), no doubt some lessons as well would be useful - and IMHO they damn well should be learning the language of the club that is paying them thousands of pounds a week. It's not as if they haven't got plenty of time on their hands, is it?

And undoubtedly Bissouma and Sanchez have had lessons. That doesn't mean fluency is an easy goal no matter where they live. I posted a link above showing that Sanchez gave his first interview in English in 2016. In the second link Lukaku says Sanchez speaks good English.

GT49er · Feb 19, 2019

daveinplzen said:
When I speak Czech, people often answer me in English. People want to learn English as it often means a better job. Czech is also an impossible language to learn at my age

That's a regular problem for us English. It's not entirely our fault that collectively we're not good at speaking foreign languages - whenever we try to practice our rudimentary language skills, the other person replies in English and bang goes any chance of improving our skills!

GT49er · Feb 19, 2019

Bakero said:
And undoubtedly Bissouma and Sanchez have had lessons. That doesn't mean fluency is an easy goal no matter where they live. I posted a link above showing that Sanchez gave his first interview in English in 2016. In the second link Lukaku says Sanchez speaks good English.

I should hope they have had lessons! And I never said that fluency was easy - but there are useful levels of communication below the level of fluency (which probably only comes when you start thinking in the new language, as opposed to thinking in your own language and mentally translating - and that takes time and practice). And of course, inevitably, some people will learn quicker than others.

Gwylan · Feb 19, 2019

GT49er said:
That's a regular problem for us English. It's not entirely our fault that collectively we're not good at speaking foreign languages - whenever we try to practice our rudimentary language skills, the other person replies in English and bang goes any chance of improving our skills!

Just tell them that you want to speak in the other language. I've never found anyone insist on speaking in English when you tell them that you don't want to.

Doc Lynam · Feb 19, 2019

Mellotron said:
Doesn't help that like Chris Hughton likes to do that bizarre thing of saying "no" at the start of the sentence, when he means "yes".

MOTD interviewer: "So Chris, a tough game today against Watford?"

CH: "No, it was a very tough match against quality opposition, I felt they..."

Anyone else noticed this?

No, very much so!

GT49er · Feb 19, 2019

Gwylan said:
Just tell them that you want to speak in the other language. I've never found anyone insist on speaking in English when you tell them that you don't want to.

Maybe it's changed since I last tried out my schoolboy French - although I can categorically state my experiences were different to yours. Anyway too late now - my schoolboy French is too far in the past, and I don't think I could assimilate a new language now.

Gilliver's Travels · Feb 19, 2019

Gwylan said:
But you're not comparing like with like. We were not talking about learning languages per se but about people living in another country and learning that language. The question should really only be asked to NSCers living abroad.

It's such an English thing to say that learning languages is difficult: it's really not that hard. I have a few friends who speak five, six, seven languages (none of them are English, needless to say).

I always remember going to department store in Finland and seeing the staff with flags on the badges showing the languages they spoke - pretty much everyone spoke two, the vast majority spoke three and there were quite or few who spoke four or five. And these were people who worked in a shop, not high-powered executive roles.

If I moved to a foreign country, I would easily learn enough of a new language to answer a few simple questions about my job within three or four months.

You're right. I found that learning basic Greek made a huge difference to my three years in Crete. I met Brits, holed up in their enclaves, who'd not learnt a word of the language after ten years. You can imagine how well that went down with the locals. And those Brits were missing out on so much.

Living and working as an immigrant in someone else's country is an extraordinary, life-affirming privilege that, sadly, will soon become much harder for any of us to experience in future.

Thunder Bolt · Feb 19, 2019

GT49er said:
Maybe it's changed since I last tried out my schoolboy French - although I can categorically state my experiences were different to yours. Anyway too late now - my schoolboy French is too far in the past, and I don't think I could assimilate a new language now.

It's amazing how much you do remember. I use an app called Duolingo on my Ipad to keep up with it. It helps when on holiday in the French campsite rather than just touristy French. I even managed to take part in a quiz last year, being able to understand the questions.
I'm also brushing up on my schoolgirl German that I hadn't used in donkey's years.

GT49er · Feb 19, 2019

Thunder Bolt said:
It's amazing how much you do remember. I use an app called Duolingo on my Ipad to keep up with it. It helps when on holiday in the French campsite rather than just touristy French. I even managed to take part in a quiz last year, being able to understand the questions.
I'm also brushing up on my schoolgirl German that I hadn't used in donkey's years.

Ah well, you've got an app and an Ipad, so you're already two jumps ahead of me! You probably still have a passport too!

Hey ho - I guess I'm where I am!

Thunder Bolt · Feb 19, 2019

GT49er said:
Ah well, you've got an app and an Ipad, so you're already two jumps ahead of me! You probably still have a passport too!

Hey ho - I guess I'm where I am!

It helps to have a passport to get to France for the campsite.

Seriously, I'm trying to keep my brain active to offset dementia, although coming onto Nsc doesn't help.

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[Albion] Yves Bissouma learning English

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