English For Non-Americans In The LPGA Part 2 (Updated)
As a nod to Tapayan Ni Hans, Alice Ty 鄭睎仁, and K.a.f.k.a.e.d. (all of whom commented on the discriminatory nature of the LPGA tour's new English regulation on the PGS Multiply mirror), here's an article by Roy S. Johnson, LPGA's English Only Edict: Dumbest Rule Ever.
In addition, here's a sarcastic blog-post aimed at the new rule and written in broken English.
Required versus requested.
In college, my classmates and I were made to take 12 units of Spanish. We were part of the last batch that needed to fulfill this requirement before we could graduate; the next batches were not obliged anymore by the D.E.C.S. to take Spanish, but were instead allowed to sign up for 12 units of any language of their choice in the University's curriculum, not including Filipino and English, which were and still are required. At that time, the Japanese economy was hot, similar to the way the Chinese economy is now, so Japanese language classes became very popular. I can imagine how full Chinese language classes must be now.
But I highlighted the original article because from the way it was written, the non-Americans on the LPGA tour were taking a very positive, "can-do" attitude to learning English. It's an attitude that those in our country who are having difficulties with Filipino or English today can adopt. It's an attitude I wish I had taken when I studied Spanish, because for the life of me, I didn't do well in my classes, and can barely remember anything I took up. I relied solely on short-term memory to pass the subject (by the skin of my teeth), when I think I should've given the effort to actually learn the language. I lost a lot there, lost insight into a culture and the attitude of a people that learning their language could offer; it was a window to see through not just to the people of Spain, but even those from Latin America. It's a regret that resurfaces everytime my more studious classmates tell me they can still follow Spanish-language TV channels (and missing out on TV shows is the least of it). I believe that if, say, Korean, Thai, French, or German had been required instead of Spanish, and I had taken the same lackadaisical attitude, I would still carry the same regret today. Now, I can only say "Vamos!", and that's only because I'm a Rafael Nadal fan.
The LPGA though has more practical concerns: sponsorship. It's a major issue given two factors: the difficult world economy; and that the LPGA doesn't have a major charismatic player like the PGA's Tiger Woods, who can raise interest even in the most casual of fans (Tiger's injured now and is resting for the rest of the year, and as proof of his drawing power, viewership has tapered off). In this interview, Helen Alfredsson (a Swede whose second language is English, and a veteran who has been on the tour since 1992), says:
"I think it (the rule) is good. The Koreans are such good players, and we are one of the few sports that have direct one-on-one contact with our sponsors through the pro-ams. I think it’s very difficult if you play 18 holes, and the person you play with says nothing. What do they get out of that? All the sponsors want to leave with something. The problem is the Koreans are not brought up that way. I think it’s a process, but it is a good rule. We are in America and we should learn English."
Comparing the LPGA tour to University classes is not a perfect comparison because an academic setting is not the same as that of a sports tour. The LPGA isn't requiring perfect English of their players, just understandable English. A classroom setting requires more than that. But it's in learning how to communicate, how to understand and make oneself understood, where the venn diagrams overlap.
Indeed, suspension is harsh. To lose your livelihood on a tour whose main purpose is golf excellence and not language skills is a bitter pill to swallow. Losing good golfers makes for a lessser LPGA. If the PGA tour had the same rule, so many good players would have fallen aside (here's an article where PGA members criticize the LPGA's new rule). But no less bitter for that same tour is losing fans, and the sponsors that follow them, in the event that these viewers can't connect with the personalities playing. A required tutorship may be the long-term answer, one that won't give immediate results.
The LPGA is far removed from us here (outside of our cheering for Jennifer Rosales), but the issue of languages is not. There have been complaints made against Filipino and English in the same tone and manner I used in college to rant against Spanish. I believe we can learn something from the attitude of the non-Americans on the LPGA tour, and to approach our learning these languages with effort, diligence, and understanding. No matter what skill level one attains--and I think that with a good enough effort it'll at least be a level that is competent--one won't have to burden oneself with the regret that I carry.
In addition, here's a sarcastic blog-post aimed at the new rule and written in broken English.
Required versus requested.
In college, my classmates and I were made to take 12 units of Spanish. We were part of the last batch that needed to fulfill this requirement before we could graduate; the next batches were not obliged anymore by the D.E.C.S. to take Spanish, but were instead allowed to sign up for 12 units of any language of their choice in the University's curriculum, not including Filipino and English, which were and still are required. At that time, the Japanese economy was hot, similar to the way the Chinese economy is now, so Japanese language classes became very popular. I can imagine how full Chinese language classes must be now.
But I highlighted the original article because from the way it was written, the non-Americans on the LPGA tour were taking a very positive, "can-do" attitude to learning English. It's an attitude that those in our country who are having difficulties with Filipino or English today can adopt. It's an attitude I wish I had taken when I studied Spanish, because for the life of me, I didn't do well in my classes, and can barely remember anything I took up. I relied solely on short-term memory to pass the subject (by the skin of my teeth), when I think I should've given the effort to actually learn the language. I lost a lot there, lost insight into a culture and the attitude of a people that learning their language could offer; it was a window to see through not just to the people of Spain, but even those from Latin America. It's a regret that resurfaces everytime my more studious classmates tell me they can still follow Spanish-language TV channels (and missing out on TV shows is the least of it). I believe that if, say, Korean, Thai, French, or German had been required instead of Spanish, and I had taken the same lackadaisical attitude, I would still carry the same regret today. Now, I can only say "Vamos!", and that's only because I'm a Rafael Nadal fan.
The LPGA though has more practical concerns: sponsorship. It's a major issue given two factors: the difficult world economy; and that the LPGA doesn't have a major charismatic player like the PGA's Tiger Woods, who can raise interest even in the most casual of fans (Tiger's injured now and is resting for the rest of the year, and as proof of his drawing power, viewership has tapered off). In this interview, Helen Alfredsson (a Swede whose second language is English, and a veteran who has been on the tour since 1992), says:
"I think it (the rule) is good. The Koreans are such good players, and we are one of the few sports that have direct one-on-one contact with our sponsors through the pro-ams. I think it’s very difficult if you play 18 holes, and the person you play with says nothing. What do they get out of that? All the sponsors want to leave with something. The problem is the Koreans are not brought up that way. I think it’s a process, but it is a good rule. We are in America and we should learn English."
Comparing the LPGA tour to University classes is not a perfect comparison because an academic setting is not the same as that of a sports tour. The LPGA isn't requiring perfect English of their players, just understandable English. A classroom setting requires more than that. But it's in learning how to communicate, how to understand and make oneself understood, where the venn diagrams overlap.
Indeed, suspension is harsh. To lose your livelihood on a tour whose main purpose is golf excellence and not language skills is a bitter pill to swallow. Losing good golfers makes for a lessser LPGA. If the PGA tour had the same rule, so many good players would have fallen aside (here's an article where PGA members criticize the LPGA's new rule). But no less bitter for that same tour is losing fans, and the sponsors that follow them, in the event that these viewers can't connect with the personalities playing. A required tutorship may be the long-term answer, one that won't give immediate results.
The LPGA is far removed from us here (outside of our cheering for Jennifer Rosales), but the issue of languages is not. There have been complaints made against Filipino and English in the same tone and manner I used in college to rant against Spanish. I believe we can learn something from the attitude of the non-Americans on the LPGA tour, and to approach our learning these languages with effort, diligence, and understanding. No matter what skill level one attains--and I think that with a good enough effort it'll at least be a level that is competent--one won't have to burden oneself with the regret that I carry.
posted by pgenrestories at 6:10 PM
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