LPGA Risks Backfire with English-Proficiency Policy
Thursday August 28, 2008
Could the policy backfire? Could the policy keep non-native English speakers from joining the tour? Or drive some of those already on the tour away? (Or could that be the point of the new rule in the first place?)
The reaction to the new rule has been varied throughout the ranks of golf writers and golf bloggers, and we round up a few of those reactions at the end of our article about what we view as the risks of the new policy.
You can make your reaction known by voting in the poll, or by leaving a comment.
Comments
The number of Koreans playing on the tour is a REAL problem for me. It isn’t a racist reaction – it is just the glut from one country skews everything. If the Koreans want to play golf – let them get up their own league. An international league would be great – with quotas from every country.
There are plenty of U.S. baseball and basketball players in Korea/Japan. How would they like it if they are told they have two years to master the language?
LOL, I don’t care what the other countries do and don’t do with their language requirements. In France some French citizens refuse to speak to an American unless they speak French. I’ve been on the recieving end of that. English still is the designated language here in the U.S.( although I wonder about here in California). Used to be a requirement before you became a citizen. I think it still should be. I say “Great!” for the LPGA to have the balls to mandate it. The rest of the sports should do the same.
I agree fully with MABELL. If you don’t respect the country enough to try and learn thier language – Then get the hell out. I read that some of the pro golfers are upset too – Then get the hell out of golf and whine someplace else.
GREAT ! ! ! !
I agree with the policy ! ! ! !
God bless the USA.
Absolutely!! It makes no difference what country or nationality, if they come here to earn a living, they should at least be able to speak our language.
It’s so obvious why they want this rule to be created … upset about the competition ? Don’t like to press 1 for English ? God Bless America ! That’s right and you should speak more than only English if you live in America, haven’t you noticed !
My parents came here from Lebanon, learned to speak English and to conduct their business in English. Their rationale was that the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States both were written in English. It’s reasonable to expect people who come here to work and/or live acquire a basic working knowledge of our language.
To be clear, the LPGA is only requiring a very basic level of communication in English.
BTW, if I were going to work in Korea for the next ten years I’d surely work on developing some skills in their language.
.. The perfect example just happened…
— Camilo Villegas just won his first championship … it was a pleasure to listen to him going through his own emotions with his own words, “not” an interpreters .. does he speak perfect English, no … but enough to let us know how “he” feels, “not” an interpreters viewpoint.
— The American public is the largest audience on the planet … if they’re going to play here and make their living here, then players (men or women) can learn the basics here.
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