↑↑Listen to episode ↑↑
Welcome to episode 12 of OzKoç and King Soccer Podcast Show
Language is the way we shape our reality. That is more or less the message that the famous linguists, Edward Sapir and Benjamin Whorf, were relaying when their hypothesis developed in the 1930s. As an Australian chats English with his wife after a long day at work, he is forming the world according to him. Soccer, as we all know, is a world sport. It’s a sport that connects people from all over. When you think about it, it’s amazing that so many individuals with various ways of thinking are able to join together and play a game as big as ours.
“Many, many years ago, someone might think a Chilean, a Frenchman, and an Englishman would be unable to work together,” said Kerry. “But look at Alexis Sánchez, Olivier Giroud, and Theo Walcott and you’ll see that they are able to produce on the field.” Kerry continued, “I’ve sometimes wondered what players say to each other while they are in the heat of the moment. Will Alexis immediately say something in English to a teammate or opponent, or will he blurt it out in Spanish first?”
Oz notes another angle to the specifics of language in soccer. “In addition to players getting along and connecting, coaches have to manage all of these different backgrounds that they’ve brought together,” he said. “Some coaches are fluent in many different languages, so they have less trouble with communicating with any one member of the team. Not only does it help with team chemistry, but it goes a long way in improving the perception of the manager in the eyes of the media and fans. When Pep Guardiola goes to Munich and speaks fluent German, it leaves a good first impression.”
Learning languages can be challenging at times and it can be easy at times, but it allows us to connect with others on a deeper level. But we would do well to remember that soccer is affectionately regarded as a universal language, and it doesn’t matter what you’re native tongue is. Get a ball and a goal and two people will instantly be on the same page.
Song Credit: Easier to fade feat. madi larson by a himitsu
