Hi,

I found a few videos of advertisements which i thought to be interesting enough to forward to this board.
The first one is from the Berlitz language school.
For people who don’t want or can’t open the Berlitz ad: it’s about a German coastguard who receives an emergency call from an English sailor. The English guy is screaming "We are sinking", obviously in panic.
The German coastguard asks the sailor (in his best "school English", very slowly and with a thick German accent) "What are you sinking (thinking) about?"

Now, on the website, the video has a caption which i found even funnier than the ad itself, because of it’s silly (and arrogant) anglocentrism:
Quote: "Berlitz: Sinking Ship (2006). This viral explains exactly why it’s so important for every foreigner to learn English."
I thought that it would be more important for that British sailor to have learned German, no?

There is another advertisement on that website that caught my attention: "Toyota Camry Hybrid: Bilingual  (2006)":
A kid and his father are driving their new (hybrid) car, and the father explains a few things in English, once in while using a Spanish expression.

"Papa, papa, why we have a hybrid".
"For your future…" Daddy replies.
The father explains that it uses both (gas and electricity)
"Like you, speaking English and Spanish?" the kid asks.
"Si [sic]" Daddy says.
"And why did you learn English", the kid asks.
"For your future", daddy smiles.

I’m baffled by this.
But also interested in it. Does anybody know other examples from the glorious world of advertising, in which languages play a role?

F

It’s horrible. In both cases. The future is English. What a boring future!

[quote author=Andrew Dalby link=board=translate;num=1140772024;start=0#1 date=02/24/06 at 07:49:36]The future is English.

Don’t be too sure. When China buys the US, by means of their share of the US national debt, after the US having gone bankrupt through meddling in other countries’ affairs, knowing Chinese will be very useful indeed.

Und I’m learning Chinese.

[quote author=anders link=board=translate;num=1140772024;start=0#2 date=02/24/06 at 08:06:56]
Don’t be too sure. When China buys the US, by means of their share of the US national debt, after the US having gone bankrupt through meddling in other countries’ affairs, knowing Chinese will be very useful indeed.

Und I’m learning Chinese.

Good point, Anders! But had you heard the Chinese government wants every inhabitant of Beijing to have learned English before the Olympic Games? Unrealistic, maybe ... but a sign that even in China it’s English that is regarded as the international language, the language of the future.

Hi Andrew,
Interesting stuff… Do you happen to have a kind of reference (i mean, newspaper article or something)?
I found this one, but any further information is more than welcome!!

Frank

[quote author=Andrew Dalby link=board=translate;num=1140772024;start=0#3 date=02/26/06 at 05:32:14]the Chinese government wants every inhabitant of Beijing to have learned English before the Olympic Games? Unrealistic, maybe ... but a sign that even in China it’s English that is regarded as the international language, the language of the future.

There’s an extra rush before the games, because it will be easier to teach service personnel a rudiment of English than teaching Chinese to foreigners. And they want to minimize friction during the games, to show the world what a peaceful, friendly country China is.

That the effort mentioned isn’t primarily for the future doesn’t lessen the fact that there’s a huge demand for teachers of English. In most cases, the salaries look diminutive, but you should consider the costs of living as well. If you’re curious, Chinese-forums.com has a subforum on Teaching in China.

Wow, that’s daunting. I’d think that it would be unnecesary, and offensive. Also, doesn’t it really go against the spirit of the games, with all of their diversity. I mean, really, it almost jips anyone going to Beijing to immerse themselves in Chinese culture. Well, que sera, sera…

-J