[Albion] Awful interview questions.

[Thunder Bolt]

6-0 win and your moaning about post match Interview.

I'm moaning because my Parents decided to have my brother 40 years ago today and I was preoccupied with that and missed the game. Also had a family event for the Chelsea win.

Can your family organise an event on Thursday and the day of the Villa game?

 

[GallodiMare]

Especially to someone who basically couldn't speak one word of English 6-7 months ago.

Yes Pep, Arteta, Kipperty etc... who have been here years probably get it but not someone who still needs an interpreter occasionally. It's not as if he's doing a Bielsa and refusing to speak English.

Still, Journos aren't known for their intellectual brilliance, as a general statement.

The problem is not the idiomatic phrases like licking one's lips. In Italy we have a very similar one that says "lick one's whiskers", like felines do after eating. The meaning is the same. The real problem, for someone who comes from a Romance language full of supporting vowels, is that your language is very rich in consonants. Not only that: when you speak fluently it is difficult for us Latinos to understand this kind of chewing gum that you speak. When I read written English I understand 90%, when I hear English spoken by a native speaker I understand only 10%. So, kindly, you have to speak slower, as if you were talking to a two years old.

 

[Dick Head]

You're, not your

Underrated comment.




But you missed out the full stop.

 

[dadams2k11]

Can your family organise an event on Thursday and the day of the Villa game?

I don't mind sitting out and taking one for the team..

 

[US Seagull]

I always found the interviews before FA cup games to be particularly cringe. There was always someone asking RDZ if he "dreamt of the FA Cup" growing up.

Of course he didn't. He's Italian. It's so provincial to assume Italian kids are watching "the magic of Accrington Stanley vs. Boreham Wood" and hoping one day to be involved.

 

[Easy 10]

"So Roberto, when Undav stuck it in the onion bag you must've been over the moon for him, he certainly looked like he was on cloud nine. When it comes to Thursday will you stick or twist with that lineup, or will you go back to the tried and trusted for the bread and butter ?"

"mmmm" - sideways glance

 

[Flagship]

They could try to grade their language but in the long wrong it's probably beneficial for RDZ to be exposed to

What's the long wrong ?

 

[Not Andy Naylor]

Tapping fingers awaiting couple of NSC regular journos to finish off a great day (but probably still out somewhere on the piss)

And I'm not denying it was a f***ing stupid question, which was the first thing I thought at the time

I often despair of fellow journos too.

I once heard a nationally-known tabloid writer of the time ask Swiss coach Christian Gross, who was then Spurs manager, if he wanted his players to use 'the flanks' more. Now Swiss people are often decent linguists after growing up in a country with four official languages, but an obscure idiom like that? No chance.

Another issue is that most British people fail to give non-native speakers of English a fighting chance because they have the idea that short words are easy to understand while long words are difficult. But if you're speaking to an Italian, longer words derived from Latin are actually more likely to be understood.

As it happen, I'm not sure the interpreter that the club use is as good as they think he is. His English is so-so but his knowledge of football vocabulary is poor, and he misses stuff out as well. Fortunately I have a Swiss-Italian friend that I can run his translations past.

 

[Klaas]

Maybe it's because of my TESL background but I really can't watch any interview with RDZ these days without wanting to vomit blood at the complete and total lack of ability of seemingly any football journalist to realise that they may not be speaking to somebody whose first language isn't English. It's particularly bad in the microcosm of football jargon but when I hear questions like "are you licking your lips at the prospect of taking on Manchester United again?" I want to die inside. Just look at RDZ looking over at his interpreter when he's clearly trying his best and doing great with how good his level of English is given the time he's been at the club. Seriously how hard is it to understand that you have to just grade down your language just a little bit? It's not rocket science.

Yep, same, really 'grinds my gears'. I literally just watched that interview and rolled my eyes at that very question.
Did you see the kids interviewing RDZ? Cute obviously, but I also couldn't help thinking their questions were often better than adult professionals, simply by virtue of being genuine, straight questions, rather than cliche ridden stories hoping to get a specific quote out of the interviewee.

edit: I was amazed by Johnny Cantor the other day, as he always seems like a genuine/intelligent bloke. He asked about the Brighton fan's support at Wembley and RDZ answered that he couldn't hear the Man U fans all game, meaning OBVIOUSLY that the Albion fans had been loud/great. Johnny then proceeded to ask again, but how about the noise the Brighton fans made...

 

[Klaas]

I often despair of fellow journos too.

I once heard a nationally-known tabloid writer of the time ask Swiss coach Christian Gross, who was then Spurs manager, if he wanted his players to use 'the flanks' more. Now Swiss people are often decent linguists after growing up in a country with four official languages, but an obscure idiom like that? No chance.

Another issue is that most British people fail to give non-native speakers of English a fighting chance because they have the idea that short words are easy to understand while long words are difficult. But if you're speaking to an Italian, longer words derived from Latin are actually more likely to be understood.

As it happen, I'm not sure the interpreter that the club use is as good as they think he is. His English is so-so but his knowledge of football vocabulary is poor, and he misses stuff out as well. Fortunately I have a Swiss-Italian friend that I can run his translations past.

Noticed this about the translator right from the start. I'm sure he's there more because of his relationship with RDZ than his English ability, which while good, ain't interpreter level.

 

[Bakero]

What's the long wrong ?

Long run (must've been a typo and auto correct).

 

[Mental Lental]

Hey just seen this. Listen to how much better an interviewer this lady is....No need for sideways looks at his interpreter. Simple questions, no idiomatic language. Well done!

 

[Salty_Seagull]

Hey just seen this. Listen to how much better an interviewer this lady is....No need for sideways looks at his interpreter. Simple questions, no idiomatic language. Well done!

Had the exact same thoughts watching this back this morning