There are few things more arrogant than the demand that a certain language MUST BE SPOKEN HERE for a person to be welcome. By a certain language, we mean English in a great many cases. And by “here,” we often mean the United States — which has traditionally lagged far behind other countries in both the acceptance and use of languages other than English. Indeed, the Internets indicate this is a joke heard across the Atlantic quite a bit: “If you call someone who knows two languages “bilingual” and someone who knows three languages “trilingual,” what do you call someone who knows only one language? —- An American.“  (Full disclosure: we are fluent in English only; however, when we travel to foreign countries, we do not expect English to be spoken).

In light of that, a recent decision by the LPGA to mandate the speaking of English on the golf tour is perhaps not surprising. But it is, perhaps, also rather ham-handed and a bit disappointing. From Golfweek, which broke the story last night on its web site:

For the past several years, the LPGA has impressed upon its membership the importance of communicating effectively in English. As the game’s dominance shifts to the East, the LPGA has strengthened its stance. Learning English no longer is a tour suggestion; it’s a requirement.

At a mandatory South Korean player meeting Aug. 20 at the Safeway Classic, the tour informed its largest international contingent that beginning in 2009, all players who have been on tour for two years must pass an oral evaluation of their English skills. Failure would result in a suspended membership.

“Hopefully what we’re talking about is something that will not happen,” said Libba Galloway, the tour’s deputy commissioner, of possible suspensions. “If it does, we wouldn’t just say, ‘Come back next year.’ What we would do is work with them on where they fell short, provide them the resources they need, the tutoring . . . and when we feel like they need to be evaluated again, we would evaluate.”

Galloway said the policy takes effect immediately, but the “measurement time will be at the end of 2009.” There are 121 international players from 26 countries on tour; 45 are South Koreans.

Deeper in the article, we learn that the goal is for players to be able to entertain pro-am partners and sponsors — and that communicating with them is a key to that. Such a notion isn’t exactly ridiculous; however, we’re pretty sure a pressured mandate is not only going to cause some anxiety among those golfers who are trying to learn English and will also result in some nightmarishly bad public relations for the LPGA (and rightfully so). Learning the principal language of the country you live in should be a fundamental goal for communication, but it should not be a threshold for participation — particularly one mandated by a deadline.

We wonder if there is a more deep-rooted issue at stake here — such as a level of discomfort on the LPGA’s part with the recent “Asian Invasion” on the tour. Regardless, whatever functional gaps the LPGA is trying to close are overshadowed by arrogance and a short-sighted approach to the big picture of the world that, unfortunately, mimics the long-held attitudes of many English speakers in this country.

Fasola-link! Vintage Houston Oilers Fight Song (awesome)

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