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Roger Federer | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Polyglots |  | |
 jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6735 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes  Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 1 of 4 11 November 2007 at 9:50am | IP Logged |
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Yesterday on Swedish television I heard the Swiss player Roger Federer say a line or two in Swedish. I don't remember the exact words, but it sounded quite good.
According to this article he speaks several languages: Federer speaks three languages - four if you count the Swiss variant of German - and says he thinks differently in each of them. Lundgren reckons Federer is a gifted linguist, "so talented, it's a joke", his grasp of the Swedish accent such that "you think he's actually Swedish". As a Swiss national, he is interviewed in each of those three tongues (English, French and German) after nearly every match, a routine most sportsmen would find intolerable. Back in November, when he defeated Hewitt at Houston in a Masters Cup match that stretched to midnight, Federer stayed back completing interviews until 2.30am, repeating an entire radio interview, his last commitment, in French when the Swiss reporter's audio equipment failed to record. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Dana7 Tetraglot Newbie United States Joined 6233 days ago 32 posts - 38 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, French | Message 2 of 4 11 November 2007 at 2:16pm | IP Logged |
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I was always very impressed with the level of his English. So is his first language Swiss German?
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| jeff_lindqvist Diglot Moderator SwedenRegistered users can see my Skype Name Joined 6735 days ago 4250 posts - 5710 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: German, Spanish, Russian, Dutch, Mandarin, Esperanto, Irish, French Personal Language Map | Message 3 of 4 11 November 2007 at 5:42pm | IP Logged |
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As a native Swiss I suppose he would speak that variant of German (but possibly switches to Hochdeutsch when necessary).
Another article: "(...)grew up in in the German-speaking part of the country but moved to the French-speaking section to train in his early teens and, despite being mocked for his accent, learned French, too. He also speaks English and, thanks to his mischievous coach, Peter Lundgren, quite a few dirty words in Swedish." Swiss German sample here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uA_Z3Yb_2-4 To me, this sounds as German with a slight Norwegian touch, and although his English is perfect (sample below) I do hear things almost sounding as Swedish, or rather English with a Swedish accent. English sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkysih8BSp0 French sample: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QGs_g6yS9E 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Dana7 Tetraglot Newbie United States Joined 6233 days ago 32 posts - 38 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, French | Message 4 of 4 11 November 2007 at 8:40pm | IP Logged |
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Wow, thanks for the clips. His English really is great, to me it comes off as between American and British, not really foreign at all.
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