Leading figures and celebrities in America who speak foreign languages
Friday, 22nd May 2009
There seems to be the global assumption that most Americans are monolingual speakers of English.
In a world of international connection, Americans are considered outdated when it comes to linguistics. But times have been changing for a while and knowing more than one language is becoming increasingly more recognized and respected.
Both political leaders and celebrities alike have huge spheres of influence in the United States. Some celebrities and politcal leaders in the US speak more than just the English language. Perhaps with this knowledge, Americans in general, not just those who know a second language from an immigrant heritage, will be more apt to see the benefits of becoming multi-lingual.
It is already widely known that newly-elected President Barack Obama learned Indonesian while growing up in Jakarta. He moved to Indonesia with his mother when he was 6 years old. While he immersed himself in the language and culture while a resident there, other political leaders have learned second languages in order to communicate effectively while leading the nation. Bill Clinton is fluent in German, and while we don’t know yet if she’ll choose a political path, Chelsea Clinton shares this knowledge with her father.
President Clinton’s former vice-president, Al Gore, is fluent in more than just global environmental issues. He is also a speaker of Spanish. And George Bush’s Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, speaks Russian. Most surprising may be that Colin Powell, a supporter of Barack Obama, speaks Yiddish.
Some political leaders and celebrities are bilingual by heritage. Governor of California and actor Arnold Schwarzenegger learned German before English, while growing up in Austria. And even though Former Mayor of Carmel, California, Clint Eastwood was raised in the United States, he also speaks Italian.
Following are a list of some influential American celebrities and their ability to speak more than solely English:
Ted Koppel, Broadcast Journalist – German, Russian, French
Maya Angelou, Author – French, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, and Fanti
Sidney Poitier, Actor – Russian
William Shatner, Actor – French
Kobe Bryant, Basketball Player – Italian
Jodie Foster, Actor – French
Johnny Depp, Actor – French
Tags: english, spanish, french, german, italian, culture, languages, language, tailor-made
Posted by Jessica Wingate under Attitudes to Language Learning, Passion for language,
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