Language Medium for Club Meetings?

Hi all,

Maybe I'm raising a very controversial subject here. I become member of Pretoria BMW Club after a 2 year abscence (no bike, no need for temptation!).

What I found was a change in the member profile (could be that I'm only now meeting more members). Seem to have more Members from the other side of the "Boerewors Curtain" (read JHB), foreign members, etc. who, not due a lack of trying, will not be able to truly feel part of the club as they merely cannot understand Afrikaans.

Should it thus not be better to conduct the meetings / briefings in English as to include everyone?

What is your view / thoughts?

A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi.......?

Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam!!

In my not so many years experience, I've learned that as soon as you start doing one thing, you start building the argument to do the exact opposite. But the art is probably striking a balance where everyone feels included and where everyone does not feel excluded. Much easier said than done...

I always believe you should stick to the common denominator - in the case of language it would likely be English. At the very least when it has to do with official business. There are however many people that are not so fluent in English and it would be quite traumatic for them to give feedback on a trip, whilst tripping over the words.

Personally, I prefer English for the official business and whatever for the rest. I would like to tell JCM in boere-Afrikaans what I think of his latin

JCM wrote:A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi.......?

Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam!!

I wish I could agree OR disagreee

As a Committee We are very aware of the international trend of our membership and will always endeavour to ensure that visitors are catered for. Even when announcements are made in Afrikaans, they are either repeated or projected overhead in English...

If I may add to Richard's note;

This subject was discussed extensively on Committee level and it was resolved that speakers use the language they are comfortable with, be it Afrikaans or English. Not Tsonga, Spanish or others

The reason being it sound very unprofessional if a person tries to use the other language (whatever it may be) to impress the listeners and in the process make a real fool if him/her-self (in the eye of some unsympathetic listeners). All projected images will then be in English.

Anybody is off course welcome to request an explanation after the ceremonials

Our Constitution has no directive on language and we follow the National Constitution in this regard

This being the official stance.

On my personal level; We joined the Pretoria club rather than East Rand or Central, because Pretoria (the City) is traditionally more Afrikaans orientated.

JCM wrote:A fronte praecipitium a tergo lupi.......?

Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam!!

Pse MR Eye Can you translate please. I really don't want to say what I read in this .

Boerewors Curtain - se moer. Language has and will aways be a contentious issue. The official language to be used on the club web page/forum is actually supposed to be English as the application is hosted on an international platform and if i can recall correct it is one of the requirements that all communcaes on the forum be done in said language.

With regards to the Noggin - use either language - which ever you prefer - sonder om jou naam met 'n plank te slaan. All trip planning docs should in any case be in English as it is posted on the formum. Afrementioned reason being applicable here.

LeRoy Olivier wrote:.. The official language to be used on the club web page/forum is actually supposed to be English as the application is hosted on an international platform and if i can recall correct it is one of the requirements that all communcaes on the forum be done in said language..

It was the case with the 'old' forum. No set requirements anymore.

LeRoy Olivier wrote: - se moer. .

Hierdie tipe taalgebruik word nie op hierdie forum goedgepraat nie

Hello everybody !!!
All of you are Right ....but...some considerations:
I just found the Club in internet, before coming to ZA, because It was in English.
I love the Club. I'm too far from my country and fell like the Club was my family here, in ZA!
I have been tried to participate of everything. I Know you have several official languages and I MUST respect this!
Some times in the Forum and, mainly during the Trips, I get myself in a table and can't have any idea about what people is talking...! Sometimes some of my friends realize that I'm out of the issue, sometimes not...
They will ever continues to be my great friends here, but (in my very specific and particular point of view) it would be much more enjoyable for me if I could understand everything !
My only concern is regarding the Briefings! When the SAFE is always in the first place, so YOU must have 100% sure that all of the Bikers understand all the holes and routes!
Summarizing: I'm not complaining and nether do PIKKIE, (I gess!!) it just one more comment in that discussion!
At the end....I have to say that I love you all !!!! You are my friends.....and
I can understand what you are talking if you continues to use your Hands...rsrsrsrsrsrs

LeRoy Olivier wrote:Boerewors Curtain - se moer.

Having a 'bad hair day'?

No - seems like my pure Afrikaans is now beng targetted - compared to other 3 letter words that have been used in the past on this forum - that is in actual fact a common term used in "Nederlands" being the originating language from whence Afrikaans developed in the 16th through to the 18th century. I suppose one can then safely say i was using a pure form of Afrikaans and it must in actual fact be regarded as returning to ones roots.

Enough Bla/BS and the rest - yes we know we have international members in our club and to a certain extent i believe we try and accommodate said members as far as possible. I must admit it still feels wacky to converse with Elsabe in English to accommodate others - it is then that we revert to our own mother tongue as the English speaking amongst us do???

Lastly yes - from the safety and riding briefing perspective - we actually should make sure that the briefing's most salient points be covered if not all in a language that all members understand and are ophey with - main reason why i do all my trip planning docs in said language.

I agree LeRoy, I also sometimes (without realising) revert back to Afrikaans as this is the (my) language I use on a daily basis. And I really don't do it on purpose.... I have had long conversations with Mr. Bonotto in Afrikaans, only to realise afterwards that he is not understanding a word I'm saying!! But applause to Mr Fighterpilot... he will always smile and nod....!!

Sollen wir vielleicht Deutsch sprechen?

curtz_1 wrote:Sollen wir vielleicht Deutsch sprechen?

Nie maklik nie, Bru. Fielen Dank

curtz_1 wrote:Sollen wir vielleicht Deutsch sprechen?

Nie maklik nie, Bru. Fielen Dank

Hey... Admin said you are not allowed to use foul language

curtz_1 wrote:Sollen wir vielleicht Deutsch sprechen?

Suka wena!!! Ngiyaxolisa, kodwa angiqondi kahle usho ukuthini.

Uhlalaphi? Siphuma e Jalimani, Cha!

Umlungu uyakwazi ukukhuluma IsiZulu? – Cha, akakwazi.

Uyakwazi ukukhuluma IsiNgisi?

Uyangizwa?

Hamba Kahle

Ja que é assim, vamos internacionalizar um pouco mais a discussão!
Tenho certeza, agora que vejo todos esses comentários, que a marca BMW é a mais cosmopolita motocicleta da face da terra.
E tenho dito.
Continuo adorando todos vocês!

Agree with Pieter, we all know English, so why not in order for us all to understand each other, also speak (read type) English on this Forum!

And Bruno, we still love you too!!!

And I promise to never ever again type in Afrikaans... 'Cause reading 10 different language can get a person rather confused

Bem, é uma pena que uma marca alemã retomou o mundo! Graças a Deus por ferramentas de tradução do Google hey Bruno! Vamos sentir sua falta no ano que vem ..

Corlia wrote:
And I promise to never ever again type in Afrikaans...

Friedrich Nietzsche comes to mind:
"Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions".

Well Done Drix !!!!!!!!
And Corlia...It was just a Joking !!!!!!!!
You can keep your natural language .....I will try or pretend that I understand...

I will stay with the language I am comfortable with at the time.