Is French the Official Language of Olympics Events? Discover The Answer Here
Athletes from all around the world take part in the Olympics, and they communicate in their languages. Did you ever notice that the Olympic organisers share information and make announcements in three languages? One of them is French.
Yes, you heard that right. Every Olympic has French as one of the official languages. They have a dedicated group that ensures French remains the official language in the Olympics and encourage the uses of translation services for better communication.
Today, we will deep-dive into why is french spoken at the Olympic games. First, let us learn more about the Olympics’ official languages.
What Are The Three Official Languages of The Olympics Games?
The modern Olympics’ first official language was French.
However, today, the Olympic authorities have agreed to use other recognised languages in the contests. French is one of the three recognised languages of the Olympics, according to Regulation 23 of the IOC Olympic Charter.
Here they are:
French
French was the language of diplomacy during the period. Thus, it is the first recognised language for Olympic events. Pierre de Coubertin, who developed the modern Olympics, was a native French speaker. These elements combine to make French the first official language of the Olympics. Also, you can discover some Interesting French Language Facts, here.
English
The authorities listed English as the second official language of the games in the Olympic Charter. Nearly 88 nations in North America, Asia, South America, the Caribbean, and Africa declare English their official language.
English is the Official Language Of Australia, UK, US, New Zealand, and Canada. Nearly 1.5 billion people worldwide speak English as native speakers or English as a second language (ESL).
Host Country Language
The Olympics event’s third official language is the host country’s language. So, the authorities will declare the third official language after the IOC announces its event venue. If English or French is not the host country’s official language, they can speak their native language.
Sports teams, commentators, and correspondents from every participating country come to witness the grand sports event, and they talk in their native languages. It is fascinating to notice that the alphabet of the host nation’s language determines the order of countries’ participation in the opening ceremony.
Why is French spoken at the Olympics Ceremony?
Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin was the father of the advanced Olympic games and remodelled the ancient Olympics. He established the International Olympic Committee and arranged the first modern Olympic events in Athens in 1896.
Also, French is the official language of the Olympics because the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC’s) main headquarters is in French-speaking Lausanne in Switzerland. The Olympic charter places French ahead of English. It is because of Pierre De Coubertin’s legacy in the modern Olympics.
What is the Relationship Between the French and the International Olympic Committee (IOC)?
The International Francophone Organization (IFO) continues to promote French globally, which clearly indicates the need of a French NAATI translator. At least 29 nations speak French as their official language. Besides France, many other countries, such as Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Haiti, Madagascar, and the Caribbean, speak French.
Because of this, IFO collaborates with the IOC. They deploy a special French ambassador to both the summer and winter Olympic Games to emphasise the significance of the French sayings.
The ambassador ensures that the French translations and interpretations for the events are of the best standards and promotes language use to enhance communication.
Volunteers are typically likely to speak at least one of the three official languages for formal statements, signs, and greetings. What other languages besides French are the official languages of the Olympics? Let’s look at the below passage.
Why are English and French the Official Olympic Languages?
So far, we have discovered that any announcement or proclamation at the Olympic Games is in three languages: English, French, and the host nation. But why does everyone consider English and French as the official language? That’s because the number of eligible countries determines the order of language spoken. Eighty-eight governments worldwide communicate in English, 29 in French, and 20 in Spanish.
Conclusion
We have discussed why French is the official language of the Olympics. The world recognises it as one of the official Olympic Games languages because it has significant historical relevance. Lately, we have seen a decrease in French usage in the recent Olympian games. Because of this, the roles of the groups like the International Francophone Organization are crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is France going to host the next Olympics event in 2024?
France hosted five Olympian events and will host the sixth in 2024. Paris, France, will host the next Olympic Games from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
2. Why is French so crucial in the Olympics?
Besides being Coubertin’s native tongue and the location of the IOC’s main headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, a French-speaking city, the authorities chose French as the Olympics’ official language.
3. Why are the Olympics held in French first?
French is the first official language of the Olympics because it was Pierre de Coubertin’s native language. Perhaps more significantly, they regarded French as the diplomatic language when they founded it.
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