Professional Cycling - Cancellara interviews

I love Cancellara's interviews! There should be a whole new cycling lexicon for his English phrasing.

Do you have a 2nd or a 3rd language?

He's Swiss right? So, by default of his school system, they will have expected him to learn to some degree of proficiency in: Swiss German, French, more than likely Italian and English. Wow, wish my mid-western school upbringing would have even offered decent English classes never mind expecting all student to learn at least three others.

Yeh, better get the guy an English tutor.

Egh, I'm not fluent enough in another language to criticize anyone speaking english as a second language. Lucky us they are even trying.

The quote about the swiss inventing time today was classic.

His english isn't very good but I really enjoyed hearing him speak in the interviews. He comes across like a nice guy and the fact that he isn't afraid to try and communicate using a language that clearly isn't his native language is admirable. Beats the usual robotic way pro athletes tend to respond in interviews.

Man, you guys aren't used to speaking with foreigners, are you? Cancellara's English is excellent. Sure, his phrasing sounds a bit funny to a native speaker but he's perfectly understandable. Entertaining, insightful and funny. That's not easy speaking in another language. If his English wasn't so good he wouldn't be a good interview - "Yes - I be riding bike fast" or something like that.

I was actually talking to a Chinese engineer I work with about this subject the other day. He's lived in the US for over 15 years. He's becoming a citizen soon and his kids names are Derek and Sarah. His English is about like Cancellara's. He was saying how sometimes he needs people to slow down when talking to him since his "inner voice" speaks Chinese. Everything he hears and says in English needs to be translated back and forth in his head.

Heck, try talking to someone in Ireland sometime. I speak to people all over the world and believe me, his English is great. I talk to native English speakers all the time that are harder to understand than Cancellara.

Heck, try talking to someone in Ireland sometime. I speak to people all over the world and believe me, his English is great. I talk to native English speakers all the time that are harder to understand than Cancellara.

He is easier to understand than Sean Kelly.

his english isn't bad. sometimes i think they ask such dumb questions he doesn't know what to say. like 'do you like your new specialized transition?' he just smoked the field on stage 1, what do you think? and even if he didn't he sure as hell isn't going to say no!

yeah, his English is excellent and easy to understand. Any time you can convey humor in a 2nd language your are fluent.

There are people here in my city in the good ol' USA that I swear aren't speaking English, even though they are. :)

I'd like to know what language his legs speak because mine are clearly not speaking that language.

I'd like to know what language his legs speak because mine are clearly not speaking that language.

This one is great!!!! :D

yeah, his English is excellent and easy to understand. Any time you can convey humor in a 2nd language your are fluent.

Well put

Perfectly understandable and an interesting accent. Is he a native German speaker? Because sometimes his accent sounds Austrian, like our current Governor.

Any time you can convey humor in a 2nd language your are fluent.

That's the litmus test, isn't it? Better yet, give humor a try and succeed with a board guard, immigration or customs official and you can consider yourself to have earned an honorary doctorate.

He is easier to understand than Sean Kelly.

^^^^^ :lol: :lol: :lol:

I always tell people that English is my first language as it sounds like I know more than one. :D

Perfectly understandable and an interesting accent. Is he a native German speaker? Because sometimes his accent sounds Austrian, like our current Governor.

From Wikipedia, it says born near Berne (German speaking) to Italian parents, so English as a third language seems like it could be at a best probably 4th.

This whole thread reminds me of friends joke,

What do you call someone that speaks 3 languages?

Trilingual

What do you call someone that speaks 2 languages?

Bilingual

What do you call someone that speaks 1 language?

American.

He is easier to understand than Sean Kelly.
Have you heard Graeme Obree? :D:D

He is easier to understand than Sean Kelly.

Certainly!