Front row at the Olympics: Everyone has their own way of English

“I hope it doesn’t scare customers away!” Behind the counter of his brasserie in Saint-Ouen, north of Paris, Mathieu agrees. “A Certain Fear” During the Olympic and Paralympic Games (JOP) this summer, he intends to speak English, which he has difficulty mastering.

Like this 39-year-old restaurant, many of them will be on deck, during the Olympics and beyond. Among the challenges to be faced: understanding yourself when, according to a study by the Paris Tourist Office, 2 million tourists from abroad are expected. The EF-EPI 2023 English Speaking Proficiency Index ranked last in the European Union is an opportunity to restore the country’s image regarding its level of English.

“I have an education level”, Matthew continues, “Not used to speaking anything but (one’s) mother tongue” In Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis), where the athletes’ village is located. This May morning, he received a brochure to welcome tourists from the Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) and Choose Paris Region, the agency responsible for promoting the Ile-de-France region. But beyond such advice “avoid abbreviations” or “use simple words”, There is nothing to help traders in other languages.

“If there is English training offered by the region, I will not say no” Aouatef, the baker in Saint-Ouen, says with a big smile. The 48-year-old shopkeeper, who canceled a holiday to work during the Games, was unconcerned: “I come by gestures.” Two of its employees speak English and Spanish.

Prior to 2018, select Paris regions offered language workshops lasting around ten hours for tourism professionals. Since then, these “Internal trainees through Personal Training Account (CPF) without going through us”, Anne Christine-Bulorte, the agency’s program manager, notes.

For hoteliers, this type of training is no longer relevant to them “Refreshing Today’s Native English-Speaking Staff”, Defends David Genouda, vice president of the Union of Hotel Trades and Industries (Umih) in Ile-de-France.

There is no shortage of languages ​​in the training of the 45,000 Games volunteers: some non-mandatory online modules are offered in English for public reception and safety.

“The information is detailed, the visuals are there, everything is well done,” Karima, 55, has been appointed to Stade de France. The civil servant was one of the rare volunteers who consulted the constituencies, among ten people AFP met in front of the Parisian accreditation center at the end of May.

Improve your English “Basic”, Tramane, who is in charge of reception at Parc des Princes, prefers face-to-face workshops. “It’s a shame we didn’t consult on the content of the training” The 39-year-old thermal engineer regrets it.

Transportation companies rely on instant translation apps to free up their agents. “It’s very basic, but railway terminology can be easily translated and people can be redirected quickly”, Damien, an SNCF agent north of Paris, describes scrolling through the TradSNCF app on his phone. English or Spanish is not a language concern for those under 26, but the tool works in a range of Mandarin, Japanese or Indonesian languages.

“We had a real thing because our agents didn’t have the ability to respond to all the languages ​​of our customers,” Valérie Gaidot, RATP’s Customer Experience Manager, explained when the Tradivia application was launched in November.

As for the police academy, according to the official website of the National Police, it offers its officers intensive one-week courses focusing on verbal expressions in English, German, Italian or Spanish.

By Clement Cassar