Languages of the Olympic Games

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As my “Foreign Language Teacher” screen name implies, I love languages.  So, you can only imagine how much I look forward to the Olympics when they roll around.  Sure, the sporting events are great.  But for me, the real magic is in the flags, the cultures, and especially the languages.

In just a few more weeks, I’ll be glued to the TV humming, “It’s a Small World After All.”  The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympics has arranged for 5,000 translators, mostly Beijing-based university students, to provide 55 language services.  55 languages!  Two of those 55 are official languages of the Olympic Games:  English and French.

Why French?  Well, besides being an influential language spoken worldwide, we have the French to thank for the modern Olympic Games.  Sure, the original games were a Greek invention.  But they had disappeared for over 1000 years until a teacher from France named Baron Pierre de Coubertin had the idea to bring them back.  The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.  The first Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France, in 1924.

In honor of the French contribution to the Olympic Games, see if you can guess the names of some Olympic events en français.  The answers are at the bottom.  Bonne chance! 

1. Athlétisme
2. Base-ball
3. Basket-ball
4. Boxe
5. Canoë-kayak
6. Cyclisme
7. Escrime
8. Football
9. Gymnastique
10. Lutte
11. Natation
12. Sports équestres
13. Tennis de Table
14. Tir à l’arc
15. Volley-ball de plage

1-Track/Athletics, 2-Baseball, 3-Basketball, 4-Boxing, 5-Canoe/Kayak, 6-Cycling, 7-Fencing, 8-Soccer, 9-Gymnastics, 10-Wrestling, 11-Swimming, 12-Equestrian, 13-Table Tennis, 14-Archery, 15-Beach Volleyball

Photo Credit:  Public Domain from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Olympic_rings.svg