When talking soccer, brush up on German
(AP)
Updated: 2006-05-16 17:17 Things in soccer and German
get more complicated after that, but that simple phrase is the first lesson for
diehard soccer fans who signed up for a crash course in German to prepare for
this year's World Cup, which begins June 9 at stadiums throughout Germany.
A TV reporter casts a
shadow on a video screen showing the logo of the Germany 2006 soccer World
Cup Monday, May 15 2006, in Lisbon.[AP] | The 10
students who file into a stuffy upstairs classroom at London's Goethe Institut,
the German cultural center, for two hours every other Friday have no illusions
they're going to master German in 10 weeks. All they want is to be able to make
small talk, order a beer ¡ª and maybe swear at the referees in German.
"I think if you make any effort at all, it's better than no effort at all,"
said 23-year-old Tim Abbott, a David Beckham fan among 100,000 England
supporters going to Germany ¡ª even though he has no tickets.
Many fans might be queasy about attending the tournament in Germany, because
it means venturing onto the home turf of England's longtime rival. The Goethe
Institut thought it was time to debunk the stereotypes with "The Football
Course."
This isn't a simple task in Britain, where the baldly patriotic tabloids
rarely have missed a chance in the past to take on the "Nazis," the "Krauts" or
the "Huns." A British football chant still reminds Germany of England's
victories in "two world wars and one World Cup" ¡ª a reference to the 1966 final.
Karl Pfeiffer, the institute's marketing director, hoped the class would give
the hypercritical tabloids something else to say about Germany and the Germans.
"We thought about calling it 'German for Hooligans,'" he said with a chuckle
at an idea that quickly was dismissed.
Want to bond with the hosts of soccer's quadrennial blowout by sharing a few
key phrases?
How about commiserating on poor officiating: "Der schiri braucht einen
blindenhund." (The referee needs a seeing-eye dog.) Or making small talk: "Meine
lieblingsmannschaft ist ..." (My favorite team is ...)
The Goethe Institut isn't the only group in a hurry to persuade English fans
to learn a little German before venturing to the continent.
Britain's Foreign Office issued a pamphlet called "Avoiding Penalties" that
offers helpful phrases such as "Can I have another beer please?" ("Noch ein bier
bitte!") or "Can I pitch my tent in your backyard?" ("Darf ich mein zelt in
ihrem garten aufstellen?")
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