In between records the DJ talks about facts and events that took place at the time these songs were in the charts. Some are happy events, some are sad. Some things I remember, while others are long forgotten. They also broadcast excerpts from old radio newsreels. Hearing these fragments can give you a bit of a shock, especially if you forget what program you are listening to.
When recently the original newsreel announcing the ‘The Herald of Free Entreprise’ disaster was put on the air again, I thought for a split second that a new shipping disaster had happened in the English Channel. The above mentioned ferry capsized on the night of 6 March 1987, moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, killing 193 passengers and crew. It was the worst maritime disaster involving a British registered ship in peacetime since the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
However, the 1980ies newsreader’s elocution and vocabulary were an instant give-away. It is strange to hear how much Flemish speech has evolved over the last 25 years. A quarter of a century ago it sounded so much more artificial and you could tell that the person behind the microphone was really doing his best to produce clear and correctly articulated vowels in an attempt to conceal his regional accent. As a result each syllable was unnaturally stressed in a way that, after a while, made your jaws itch.
Photo: Francis Barraud - His master's voice
It also reminded me of the time when I auditioned to become a newsreader with our national broadcasting company. Don’t look so surprised! Yes, I could have been the Belgian Angela Rippon or Oprah Winfrey!! But destiny, or rather my rolling French ‘RRR’, decided otherwise.
I clearly remember the occasion in the spring of 1980. In those days, finding a job was a real challenge. The economy still hadn’t recovered from the oil crisis and unemployment was very high, especially among young people who had no experience to show for. I had studied all the possible options. Each weekend I used to buy three newspapers and browse through the job offers, hoping to find something in my line of work … meaning something which involved language skills. This is how I came to send in an application for a job as a newsreader on the radio.
(to be continued)
I clearly remember the occasion in the spring of 1980. In those days, finding a job was a real challenge. The economy still hadn’t recovered from the oil crisis and unemployment was very high, especially among young people who had no experience to show for. I had studied all the possible options. Each weekend I used to buy three newspapers and browse through the job offers, hoping to find something in my line of work … meaning something which involved language skills. This is how I came to send in an application for a job as a newsreader on the radio.
(to be continued)
7 comments:
You with your "to be continued" cliff hangers! And how could you tell that I looked surprised? Actually, I wasn't surprised because I've never heard your voice. Maybe after hearing it, I would be. I will need to pay closer attention to older American news footage to see if I can hear a difference. Also, you mentioned that you were looking for jobs in a "newspaper". What is that? Some kind of old Internet system?
Your Friend, m.
Even though Flemish is your native language do you use French more often? I don't recall you having a "foreign" accent when speaking French. With the languages you speak you should have what they call the international accent, which means no discernible accent whatsoever in any language.
As for me, since English became my second language late in life, I never lost my French accent. People here in the States seem to like it. So be it!
Mark, 'Newspapers' are those thin sheets made of dried wood pulp with printed characters on them. They contain a resumé of everything that is going wrong in the world ... They used to be very popular in the pre-internet era. :^)
Chm, At home, with my family and friends - except C. who's French speaking - I speak Flemish. At work, however, over approx. 50% of my colleagues are French native speakers. Although they often have a basic to reasonable knowlegde of Flemish, I find it easier and quicker to communicate with them in French . And as I spend 32-35 hours per week at work, French comes rather natural to me. But every Frenchman will tell you that I have a Belgian accent.
As for English, I have been told by English native speakers that I have an unidentifiable accent: slightly Scandinavian, slightly Irish, but definitely not 'Continental'.
I'm not surprised your French accent is appreciated in the US, at it has that 'je-ne-sais-pas-quoi' charm that is immediately associated with Paris!
I am looking forward to the end of the story of how you avoided the Oprah Winfrey destiny.
Olga, At the time I was disappointed, but today I'm glad I'm not living a life in the spotlights! :)
How I envy you your gift for languages Martine. I am learning French, a lifelong aim, at the moment but with so few French speakers in my country I rely on French news, CDs etc. And my accent will always be indescribable I think!
Louise, Learning a new language becomes really difficult past the age of eighteen ... mainly because adults are afraid of making a fool of themselves when they try to communicate with native speakers. I learned this the hard way, when I took up Italian at the age of nineteen. Even after four years of intensive training I never managed to become fluent in Italian.
But please don't let this discourage you. I think it's great that you want to take up French ... et je te souhaite beaucoup de courage. Martine
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