Language policy at major sporting events

Abstract

International sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, are linguistically complex events that require large-scale language planning and policy. This chapter focuses on the Olympic Games and looks at the practicalities of the attitudes and responses to multilingualism and the language policies employed in this particular international event to achieve the goals of international co-operation and friendship. It examines how language issues are planned as part of the planning of the Olympic Games and the range of activities involved in facilitating international collaboration in the preparation for and conduct of the Games.