Multilingual Members

THE Bay Language Institute (BLI) have ensured the Nelson Mandela Bay leg of the IRB7’s stands out from the crowd with their unique services being the only one of this kind on the Sevens circuit this year.

The BLI, a Nelson Mandela Bay language school and Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism (NMBT) member, provided the stadium with liaison officers tasked with the responsibility of bridging the language gap for a second time this year.

“We are very happy and proud to be a part of the IRB Nelson Mandela Bay 7s and to contribute to such a big event with our special skills. It is important that when the city hosts large events like these, we do our best at making it a great experience in whatever way we can – that’s how you keep them coming back. Ultimately, that’s good for everyone. We look forward to continuing our services and support for as long as the tournament is held in our home city,” said BLI director, Shaun Fitzhenry.

The officers are tasked with assisting the venue management teams in ensuring that teams are properly informed, prepared for their games, moved, for example, from change rooms to warm-up locations or holding rooms, and doing so in the language of the team.

Using English and the ‘mother-tongue’ of the various teams competing in the tournament, the officers provide an exceptional service – and the only one of this nature on the Sevens circuit.

Provided for the first time during the inaugural 2011 tournament, the venue liaison officers play a key role in ensuring that the rugby players have an exceptional experience in the city.  The institute performs the service, which includes the identification and selection of suitable candidates, at no cost.

Officers include South African citizens with a keen interest in rugby, as well as foreign citizens, often students, who speak the same language as some of the competing teams, like French or Congolese.

The school, located in Summerstrand, provides English tuition as part of a unique language holiday experience to a growing foreign market, as well as a variety of languages to the local market. They also train teachers to teach English as a foreign language, with former students all over the world teaching in countries such as Russia, China, Thailand and Korea.