![\"By](\"http:\/\/www.listenandlearn.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/obama.png\")
<\/a>By Executive Office of the President of the United States (http:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/live) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>It is a truth universally acknowledged that behind every well-meaning political figure attempting to extend an olive branch and speak English to the wider public is a nation of their own people ready to mock and smite their every badly-pronounced word and poorly-executed grammatical expression (Jane Austen, we apologise\u2026).<\/p>\n Imagine for a second, if you will, an important speech you have to give to an international crowd, in a language other than your own. Think about the sweaty palms, nervous twitches, and countless repetitions of your \u2018horror\u2019 words \u2013 you know, the ones you know you know but somehow always fail you when you actually use them. Now imagine that same speech is going to be televised, potentially worldwide, with keyboard vultures poised, claws curled, ready to pounce on your every word and tear it to shreds.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s just the content of your speech.<\/p>\n Standing, arms folded, or slumping as all good couch politicians do, are countless people \u2013 with your own fair tongue, no less \u2013 waiting to mock you. And mock you they will, for every tiny detail that the native speakers will on the whole either dismiss or smile at you fondly for, for at least making the effort. Not the keyboard vultures though. They\u2019re already vying for your blood.<\/p>\n Since the world seems determined to do most of its business in English, speaking English as a second language has become a key skill for many entrepreneurs the world over. With the current economic crisis seeing a vast increase in the number of applicants per jobs, the level of the candidate\u2019s English is a very effective method of whittling down the selection process. Politicians are certainly not immune to such scrutiny, as this European Voice<\/a>\u00a0article demonstrates.<\/p>\n Native English speakers on the whole are generally impressed with non-native speakers\u2019 efforts, and so when we hear the hilarity with which some speeches are received, we are often perplexed as to what is quite so funny. Often, but not always. There are some truly beautiful errors out there if you care to look.<\/p>\n Some delightful examples of politicians becoming stand-up comedians without even trying are:<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SluVUMq0Q4g<\/p>\nThe Importance of English in Business<\/h2>\n
Accidental YouTube Stars<\/h2>\n
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![via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>It is a truth universally acknowledged that behind every well-meaning political figure attempting to extend an olive branch and speak English to the wider public is a nation of their own people ready to mock and smite their every badly-pronounced word and poorly-executed grammatical expression (Jane Austen, we apologise\u2026).<\/p>\nImagine for a second, if you will, an important speech you have to give to an international crowd, in a language other than your own. Think about the sweaty palms, nervous twitches, and countless repetitions of your \u2018horror\u2019 words \u2013 you know, the ones you know you know but somehow always fail you when you actually use them. Now imagine that same speech is going to be televised, potentially worldwide, with keyboard vultures poised, claws curled, ready to pounce on your every word and tear it to shreds.<\/p>\nAnd that\u2019s just the content of your speech.<\/p>\nStanding, arms folded, or slumping as all good couch politicians do, are countless people \u2013 with your own fair tongue, no less \u2013 waiting to mock you. And mock you they will, for every tiny detail that the native speakers will on the whole either dismiss or smile at you fondly for, for at least making the effort. Not the keyboard vultures though. They\u2019re already vying for your blood.<\/p>\nThe Importance of English in Business<\/h2>\nSince the world seems determined to do most of its business in English, speaking English as a second language has become a key skill for many entrepreneurs the world over. With the current economic crisis seeing a vast increase in the number of applicants per jobs, the level of the candidate\u2019s English is a very effective method of whittling down the selection process. Politicians are certainly not immune to such scrutiny, as this European Voice<\/a>\u00a0article demonstrates.<\/p>\nNative English speakers on the whole are generally impressed with non-native speakers\u2019 efforts, and so when we hear the hilarity with which some speeches are received, we are often perplexed as to what is quite so funny. Often, but not always. There are some truly beautiful errors out there if you care to look.<\/p>\nAccidental YouTube Stars<\/h2>\nSome delightful examples of politicians becoming stand-up comedians without even trying are:<\/p>\n\nAna Botella, Mayor of Madrid, inviting us all for a relaxing cup of coffee.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=SluVUMq0Q4g<\/p>\n\nMatteo Renzi<\/a>, Italian Prime Minister, for, well, we\u2019re not entirely sure what he was saying either.<\/li>\nCrin Antonescu<\/a>, Romania\u2019s temporary president in 2012, showing us that being a public speaker is not just about confidence, it is the actual ability to use words.<\/li>\nVilly S\u00f8vndal, former Danish foreign minister, who actually is doing a reasonable job but not according to his fellow Danes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n](\"http:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File%3AObama_2009-12-01_West_Point_speech_screenshot.png\"){kind=link}