Exploring the Use of English (and Other Languages) on the Social Media Accounts of the Royal Belgian Football Association : a Case Study

Details

Supervisors

De Cock, Sylvie

Faculty

Faculté de philosophie, arts et lettres

Degree label

Master [120] en communication multilingue, à finalité spécialisée: langues des affaires

Abstract

Over the past two decades, the world has seen the emergence of digital communication and social media. The latter in particular have become increasingly used and influential in the way organizations communicate with their stakeholders. Sports organizations especially use social media as an efficient and practical way to connect with their fans (Wang, 2014, p. 1). However, communication can sometimes be an intricate matter, especially in the context of a multilingual environment, such as the one in which the Royal Belgian Football Association finds itself. This study therefore aims at exploring the use of English (and other languages) on the social media accounts of the Royal Belgian Football Association. More specifically, we wished to uncover the impacts of the use of English on the Belgian audience. In order to do so, a survey was carried out on social media in both French and Dutch to gather quantitative data about the various impacts of the use of English on comprehension, feelings, and interest. The aim was also to discover the Belgian audience’s language(s) of preference for the publications of the RBFA. On the whole, our results have shown poor complete comprehension levels, fairly negative feelings regarding the use of English, and disinterest in the publications. The languages of preference included French and Dutch instead of the exclusive use of English.