The British know who Hleb is but have never heard of Lukashenka
ERB reporters have met English people speaking Belarusian in London streets.
Belarus is a country situated in the centre of Europe. This is what our pupils are taught. However, the majority of Europeans do not seem to know anything about our country. Some of them do not even know that it is a country. Thanks God, our football players have played a match against England national team recently and some Britons know about us thanks to football.
ERB: What do you know about Belarus?
Man: Belarus… I have heard this name recently. I know they have played football with England recently. They had the player who is in “Barcelona” now. Hleb, right? His name is Hleb.
ERB: Yes, Alyaksandr Hleb.
Man: Alyaksandr Hleb… I also know… Is it in the Caribbean? No… is it in Europe?
ERB: It is.
Man: Yes, Europe. To cut it short, I know the name of the country thanks to football.
The rest of our stroll along London streets was not that great. The pollees were not original and their vision of Belarus was very vague. They did now know who Hleb was and had never heard of Lukashenka.
ERB: What do you know about Belarus?
Man: Belarus… Nothing… Is it a country? Is it near Russia? Yes. And I think it is very cold there. That’s it.
ERB: Do you know who the President is in Belarus?
Man: I don’t.
ERB: Have you ever heard of Lukashenka?
Man: Luka what?
ERB: Lukashenka.
Man: No. I have never heard this name (laughs).
Woman: Belarus... Sorry, I do now know what it is.
ERB: have you ever heard this name?
Woman: I can’t think of it… It is something familiar but I don’t know… Belarus… Ah! Is it a country? Yes. It’s a country.
ERB: Do you know anything about this country?
Woman: I don’t, where is it?
ERB: It is in Europe.
Man: Belarus… Sorry, nothing, nothing at all.
ERB: Do you know what it is?
Man: It’s a country… somewhere near Russia. I know nothing else about Belarus. I saw the name of the country during the Olympic Games. That was it.
Some Britons tried to recall what they had heard about Belarus. They could not recall much. The reason for it was the lack of information about our country in English mass media, said one of our pollees.
Man: As far as I remember, there is something like communism in that country. In any case, I think the government is socialist. We do not get much information about Belarus here in England.
Man: Belarus… Nothing. I do not know anything about it. It was part of the Soviet Union. That’s all I know.
We are hoping that some English people have got to know more about Belarus thanks to us. For example, they have got to know that we speak Belarusian.
Guy: Belarus. It is a country, right? It’s in Europe. Eastern Europe?
ERB: Yes.
Guy: It is a rather small country. The population is several millions.
ERB: 10 millions.
Guy: 10 millions? I didn’t know it was that big. I though it was about 4 millions. I do not know what the capital is…
ERB: Mіnsk.
Guy: I didn’t know…
ERB: Do you know who the President is?
Guy: Nope.
ERB: Have you ever heard of Lukashenka?
Guy: About whom?
ERB: About Lukashenka.
Guy: I haven’t. Who is Lukashenka?
ERB: The President. (we laugh).
Guy: What language do you speak in Belarus?
ERB: Belarusian.
(we laugh)
Guy: That’s all I know.
We were really surprised when we met a girl who knew where Baranavichy was and could say “house” in Belarusian in the centre of London.
ERB: What do you know about Belarus?
Girl: “My Mom comes from there. I know a town… let me think… Ah! Baranavichy! I was there when I was six”.
ERB: Do you speak Belarusian?
Girl: I only know how to say “house” in Belarusian.
Later we found out that English people knew more than “house” in Belarusian and had learned the language very well. They even speak it at home. We will tell you about it in one of our coming reports from the British series.
Belarus is a country situated in the centre of Europe. This is what our pupils are taught. However, the majority of Europeans do not seem to know anything about our country. Some of them do not even know that it is a country. Thanks God, our football players have played a match against England national team recently and some Britons know about us thanks to football.
ERB: What do you know about Belarus?
Man: Belarus… I have heard this name recently. I know they have played football with England recently. They had the player who is in “Barcelona” now. Hleb, right? His name is Hleb.
ERB: Yes, Alyaksandr Hleb.
Man: Alyaksandr Hleb… I also know… Is it in the Caribbean? No… is it in Europe?
ERB: It is.
Man: Yes, Europe. To cut it short, I know the name of the country thanks to football.
The rest of our stroll along London streets was not that great. The pollees were not original and their vision of Belarus was very vague. They did now know who Hleb was and had never heard of Lukashenka.
ERB: What do you know about Belarus?
Man: Belarus… Nothing… Is it a country? Is it near Russia? Yes. And I think it is very cold there. That’s it.
ERB: Do you know who the President is in Belarus?
Man: I don’t.
ERB: Have you ever heard of Lukashenka?
Man: Luka what?
ERB: Lukashenka.
Man: No. I have never heard this name (laughs).
Woman: Belarus... Sorry, I do now know what it is.
ERB: have you ever heard this name?
Woman: I can’t think of it… It is something familiar but I don’t know… Belarus… Ah! Is it a country? Yes. It’s a country.
ERB: Do you know anything about this country?
Woman: I don’t, where is it?
ERB: It is in Europe.
Man: Belarus… Sorry, nothing, nothing at all.
ERB: Do you know what it is?
Man: It’s a country… somewhere near Russia. I know nothing else about Belarus. I saw the name of the country during the Olympic Games. That was it.
Some Britons tried to recall what they had heard about Belarus. They could not recall much. The reason for it was the lack of information about our country in English mass media, said one of our pollees.
Man: As far as I remember, there is something like communism in that country. In any case, I think the government is socialist. We do not get much information about Belarus here in England.
Man: Belarus… Nothing. I do not know anything about it. It was part of the Soviet Union. That’s all I know.
We are hoping that some English people have got to know more about Belarus thanks to us. For example, they have got to know that we speak Belarusian.
Guy: Belarus. It is a country, right? It’s in Europe. Eastern Europe?
ERB: Yes.
Guy: It is a rather small country. The population is several millions.
ERB: 10 millions.
Guy: 10 millions? I didn’t know it was that big. I though it was about 4 millions. I do not know what the capital is…
ERB: Mіnsk.
Guy: I didn’t know…
ERB: Do you know who the President is?
Guy: Nope.
ERB: Have you ever heard of Lukashenka?
Guy: About whom?
ERB: About Lukashenka.
Guy: I haven’t. Who is Lukashenka?
ERB: The President. (we laugh).
Guy: What language do you speak in Belarus?
ERB: Belarusian.
(we laugh)
Guy: That’s all I know.
We were really surprised when we met a girl who knew where Baranavichy was and could say “house” in Belarusian in the centre of London.
ERB: What do you know about Belarus?
Girl: “My Mom comes from there. I know a town… let me think… Ah! Baranavichy! I was there when I was six”.
ERB: Do you speak Belarusian?
Girl: I only know how to say “house” in Belarusian.
Later we found out that English people knew more than “house” in Belarusian and had learned the language very well. They even speak it at home. We will tell you about it in one of our coming reports from the British series.
