From larking around on sunny beaches to running around a rugby pitch in shorts during winter frosts, Victor Ubogu’s journey has been one of extremes. Since the Nigerian’s school days at a private school in Devon, Victor went on to become a famed international rugby union player. He now runs his own sport and travel hospitality company VU. Victor joined us to chat about his journey, the culture shocks, and the motivation for language learning.
From Lagos to Devon
We started by talking about Victor’s life in Lagos, Nigeria, and what the transition into the English school system was like. Victor grew up with people speaking English around him, but had never formally learned the language himself. “I only had pidgin English. I couldn’t speak nearly as fluent as I do now“. He did have some English lessons, but doesn’t remember much of his education before his move to Devon. In fact, as far as he’s concerned, he didn’t start his schooling in earnest until he moved to the UK at 13.
So going to boarding school proved to be a huge transition as a teenager. “I couldn’t understand them because they spoke too fast, and they couldn’t understand me because I only spoke in broken English.” On top of that he had the weather to contend with! “I went from 90 degrees on the beaches of Lagos to the freezing cold and snow in a public school on the edge of Exmoor. I didn’t even know what snow was!”
Rugby and language
Rugby is a difficult sport for anybody to learn, but try it when you can’t understand the instructions being shouted at you! It’s no surprise then that Victor’s first outing on the Rugby pitch ended up with him being told to leave and not return until he learned the rules. “Run forward, but pass back – I never knew anything like it. Games like football, basketball, it’s all run forward. Rugby is hard to pick up and I didn’t understand the explanations.“
So after that initial game, Victor didn’t actually play Rugby again at all in his first year. However, this didn’t seem to bother him. “It was freezing! Running around a field in a pair of shorts? It was very alien.” However, a classic case of peer pressure drove him back to the pitch a year later – “It was the school sport, all my classmates played. I had to play too to be in that crowd.“
But is the ability to learn a language actually important for anyone wanting to be a professional rugby player? Victor thinks so. “Rugby is played on the global stage… referees are likely to be international and it’s the same with your team. It’s important to be able to communicate at any level with those around you.”
Language barriers still being faced
Though Victor has long-since conquered both English and Rugby, he is still coming up against language barriers in his new career as the owner of VU. 14 years ago, Victor set up a sport and tourism company providing services at international sport events, such as the 6 nations. This means regularly working in countries where he has little or no comprehension of the home language. “The worst thing is not being able to communicate. I can speak a little French but not enough to engage and really communicate with others.“
Knowing that the 2016 FIFA World Cup was coming up in Rio, Victor was really keen to get to grips with Portuguese. However, he struggled to find time and ended up having to rely on a translator. “I’m very envious of people who can speak multiple languages. There are ways around it, like surrounding yourself with people who can speak the language when you travel, but it makes you reliant. Looking back now, I would definitely concentrate on learning languages more at school, when you have the time.“
Advice for language learners
From his own experiences, Victor gave this advice for anyone who is struggling with learning a language later in life. “Just pick up the basics before you go and never be too shy to try! It’s about being able to talk to the person out on the street, so concentrate on that street language first. That’s what you need to get by. You can learn the rest when you have the time.”
If you liked learning about Victors language learning experience, then make sure to check out our interview with rugby star, Jonny Wilkinson