tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post2614999936243630725..comments2023-09-28T12:28:57.598+03:00Comments on Grahnlaw: My Europe Week: Why language rights and multilingualism?Ralf Grahn http://www.blogger.com/profile/02156293782163802007noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post-57253763749488977072010-05-09T19:37:45.587+03:002010-05-09T19:37:45.587+03:00Mathew,
Actually I think that a broad and open E...Mathew, <br /><br />Actually I think that a broad and open European consensus would be an excellent thing, based on: <br /><br />1) linguistic rights for EU citizens; <br />2) promotion of multilingualism (two foreign languages for all); <br />3) no dubbing of TV and film soundtracks; and <br />4) English as one of the two foreign languages for all non-native speakers. <br /><br />By all means, take the decisions in the national capitals, if it feels better.Ralf Grahn https://www.blogger.com/profile/02156293782163802007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post-59831325401086437482010-05-09T19:20:53.133+03:002010-05-09T19:20:53.133+03:00Should that political decision be made in Brussels...Should that political decision be made in Brussels? I'd hope not ...Mathew Lowryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06290784335291768865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post-64170041201762271842010-05-09T16:18:06.873+03:002010-05-09T16:18:06.873+03:00Mathew,
I broadly agree with you, as the blog po...Mathew, <br /><br />I broadly agree with you, as the blog posts on different aspects show. <br /><br />However, it depends on political decisions if we learn two foreign languages (including non-EU ones) in school and one of these is English.Ralf Grahn https://www.blogger.com/profile/02156293782163802007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post-44787037745031998922010-05-09T15:24:42.392+03:002010-05-09T15:24:42.392+03:00Online multilingualism is one of my very favourite...Online multilingualism is one of my very favourite subjects, and I've enjoyed your series of posts.<br /><br />There are 2 very different levels here when discussing the EU. <br /><br />On the one hand, certain official languages are recognised - an EU law cannot *be* a law (or transliterated into a national one) in a country until it has been translated into the country's official language(s). This is only right and proper, and it dominates the EU's translation resources.<br /><br />On the other hand, there is the need for a lingua franca for cross-EU exchanges, including what we call the European public space (or sphere, if you prefer). <br /><br />I totally agree that this is important in its own right - learning another language should be seen as more than just a practical, useful tool for one's career or going on holiday. We need to understand each other if Europe is to hold itself together. If you don't believe me, look at Belgium.<br /><br />What language? To be honest, I don't care - just as long as we can understand each other. Given English's predominance as a second language, it's an obvious candidate. But English will not die out if it's something else, just as Lithuanian will not die out if it is not spoken much in Brussels.<br /><br />In reality, this second level of multilingualism will not be mandated by law. It'll emerge following the laws of complex systems (network effects, economies of scale, barriers to entry, critical mass and so on). You might as well legislate against tidal flow.mathewhttp://mathew.blogactiv.eu/2010/05/07/2010review-my-europe-week/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post-44958853866457187342010-05-09T05:44:29.167+03:002010-05-09T05:44:29.167+03:00Antal Daniel,
I just wanted to remind people of ...Antal Daniel, <br /><br />I just wanted to remind people of the situation where the official languages of the member states have been made treaty languages and the official languages of the European Union. <br /><br />After discussing the language rights of EU citizens, multilingualism and the lost opportunities through the dubbing of films, I arrived at a discussion about English as the new lingua franca in the third post in this series. <br /><br />In short, if (better) English is one of the two foreign languages every child learns in school, we have at least one means of communication between all EU citizens within a few generations.Ralf Grahn https://www.blogger.com/profile/02156293782163802007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post-52071992518892599602010-05-08T23:58:50.293+03:002010-05-08T23:58:50.293+03:00Just a small amendment. Obviously English is not a...Just a small amendment. Obviously English is not an official language in Cyprus, it is an official language in Malta. It's the other island.Antal Dánielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982036207587080662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6406430766424642773.post-61798428674884686842010-05-08T23:56:27.926+03:002010-05-08T23:56:27.926+03:00I think the EU would really stab its citizens in t...I think the EU would really stab its citizens in the back if English would be removed from the working language list. Not only that even after a UK withdrawal Ireland and Cyprus would qualify English as an official language, but English is the far most widely spoken language in the Union. <br /><br />How about German? As very few people speak it with pragmatic success outside those who learned it as a mother tongue, replacing English for German would make German-born EU citizens at a very uncomfortable competitive edge against others. <br /><br />I think this is a non-issue. The EU works fine with badly spoken English plus occasional French and German interventions.Antal Dánielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13982036207587080662noreply@blogger.com