Category Archives: English in Europe

The 11 official languages of the 15 member states of the European Union have equal rights. These languages are Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish. The languages of each member state are official and working … Continue reading →

The language policy in the European Union is both ineffective and hypocritical, and its ideas of linguistic equality and multilingualism are costly and cumbersome illusions. Why have these illusions been kept up for so long? First, because the French with … Continue reading →

Europe is one of the world’s largest English-speaking regions, yet how much do we know about the language that is its lingua franca or the impact English is having on Europe’s linguistic diversity and identity? Guardian, April 18, 2001. Read … Continue reading →

Evaluating the economic strengths of ‘smaller’ languages could be their best protection in Europe.guardian.co.uk, April 19 2001. Read the whole article…

Germany said Thursday that it would boycott a European Union meeting of industry ministers in Oulu, Finland, this weekend because there will be no German-language translation. International Herald Tribune, July 2, 1999. Read the whole article…

European Commissioner Neil Kinnock has been accused of trying to increase the dominance of the English language in the running of the European Union. The French and German foreign ministers have formally protested to European Commission president Romano Prodi about … Continue reading →

This article loks at language issues in the European Union, with 10 new members adding nine languages to the European Union’s existing 11. Would the 25-nation bloc be more effective working in “one speech,” or at least only in its … Continue reading →

Europe is one of the world’s largest English-speaking regions, yet how much do we know about the language that is its lingua franca or the impact English is having on Europe’s linguistic diversity and identity? The Guardian Weekly, 18 April 2001. … Continue reading →

Pages 92-93 from the English Next report by David Graddol: The Council of Europe’s framework has had a significant influence on curriculum developments in many European countries, and represents much more than the teaching of foreign languages. Click on the linkabove to … Continue reading →

As it is spoken, or as it is broken, English is fast becoming the language of corporate and institutional Europe. This article looks at the growing use of English in the European Union and in government and companies across Europe, … Continue reading →

Is English taking over as the dominant language in Europe and the rest of the world? Should we all be speaking in one tongue or do we risk losing the cultural diversity of a multilingual world? A Talking Point from BBC … Continue reading →

Max de Lotbiniere finds that the single European currency has increased the need or business people to speak the same language. The Guardian Weekly, 24 Jan, 1999. Read the whole article…

An article by Jenifer Jenkins and Barbara Seidlhofer looking at how a new variety of English in Europe, English as a Lingua Franca in Europe (ELFE), is developing some of its own rules of grammar and pronunication. The writers suggest … Continue reading →

Scan the job listings in Paris, Frankfurt or Luxembourg and one corporate expectation becomes clear. Anglais courant indispensable. Verhandlungssicheres Englisch in Wort und Schrift. English is a job requirement whether you’re a banker in Bavaria, a chef at a five-star … Continue reading →