Europe’s rich mix of languages
25 September 2006
EU's motto 'Unity in diversity' now more poignant than ever, says European Commissioner for education Ján Figel'
Europe celebrates its wide variety of languages every year on 26 September, the European Day of Languages. The idea is to draw attention to the importance of language learning, raise awareness of the languages spoken in Europe and encourage lifelong language learning. We took the opportunity to talk to the European Commission's "language man", commissioner Ján Figel', on his views of Europe's rich mix of languages.
1. How do you think languages have contributed to European integration?
I am profoundly convinced that the EU's motto 'Unity in diversity' is not just a hollow phrase. I firmly believe that it is possible to live peacefully with one another and respect cultural and linguistic differences while trying to learn from others.
The possibility for citizens to learn more languages and thereby broaden their understanding of other cultures is of crucial importance. The other side of the coin, to be able to use one's own mother tongue in dealing with the European institutions, is also an important priority. Our commitment to this is essential for the Union's democratic legitimacy and the transparency of its decisions. Both aspects are important to the Commission as it tries to deepen connections between Europeans and their understanding of the European Union. Multilingualism is at the very heart of European integration and our peaceful coexistence after the Second World War.
2. The European Union has 20, soon 23 official languages. Are they really necessary?
Multilingualism has been part of the Union's life since its beginning with the Coal and Steel Community and the Economic Community. The Union agrees on the rules - the laws - that help us all work together in Europe, not just in Brussels but across business and schools and so on. When you - as a citizen or a company - need to look at those rules, you want to see them in your own language. And you want your representatives to be able to defend your interests in your own language, because what they decide becomes law in all the member states. That principle has always been adhered to and has always been applied in practice.
The original European Community comprising six countries and four official languages has grown into a union of 25 member states and 20 official languages. Next year, with the foreseen accession of Bulgaria and Romania, and with Irish finally becoming an official language, we will have 23 official languages. Which, by the way, do not represent the whole spectrum of the linguistic diversity of Europe: today, the total population of the European Union is close to 500 million, and there are about 80 or so autochthonous European languages as well as the languages of the many immigrant communities in the Union. This cultural and linguistic diversity is a tremendous asset that must be safeguarded and promoted.
3. Many people wonder how the European institutions manage to work in so many official languages. Is there a simple answer?
So far we have been able to cope with the challenge both in terms of translating legislation and other important texts, and in providing interpretation in EU meetings. The key to understanding how this is done at the relatively limited cost of a little over two euros per citizen per year lies in our audience analysis and assessment of real needs for languages. Clearly, we cannot translate all texts into all languages, just as we cannot interpret every word in every meeting into all languages: there simply are not enough linguists in the world to do that. Instead, we focus our resources on real needs and maximum impact. But when it comes to actual final decision-making and publication of legal texts we do use all the official languages.
To say that this comes without an effort would not be reasonable. We have to give credit to our skilful and committed staff and to the thorough forward planning we carry out in order to be able provide these important services in an efficient way.
4. According to a Eurobarometer survey, the proportion of EU citizens who have a good command of at least one foreign language has risen since 2001 from 47 to 56 percent. How do you explain this?
The Eurobarometer report on "Europeans and their languages" makes interesting reading. According to this survey, 83% of European citizens agree that knowing several languages is an advantage. More than two thirds even think that language teaching should be a political priority. Three quarters are convinced that young people really do need to learn foreign languages, and that they should start as early as possible. We have set as a general objective in the EU that children should be taught at least two other languages in addition to their mother tongue. I do believe that this target is realistic and achievable in the foreseeable future.
The Eurobarometer survey, however, is only based on self-assessment of people's linguistic skills. What we really need is hard data on the efficiency of school systems in teaching languages to the European citizens of tomorrow. This is why we have launched a great effort to establish a European indicator of language competence. In two years' time, we will have the first reliable data on the linguistic competence of pupils when they leave compulsory school.
5. According to the same survey, a "multilingual" European is likely to be young, practically minded and motivated to learn. Would you say that the national education systems in the member states are therefore crucial in putting languages policy into practice?
The Commission would like to see a common core of competencies and values for language teachers in Europe. This is a policy area where the Commission does not have competences to draw up legislation. However, the Commission proposes guidelines and the recently published "European profile for language teacher education" is a first step towards common guidelines for language teaching in the EU. We can all learn from comparisons throughout Europe, between different systems and approaches - and their effectiveness. This is indispensable in order to raise standards across the Union, remove barriers to learning opportunities, and meet the educational challenges of the 21st century.
I feel that higher education institutions should be encouraged to play a more active role in promoting multilingualism. If Europe cannot compete on the basis of cheap cost of labour force, there is undoubtedly one crucial area where it can be competitive: in the area of knowledge, and multilingualism is fundamental to foster knowledge, innovation and creativity.
6. Bearing in mind the conclusions of the Barcelona Council in 2002, which called for at least two foreign languages to be taught from a very early age, what sort of things do you think might inspire the younger generation to get their teeth into language learning?
If we want people to be really multilingual we must start teaching languages from an early age. You need specially trained teachers, as well specially developed materials for that. That again may be an area where universities can provide the training and the research into the most appropriate training methods and materials. Again, the Commission will shortly publish a new study on this subject.
And then there is content and language integrated learning which is seen in many cases as a suitable method for providing exposure to foreign languages. Here too we want to exchange scientific know-how and information on practice and teacher training.
Beyond the obvious differences of linguistic situations and education systems, the big question is what can be done to motivate people to open up to other languages and cultures, to establish a line of contact with the family next door coming from another country as well as with people living in faraway countries but linked to the same network.
The economic aspects of language learning are also impressive. We all know that good language skills make for greater mobility and so for better employment prospects. They can be expensive for individuals and for the society, but they always prove a very good investment.
7. What does the European Commission do to help preserve and foster Europe's languages? Could you give us some examples?
Last November, the Commission took a new and important step towards promoting multilingualism when it adopted a Communication on this subject. The Communication sets out a new framework and basis for multilingualism by presenting the whole spectrum of language use in the EU. Concretely, the Commission invests €30 million (£20.3 million) every year in actions such as training, mobility of students and teachers and in funding class exchanges, twinnings etc… This happens through the Socrates and Lingua programmes, and will continue to happen with the new Lifelong Learning programme starting in 2007.
Another example is the European Union's research programmes, which also address multilingualism, to the tune of some €20 million (£13.5 million) per year. This covers the field of technological research, particularly translation technology, and in the social sciences through research into language issues in relation with for instance social exclusion, identity, cross-cultural understanding etc. I can only encourage universities to come forward with interesting projects for the 7th Framework research programme, as we are keen to develop this work further.
Thirdly, the European Commission has proposed that 2008 be declared the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. As dialogue is an essential tool in forging closer links between peoples and cultures in Europe and with the peoples and cultures of our neighbouring countries, this is an idea that I consider particularly important.
More information:
frederic.vincent@ec.europa.eu or juhani.sormunen@ec.europa.eu,
European Commission's language website.
Or contact the Commission's press officers in the UK:
Belfast: Catherine.McShane@ec.europa.eu
Cardiff: Rachael.Langlands-Brown@ec.europa.eu
Edinburgh: Laura.Close@ec.europa.eu
London: Emilia Hinkkanen, emilia.hinkkanen@ec.europa.eu, tel: 020 7973 1971