English In The European Union

Seminar paper from the year 2007 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Linguistics, grade: 1, University of Innsbruck (English Department), course: English in Europe, 14 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The European Union is not only an economic community. It is also a unique language community in which each language has its place and its right to exist. Today, English is the dominant language in the world serving as a first or second language, a working language, a lingua franca etc. for many people. Nevertheless, the position of the English language is not the same in the European Union as in a global context. This paper will focus on the position of English in the European Union being only one of 23 official languages. It will be analyzed in how far the dominance of English affects the other languages and the institutions of the European Union and to which extent English has the status of a European lingua franca. On the other hand, the influence of the other languages on English will be looked at, which will lead us to the phenomenon of 'Euro-English'. Finally, the opposition of other language communities against the dominance of English will be discussed.

English-Only Europe? explores the role of languages in the process of European integration. Languages are central to the development of an integrated Europe. The way in which the European Union deals with multilingualism has serious implications for both individual member countries and international relations. In this book, Robert Phillipson considers whether the contemporary expansion of English represents a serious threat to other European languages. After exploring the implications of current policies, Phillipson argues the case for more active language policies to safeguard a multilingual Europe. Drawing on examples of countries with explicit language policies such as Canada and South Africa, the book sets out Phillipson's vision of an inclusive language policy for Europe, and describes how it can be attained.

This book explores the growing tension between multilingualism and monolingualism in the European Union in the wake of Brexit, underpinned by the interplay between the rise of English as a lingua franca and the low status of translations in EU bodies, agencies and institutions. The book draws on an interdisciplinary approach highlighting insights from such fields as sociolinguistics, translation studies, and philosophy of language in looking at data drawn from official EU documents and online resources, many of which are increasingly initially produced in English and then translated into other languages, but not published as translations. In analyzing this data further, Leal explores issues around language hierarchy and the growing difficulty in reconciling the EU's approach to promoting multilingualism while fostering monolingualism in practice through the widespread use of English as a lingua franca, as well as questions around authenticity in the translation process and the boundaries between source texts and translations. The volume also looks ahead at the current and future implications of Brexit regarding this tension while also proposing potential ways forward toward resolving it. Offering unique insights into contemporary debates in translation studies, this book will be of particular interest to students and scholars in translation studies, sociolinguistics, philosophy of language and political science

This book examines the language policies relating to linguistic rights in European Union law and in the constitutions and legal statutes of some European Union member states. In recent years, the European Union has seen an increase in claims for language recognition by minority groups representing a considerable population (such as Catalan in Spain and Welsh in the UK). Additionally, there is a developing situation surrounding the official use of English within the European Union in the aftermath of the Brexit vote. In light of these two contexts, this book focuses on the degree of legal protection afforded to linguistic groups in the European Union. It will be of interest to students and scholars of language policy, EU law, minority languages and sociolinguistics.

This book is designed to provide insight into the roles of English in and for Europe. The starting point for this comparative study is recognition of the increasing importance of communication with peoples from other cultures and countries. The book contributes to discussions of the possibilities of transnational media offerings, and facilitates a better understanding of the influence of media in foreign language acquisition.

The European Economic Community, founded in 1957, consisted of six Member States with a combined total of four official languages. By 2004, this organization had evolved into a European Union of twenty-five Member States with more than twenty official languages among them. This increase has presented numerous challenges to the EU's internal linguistic regime, where formal policy has been, with some notable exceptions, to treat all of these languages equally. Some of these languages - English in particular - have been more equal than others. Languages that lack nation-wide official status in any Member State - such as Catalan and Welsh - have been overtly denied equal treatment. Furthermore, the multilingual nature of the EU has had significant implications for any Member State that wishes to regulate the use of language within its territory, as such regulation can interfere with the rights accorded to citizens of other Member States to participate in free commercial movement throughout the Union. Law and Language in the European Union - now in paperback - examines how, in the linguistic realm, the EU has responded to the tensions that lie behind this paradoxical motto.

English-Only Europe? explores the role of languages in the process of European integration. Languages are central to the development of an integrated Europe. The way in which the European Union deals with multilingualism has serious implications for both individual member countries and international relations. In this book, Robert Phillipson considers whether the contemporary expansion of English represents a serious threat to other European languages. After exploring the implications of current policies, Phillipson argues the case for more active language policies to safeguard a multilingual Europe. Drawing on examples of countries with explicit language policies such as Canada and South Africa, the book sets out Phillipson's vision of an inclusive language policy for Europe, and describes how it can be attained.