1. Aspects and prospects of EU multilingualism
EFNIL Conference
The role of language education in creating a multilingual Europe
London, 25 October 2011
Luca Tomasi
Multilingualism Policy Unit

2. The European Union: 23 official languages
2004
Czech
Estonian
Hungarian
Latvian
Lithuanian
Maltese
Polish
Slovak
Slovene
1986
Portuguese
Spanish
1973
Danish
English
1958
Dutch
French
German
Italian
2007
Bulgarian
Irish
Romanian
1981
Greek
1995
Finnish
Swedish

3. Why multilingualism? Cohesion Social inclusion Intercultural dialogue
European citizenship
Mobility
Employability
Competitiveness

4. Amin Maalouf
“Every language is the end product of a unique historical experience, every language conveys a memory, a literary heritage, a specific ability, and represents the legitimate foundation of a cultural identity.” 4

5. Theodore Roosevelt
“We are a nation, not a hodge-podge of foreign nationalities. We are a people, and not a polyglot boarding house”
“We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language, for we intended to see that the crucible turns our people out as Americans, of American nationality, and not as dwellers in a polyglot boarding-house; and we have room for but one soul loyalty, and that is loyalty to the American people. “
January 5, 1919, quoted in Hagedorn, p. 384
William Harding, Babel Proclamation (1918) : only English was legal in public, or in private schools, in public conversations, on trains, over the telephone, at all meetings, and in all religious services
EU: “English is not enough” 5

6. Julia Kristeva
“If we only become free subjects insofar as we are strangers to ourselves, then the social bond should not be an association of identities, but rather a federation of differences …
Europe as a federation of respected differences: this is my dream.” 6

7. Umberto Eco
“people who can communicate while everybody speaks their own language and understands the other without being fluent (and so understands) the cultural universe that is expressed when someone speaks the language of their ancestors and their tradition”
“…A polyglot Europe is not a Europe of people who are able to speak a lot of languages perfectly; but in the best case one of people who can communicate while everybody speaks their own language and understands the other without being fluent. Also while understanding it, even when with effort, its spirit – the cultural universe that is expressed when someone speaks the language of their ancestors and their tradition – should be understood as well.”
MT + 2 7

8. Structured cooperation
OMC thematic group on early language learning
OMC thematic group on Languages for Jobs
Civil Society Platform
Business Platform for Multilingualism

9. A new package of policy documents
Report on the 2008 Council Resolution
Inventory of language-related activities
Policy Handbook on Early Language Learning
Report of the Civil Society Platform
Report of the Business Platform
Report on ‘Languages for Jobs’
Inventory: multilingualism in
Education and training
Translation
Interpretation
Research,
Information society,
Structural funds
Justice (Directive 2010/64/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings) 9

10. Early language acquisition
More natural process
Better intonation and pronunciation
Openness
Awareness of mother tongue
Self-confidence
Problem-solving skills

11. Early language learning: conditions
Qualified staff
Language skills
Pedagogical skills
Aware of cognitive development
Special attention to children of migrant and minority background
Acknowledge competences in native/heritage language
Help learning language of the host country

12. Report of the Civil Society Platform
Recommendations on:
Language policy and planning
Linguistic diversity and social inclusion
Language teaching including intercultural competences and research on language learning and testing
Translation and terminology

13. Languages for jobs Modernise language teaching
Realistic learning outcomes
Motivation of learners
Assessing competences
Validation of informal skills
Promotion of learning mobility
A widening skills gap in the comingyears, less low qualified jobs

14. Languages for Jobs: Recommendations
Language learning part of a strategy offering every learner a chance to move abroad
New methods needed to motivate learners to take up / keep up studying languages
Content and language integrated learning, especially for VET

15. Business platform for multilingualism
To make employers aware of the benefits of a good language strategy
Mapping of best practices
‘Languages mean business’ campaign for SMEs
Setting up of the CELAN network: web platform to help companies in managing linguistic needs

16. The language industry today16

17. And now?
Council conclusions on language competences to enhance mobility
Commission communication 'Rethinking skills'
Language Indicator - benchmark
'Erasmus for all' programme
More official languages?

18. Erasmus for all Mobility Languages in general/higher education, VET
For language and other teachers
Youth
Cooperation
Partnerships
Bilingual schools, CLIL

19. Erasmus for all Policy support Evidence-based
Open Method of Coordination
Policy reform
Examples:
OMC Groups
Stakeholder Platforms

20. More information:
Languages website 20

21. And the cost of multilingualism?
All the translation and interpreting services of all the EU institutions cost each EU citizen around 2 euros per year
The cost of multilingualism adds up to less than 1% of the whole EU budget
Open dialogue and transparency cost money … but it’s worth it!
Multilingualism costs less than you might think.
The cost of DGT is around €280 million per year. This boils down to a cost to each citizen of around €0.60 per year.
The cost of both translation and interpretation in all the EU institutions is around €1.1 bn a year. That is about 1% of the whole EU budget, or a little over €2 per citizen per year.
Consider what you get in return: you know exactly what the EU is doing in your name and what your rights and responsibilities are, and you play a full part in building it – all in your own language.
Democracy, open dialogue and transparency have a cost! But it’s worth it. 21

22. Almost 4500 translators 22

23. Almost 2 million pages/year

24. Most originals are drafted in English
Other
French
German