Linguistic diversity and a crazy translation policy
Is the amount of money the EU institutions spend on translation justified? What is the value of European linguistic diversity, how can it be preserved?
Multilingualism in Europe
El País - Spain | Tuesday, 4. March 2008
The European Commission asked a group of intellectuals to think about how to preserve the languages of Europe. Their recently published report recommends the introduction ... » more
The European Commission asked a group of intellectuals to think about how to preserve the languages of Europe. Their recently published report recommends the introduction of a third language, as well as the mother tongue and English, in school curriculum. For the Spanish daily, "Europe is inevitably multilingual. Working languages have been imposed, headed by English, but the official languages of each State must remain valid in the written law and in debates, because democracy demands that everybody be able to express themselves in their own language. The EU's linguistic diversity is not an obstacle, but a precious asset. Its preservation necessitates a major effort on the part of the public authorities, of students and of teachers. "
» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Europe
La Repubblica - Italy | Thursday, 31. January 2008
Requested by the European Commission to ponder the concept of multilingualism, a group of intellectuals delivered its report on January 31st. The Franco-Lebanese writer, Amin ... » more
Requested by the European Commission to ponder the concept of multilingualism, a group of intellectuals delivered its report on January 31st. The Franco-Lebanese writer, Amin Maalouf, president of the group, insists on how important it is for the EU to preserve its linguistic heritage. "For Europe, linguistic diversity represents a healthy challenge. In order to manage this diversity, the EU should address questions that can no longer be avoided without compromising the future. How can so many different populations live together in harmony? How to give them a common sense of direction and a common fate? ... The respect of our linguistic diversity constitutes the very basis of the European idea that emerged from the rubble left by the conflicts that marked the 19th century and first half of the 20th. The European idea rests on the universality of shared moral values and on the diversity of cultural expressions among which linguistic diversity is a magnificent tool for integration and harmonisation."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Europe
All available articles from » Amin Maalouf
Vasabladet - Finland | Friday, 23. February 2007
Peter Ehrström asserts that the traditional European nation state is beating a retreat. He points out that with the exception of Iceland, all European states ... » more
Peter Ehrström asserts that the traditional European nation state is beating a retreat. He points out that with the exception of Iceland, all European states have national minorities - the Catalan, the South Tyrolean, the Welsh, the Sorbs and the Finnish-Swedish - who are all benefiting from the trend of stronger regions. "In a Europe without borders it's only logical that representatives of linguistic minorities are regarded as particularly successful Europeans. Most of them are at least bilingual, with the majority being multilingual. And if there is something Europe will really need in the future it's people who can speak several languages. 'Broken English' may be the world's leading language, but this isn't enough. Unlike for members of the majority, for representatives of minorities being able to speak three, four or even five languages is a necessity that is taken for granted. In Europe, with its variety of languages, knowledge of several languages is not a burden - it's hard currency."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Minorities, » Europe
All available articles from » Peter Ehrström
La Vanguardia - Spain | Thursday, 10. August 2006
Germany linguist Tilbert D. Stegmann is one of the creators of the online centre of European intercomprehension, the EuroCom Center, which aims to safeguard Europe's ... » more
Germany linguist Tilbert D. Stegmann is one of the creators of the online centre of European intercomprehension, the EuroCom Center, which aims to safeguard Europe's rich multilingual heritage. Interviewed by Lluis Amiguet, Stegmann, who speaks ten languages, explains that there are countless bridges between languages. "There is a groundless fear of losing one's linguistic identity because of diversity, whereas it is exactly the opposite which happens ... We have to conquer this ancestral resistance which has its roots in the fear of losing one's identity spread by the contempt for languages considered as minor ... In Germany, for example, we have managed to get students studying Romance languages like French and Spanish interested in Catalan."
» to the homepage (external link, La Vanguardia)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Europe
All available articles from » Tilbert D. Stegmann
Frankfurter Rundschau - Germany | Tuesday, 4. July 2006
The newspaper publishes a text written by Jutta Limbach, president of the Goethe Institute, in which she reflects on Europe's multilingualism. "Although some regard the growing demand for multilingualism as an awkward relic of nationalism in Europe's future culture, the majority of the European political and cultural elite agree that multilingualism guarantees intellectual diversity. Czech EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladmir Spidla maintains that some thoughts can only be conceived in certain languages. The high status multilingualism has attained is reflected in the European constitution that is pending ratification." However, for practical reasons she suggests using only three working languages in Europe: » more
The newspaper publishes a text written by Jutta Limbach, president of the Goethe Institute, in which she reflects on Europe's multilingualism. "Although some regard the growing demand for multilingualism as an awkward relic of nationalism in Europe's future culture, the majority of the European political and cultural elite agree that multilingualism guarantees intellectual diversity. Czech EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladmir Spidla maintains that some thoughts can only be conceived in certain languages. The high status multilingualism has attained is reflected in the European constitution that is pending ratification." However, for practical reasons she suggests using only three working languages in Europe: German, English and French. "These languages are spoken in more than one country as official languages and therefore reach beyond the boundaries of individual nation states."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Europe
All available articles from » Jutta Limbach
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Monday, 23. January 2006
Europe is no longer identical with the European Union," writes Otfried Höffe, professor of philosophy at the University of Tübingen, in an essay on Europe's ... » more
Europe is no longer identical with the European Union," writes Otfried Höffe, professor of philosophy at the University of Tübingen, in an essay on Europe's viability for the future. "In particular in those areas where language is not a culturally neutral form of communication, it's important to preserve Europe's cultural diversity, or in other words, to publish works in two or three other major European languages, despite the existence of a lingua franca. Linguistic competence, however, is not just a question of practicality. It also serves the principle of reciprocal respect - an attitude which is crucial for Europe. Those who learn other languages are showing that they regard other cultures as being on an equal footing to their own."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Philosophy, » Europe
All available articles from » Otfried Höffe
Languages in EU institutions
Irish Examiner - Ireland | Monday, 21. January 2008
Journalist Mary Regan informs us that "less than 30 minutes of Irish was spoken in the European Parliament in the first full year as an ... » more
Journalist Mary Regan informs us that "less than 30 minutes of Irish was spoken in the European Parliament in the first full year as an official language - working out at a little less than €13,000 a minute. Despite pressure to have Gaeilge [Irish] recognised as an official language, records show six of our 13 MEPs have never used Irish in parliamentary debates since January 1, 2007. ... EU officials will carry out a review in four years' time to see if its official status should continue. The cost of implementing the language across all EU institutions is estimated to be in the region of €3.5 million. ... There are four interpreters working in the parliament. Two man a booth at a time, and there are two shifts a day for the 10 days the parliament sits each month. These interpreters cost €30,000 a month, which is paid by the EU with contributions from individual member states."
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Ireland
All available articles from » Mary Regan
Cinco Días - Spain | Monday, 8. October 2007
British lawyer Ian Forrester describes Europe's procedurally mind-blowing Court of First Instance, which judges cases relating to European law. "The president of the Court, Bo ... » more
British lawyer Ian Forrester describes Europe's procedurally mind-blowing Court of First Instance, which judges cases relating to European law. "The president of the Court, Bo Vesterdorf, is Danish and presides over a court whose working language is French, but where most of the appeals heard are in English. Being a barrister for the defence at Luxemburg is a unique experience. In a court where judges come from the 27 member countries, statistics confirm that the mother tongue of most of the judges sitting in an ordinary five-member chamber will be different from the language in which the case will be heard. If a barrister speaks too quickly, the (highly qualified) interpreter will have to leave out or simplify some ideas... Latin was once the language of the learned. It was probably to difficult to speak, and people doubtless used neologisms and made grammatical mistakes, but at least they understood each other."
» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Luxembourg, » Europe
All available articles from » Ian Forrester
La Repubblica - Italy | Tuesday, 2. October 2007
Ministers of Justice and of Foreign Affairs in EU countries recently gathered in Lisbon for an informal summit. The editorialist Andrea Bonanni noted that Italian ... » more
Ministers of Justice and of Foreign Affairs in EU countries recently gathered in Lisbon for an informal summit. The editorialist Andrea Bonanni noted that Italian was not used, which caused the Minister of Justice Clemente Mastella, to leave the meeting. "English, French, German, Portuguese, and Slovenian. Ministers present were given the choice of these five languages to listen to interventions and making their own propositions. The choice of languages offered by the Portuguese presidency seems however difficult to contest. With 23 different languages, the informal business lunch would have lost its spontaneity ... . If Mastella is right and the Portuguese have a point, the fact remains that Italy has failed to impose its language as a vehicle in the Union ... . It finds itself in an inferior position because its political employees have precarious grasp of foreign languages."
» to the homepage (external link, La Repubblica)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Andrea Bonanni
Dnevnik - Slovenia | Friday, 3. August 2007
An Esperanto congress that recently took place in Slovenia prompts Vinko Oslak to reflect on the languages of the EU: » more
An Esperanto congress that recently took place in Slovenia prompts Vinko Oslak to reflect on the languages of the EU: "Today there are around 6,000 languages worldwide. The EU has 23 official languages, for which 300 translations are necessary. This accounts for 30 percent of the EU's total administration costs. In concrete figures that adds up to just under a billion euros. However that billion euros guarantees the equality of all EU languages only on paper. In linguistic reality we have a situation similar to that under the Hapsburg Empire, where German was the dominant language. In the EU English is the dominant language today."
» full article (external link, Slovenian)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Europe
All available articles from » Vinko Ošlak
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Friday, 16. March 2007
Paul Jandl expresses his concern about the survival of Austrian German in Europe. "The world of Europe is multi-centred, but so is the German language. In it, Austrian High German, as well as Swiss High German, are not secondary phenomena. At least that's what philologists say. But try telling that to Europeans. Only slowly did Austria find its way back to its language after the Second World War." Jandl describes how Austrian German can sometimes cause problems in EU committees: » more
Paul Jandl expresses his concern about the survival of Austrian German in Europe. "The world of Europe is multi-centred, but so is the German language. In it, Austrian High German, as well as Swiss High German, are not secondary phenomena. At least that's what philologists say. But try telling that to Europeans. Only slowly did Austria find its way back to its language after the Second World War." Jandl describes how Austrian German can sometimes cause problems in EU committees: "An Austrian official's announcement that illegal border crossers had been 'betreten' (kicked) caused a commotion at an EU plenary session. A tumultuous half hour ensued because there were fears that in Austria human rights were literally being trampled on. Eventually the misunderstanding was cleared up: in Austria if someone is 'betreten' it means he's caught in the act."
» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Austria, » Europe
All available articles from » Paul Jandl
Diário de Notícias - Portugal | Sunday, 10. December 2006
In the columns of the Portuguese daily, Edite Estrela, the European Member of Parliament, welcomes the appearance on the European agenda of the debate on multilingualism. "As of 2007, there will be a European commissioner for multilingualism. Today, the linguistic rainbow of the Union is made up of twenty official languages ... . This diversity constitutes a central value of the European construction, despite the unsolvable difficulties that engenders. ... Facing such a linguistic labyrinth, numerous voices are making themselves heard in favour of a neutral language, Esperanto or English. If one can be bilingual it is difficult to be rendered an orphan of a mother tongue. Linguistic policy is a delicate theme that touches sensitive domains: » more
In the columns of the Portuguese daily, Edite Estrela, the European Member of Parliament, welcomes the appearance on the European agenda of the debate on multilingualism. "As of 2007, there will be a European commissioner for multilingualism. Today, the linguistic rainbow of the Union is made up of twenty official languages ... . This diversity constitutes a central value of the European construction, despite the unsolvable difficulties that engenders. ... Facing such a linguistic labyrinth, numerous voices are making themselves heard in favour of a neutral language, Esperanto or English. If one can be bilingual it is difficult to be rendered an orphan of a mother tongue. Linguistic policy is a delicate theme that touches sensitive domains: identity and emotions. This signifies that it is easier to reach an agreement on a single currency than on linguistic choices."
» full article (external link, Portuguese)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Europe
Népszabadság - Hungary | Monday, 20. November 2006
Brussels correspondent László Szőcs notes that English, French and German are increasingly becoming the lingua franca among Europe's citizens, yet the EU institutions continue to insist on a multilingual approach and translate official documents into all 21 official languages of the EU. "The language chaos within EU institutions has reached Babel-like proportions, and this is also having an impact at an administrative level. Gallic recently became the EU's 21st official language, and Romanian and Bulgarian are soon to follow. Three regional languages spoken in Spain – Catalan, Basque and Galician – have been granted special status... The costs for written and spoken translation add up to almost a billion euros per year. In an attempt to justify the creation of the post of EU commissioner for multilingual affairs, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, quoted the words of the famous Italian author Umberto Eco: » more
Brussels correspondent László Szőcs notes that English, French and German are increasingly becoming the lingua franca among Europe's citizens, yet the EU institutions continue to insist on a multilingual approach and translate official documents into all 21 official languages of the EU. "The language chaos within EU institutions has reached Babel-like proportions, and this is also having an impact at an administrative level. Gallic recently became the EU's 21st official language, and Romanian and Bulgarian are soon to follow. Three regional languages spoken in Spain – Catalan, Basque and Galician – have been granted special status... The costs for written and spoken translation add up to almost a billion euros per year. In an attempt to justify the creation of the post of EU commissioner for multilingual affairs, the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, quoted the words of the famous Italian author Umberto Eco: 'The language of Europe is translation'."
» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Cultural Policy, » Europe
Hospodářské noviny - Czech Republic | Wednesday, 1. November 2006
Brussels correspondent Radek Honzak wonders why the Romanian Leonard Orban has been nominated as Romania's official candidate for a post on the European Commission in which his responsibilities would extend to the Commission's multilingualism portfolio. "This idea is further proof of the fact that the EU has a communication problem: » more
Brussels correspondent Radek Honzak wonders why the Romanian Leonard Orban has been nominated as Romania's official candidate for a post on the European Commission in which his responsibilities would extend to the Commission's multilingualism portfolio. "This idea is further proof of the fact that the EU has a communication problem: the average European no longer understands Brussels, therefore the European Commission has set itself the goal of improving communication 'at a local level and in the language of the region in question'. As the new Romanian commissioner, Orban will therefore form part of a special group whose aim is to improve communication with the citizens of the EU... Perhaps Orban is the right choice for soothing the Western Europeans' fears of the poor inhabitants of post-communist Europe. As a representative of Romania, to whose citizens most of the current EU member states are closing their doors, this would be very much in his own interest."
» full article (external link, Czech)
More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Europe, » Romania
All available articles from » Radek Honzak
Libération - France | Thursday, 28. September 2006
As the International Organisation for French Speaking Communities (OIF) opens its summit conference in Bucharest this Thursday, September 28th, the linguist Bernard Cerquiglini notes that ... » more
As the International Organisation for French Speaking Communities (OIF) opens its summit conference in Bucharest this Thursday, September 28th, the linguist Bernard Cerquiglini notes that the French 'no' to the referendum on the European Constitution is in part attributable to the relationship the French maintain with their own language. "Despite their official multilingualism, political Europe seems to have chosen English. Most French people find the idea of an English-speaking Europe revolting, they consider it, not without reason, the allegiance to a certain European policy, with the importation of anglo-saxon judicial and economic concepts. Liberalism begins with lexical Atlantism. The French distress can be measured with the referendum. The oppression of its language's universalism, is a blow to the national identity. And European desire is waning."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Society, » France
All available articles from » Bernard Cerquiglini
Gazet van Antwerpen - Belgium | Wednesday, 6. September 2006
The European member of parliament Alexander Stubb presented a report this week on the "expense of interpretation in the European Parliament". For Paul Geudens, this ... » more
The European member of parliament Alexander Stubb presented a report this week on the "expense of interpretation in the European Parliament". For Paul Geudens, this document " shows once again the large sums wasted by the European Union. In 2003, Europe spent a billion euros on translations. ... In itself it is not such a surprise for an institution that counts 20 official languages. Cultural diversity costs money. English, as a European working language would render more efficient the functioning and save money. But do we want it? Manifestly not. In fact, the waste pinned down in the report is not generated so much by multilingualism of the EU as by the nonchalance of civil servants and delegates. Over 25 million euros have been spent for nothing [in 2003] because of useless reservations that lead well-paid translators to spend hours and even days twiddling their thumbs."
» full article (external link, Dutch)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Paul Geudens
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Tuesday, 25. April 2006
Alexandra Kemmerer reports on a conference on the "Challenges of linguistic diversity within the European Union" held in the German city of Regensburg. At the conference, Latvian judge Egils Levits described language practices at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg: » more
Alexandra Kemmerer reports on a conference on the "Challenges of linguistic diversity within the European Union" held in the German city of Regensburg. At the conference, Latvian judge Egils Levits described language practices at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg: "The jurist and political scientist freely admitted that multilingualism frequently has a detrimental effect on the quality and style of languages: 'Any Latvian student would fail his exams if he wrote a draft judgement the way the ECJ does.' However, the judges in Luxembourg often have to deal with awkward questions like how to translate the German term 'Zumutbarkeit' into French, English or Latvian, or with the hardly less important question of what constitutes the linguistic difference between the term 'verpackt' (packed) and 'vorverpacktem' (pre-packed) olive oil."
» to the homepage (external link, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
More from the press review on the subject » Society, » Europe
All available articles from » Alexandra Kemmerer
Danish
Dagbladet Information - Denmark | Monday, 4. February 2008
Denmark is discussing the suggestion to abolish the three characters æ, å and ø from the Danish alphabet so that Danes can surf the internet more easily. The newspaper comments: » more
Denmark is discussing the suggestion to abolish the three characters æ, å and ø from the Danish alphabet so that Danes can surf the internet more easily. The newspaper comments: "Social Democrat Mogens Jensen and [Søren] Krarup of the Danish People's Party... agree for a change: no snipping off bits of the Danish language just because the language of the internet is English! ... Parents might stop giving their babies names with any of these three characters so that they can get jobs with international corporations when they grow up!... By the way: The last letter in the Danish alphabet [å] was stolen from Swedish and was introduced in Denmark only in 1948 in the course of a language reform. If we could do without it before then, we might be able to in future as well."
» to the homepage (external link, Dagbladet Information)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » Denmark
German
Libération - France | Tuesday, 25. December 2007
Laurent Dispot, chief editor of the Philosophical magazine 'La Règle du Jeu', criticises the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, for recently saying that the expression 'real politick' is a 'violent Germanic term'. "German is the mother tongue of psychoanalysis and Zionism. The term 'Violent Germanic' is damaging to the memory of Thodor Herzl and and the infinite pleasure and honour of Sigmund Freud who, as a Jewish German received the Goethe award from the town of Frankfurt. ... 'I don't want my child learning that Nazi language' say parents who think themselves politically correct. It is up to the State, to Europe and to the Shoah Memorial Foundation to show the how wrong they are: » more
Laurent Dispot, chief editor of the Philosophical magazine 'La Règle du Jeu', criticises the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, for recently saying that the expression 'real politick' is a 'violent Germanic term'. "German is the mother tongue of psychoanalysis and Zionism. The term 'Violent Germanic' is damaging to the memory of Thodor Herzl and and the infinite pleasure and honour of Sigmund Freud who, as a Jewish German received the Goethe award from the town of Frankfurt. ... 'I don't want my child learning that Nazi language' say parents who think themselves politically correct. It is up to the State, to Europe and to the Shoah Memorial Foundation to show the how wrong they are: this is the language of European Jews, no that of their destruction."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Germany, » France, » Europe
All available articles from » Laurent Dispot
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Friday, 6. July 2007
Biophysicist and author Stefan Klein thinks it's a mistake for German academics to speak only English - and rather poor English at that - even ... » more
Biophysicist and author Stefan Klein thinks it's a mistake for German academics to speak only English - and rather poor English at that - even at conferences held in Germany. They should, he believes, try to express themselves clearly and interestingly in their native language. "How do they expect to be understood in a society whose language they don't even share? Soon we may not be able to discuss new research results at all in German because we lack the vocabulary. Society is in danger of splitting into those that use an elite language and those who can't keep up with the latest developments. Whether or not German remains an academic language is not a question of national pride. It's democracy that's at stake here... Science and research is also the story of people who set out to understand the world and improve it. This is why the works of Darwin, Galileo and Einstein are still so fascinating today. Only if we learn how to tell that story again, will German have a future as a language of science."
» to the homepage (external link, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
More from the press review on the subject » Science / Research, » Germany
All available articles from » Stefan Klein
English
Télérama - France | Friday, 27. October 2006
Thomas Bécart is amused by the discovery on the internet of a version of the on-line encyclopaedia Wikipedia "in 'simplified English', a language that is not quite a language, although it has more than 11,000 articles. A form of English that, as its name indicates, is more accessible, preferably comprised of less than 1,000 words .... The use of a simplified language is nothing new. As far as English is concerned, several versions actually exist: » more
Thomas Bécart is amused by the discovery on the internet of a version of the on-line encyclopaedia Wikipedia "in 'simplified English', a language that is not quite a language, although it has more than 11,000 articles. A form of English that, as its name indicates, is more accessible, preferably comprised of less than 1,000 words .... The use of a simplified language is nothing new. As far as English is concerned, several versions actually exist: 'simplified English', developed for the needs of the aeronautical industry; plain English ( a form of English that goes straight to the point, promoted by American administration); 'Globish', contraction of 'global' and 'English', simplified, but not formalised; 'Voice of America English' (practiced on the American radio station of the same name) and finally 'basic English', introduced in 1930 by the linguist Charles K. Odgen who had a universalistic ambition, seeking to take into account any semantic contents with .... 850 words!"
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » United Kingdom
New Statesman - United Kingdom | Tuesday, 12. September 2006
"The very idea of a history of English is problematic, and its politics are thorny. Two new histories cover the usual ground convincingly, yet both offer fresh approaches," writes Henry Hitchings, author of 'Dr Johnson's Dictionary: » more
"The very idea of a history of English is problematic, and its politics are thorny. Two new histories cover the usual ground convincingly, yet both offer fresh approaches," writes Henry Hitchings, author of 'Dr Johnson's Dictionary: the extraordinary story of the book that defined the world'. "English comprises a forest of varieties. These include Irish English, ... as well as Maori English, the West African English spoken in Ghana and Sierra Leone, and recent fusions such as Singlish (spoken in Singapore). Where a history of English might once have focused on its 'standard' form, an authoritative telling must now take account of dialects and variants. Furthermore, where it was once acceptable to talk about 'the triumph of English', it is now customary to identify the extraordinary spread of the language as a mark of the ruthless imperialism of Britain and America. At the same time, a subtle version of its history may well give space to the history of languages spoken in England, which is something quite different."
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » History, » United Kingdom
All available articles from » Henry Hitchings
Flemish
La Libre Belgique - Belgium | Monday, 17. December 2007
Alizée Poulicek, the new Miss Belgium, was elected on Saturday, December 15th, with more than a spot of bother, explains Myriam Leroy. The candidate was booed in public for failing to understand a question that she was asked in Dutch. "And now Miss Belgium, the latest ambitious televised event to be made by members of both the French-speaking and Flemish communities, is wallowing in intolerance. A word of advice to future candidates for Peugeot convertibles and a matching crown: » more
Alizée Poulicek, the new Miss Belgium, was elected on Saturday, December 15th, with more than a spot of bother, explains Myriam Leroy. The candidate was booed in public for failing to understand a question that she was asked in Dutch. "And now Miss Belgium, the latest ambitious televised event to be made by members of both the French-speaking and Flemish communities, is wallowing in intolerance. A word of advice to future candidates for Peugeot convertibles and a matching crown: be 'tweetalig' [bilingual] otherwise, you will poop the party. We are her to elect bottoms, boobs, eyes, a smile and a posture, but also, in Belgium, keen attentiveness in language lessons. ... Little matter Alizée's spontaneity, little matter her enthralling life story and the fact that she masters English and Czech. 'Helaas spreekt Alizée nauwelijks Nederlands' [Alas Alizée hardly speaks Dutch], regrets the Flemish papers [The day after the nomination]."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Public Culture, » Belgium
All available articles from » Myriam Leroy
Gaelic/Irish
The Irish Times - Ireland | Friday, 5. January 2007
Irish became an official language of the EU on January 1st, but writer and travel documentary maker Manchán Magan was taken aback by reactions as ... » more
Irish became an official language of the EU on January 1st, but writer and travel documentary maker Manchán Magan was taken aback by reactions as he travelled the country speaking only its official native tongue. "In the last census a quarter of the population claimed they spoke it regularly. I've always suspected this figure, and to test its accuracy I decided to travel around the country speaking only Irish, to see how I'd get on. ... they [some people encountered] were willing to engage with me, to string together the few stray words of school Irish that arose from the darkest recesses of their minds ... I got given the wrong directions, and served the wrong food, and given the wrong haircut ... By the end of the trip I was feeling pretty battered, but I had seen some signs of hope. In parts of Northern Ireland, where Irish was effectively banned until the early 1990s, there was a tremendous resurgence taking place."
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Ireland
All available articles from » Manchan Magan
The Irish Times - Ireland | Friday, 1. December 2006
"Human agencies, usually governmental, certainly institutional, are always central to the health of languages", writes Alan Titley, professor of Irish in University College Cork (UCC). ... » more
"Human agencies, usually governmental, certainly institutional, are always central to the health of languages", writes Alan Titley, professor of Irish in University College Cork (UCC). "There can, and always should be, a healthy debate about the nature of this support. This debate is probably most lively and presents greater disagreement among the Irish-language community than anywhere else. ... Very few Irish speakers go through life without facing levels of comment and abuse that could be sometimes classed as racist. ... Most people make the right noises and say the language is great, and a national treasure, and part of what we are, and love to hear it spoken, and wish more people used it and whatever you're having yourself. But as soon as any proposal is made, big, small or indifferent, the barrage of excuses hit the fan ... ".
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Ireland
All available articles from » Alan Titley
Catalan
Libération - France | Thursday, 6. December 2007
In an interview conducted by Nathalie Levisalles, the writer Sergi Pamies, who writes novels in Catalan and articles in Spanish, explains that "you can be ... » more
In an interview conducted by Nathalie Levisalles, the writer Sergi Pamies, who writes novels in Catalan and articles in Spanish, explains that "you can be a Spanish-speaking Catalan, and you can also be a Catalan speaker without being a Catalan. I like the idea of not having to depend on a passport to write in a certain language. But it must be understood that Catalan is one of Europe's great languages, with its own history and literature ... . It is necessary to avoid committing injustice at all costs. It would be a gross injustice to not consider as illustrious members of Catalan culture those Catalan writers who are from Barcelona and write in Spanish such as Mendoza, Vila-Matas, Vasquez Montalban and Carlos Ruiz Zafon. And it would be just as unfair to overlook the fact that this great European language has great writers such as Josep Pla and Quim Monzo."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Spain
All available articles from » Sergi Pàmies, » Natalie Levisalles
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Monday, 24. September 2007
The Catalan writer Javier Cercas won't be representing the autonomous community of Catalonia at this year's Frankfurt Book Fair because - like other well-known authors ... » more
The Catalan writer Javier Cercas won't be representing the autonomous community of Catalonia at this year's Frankfurt Book Fair because - like other well-known authors of the region - he writes in Spanish. In a guest commentary he criticises both Catalan and Spanish nationalism. Both are "as hypocritical, narrow-minded and potentially dangerous as all other forms of nationalism. In the case of Spanish nationalism this is because it doesn't grasp, or doesn't want to grasp, the fact that the Catalan language was not invented by the Catalan people for the purpose of destroying Spain's unity, but represents an important legacy for the whole country that deserves protection and promotion because otherwise it will disappear. In the case of Catalan nationalism, it's because it doesn't comprehend or refuses to comprehend that by the same token Catalan benefits from the Spanish language because obviously the latter wasn't invented solely for the purpose of destroying the Catalan language. And perhaps the world language Spanish represents the only chance of survival for català, which after all is not the private property of a few fanatical nationalists."
» to the homepage (external link, Neue Zürcher Zeitung)
More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Spain
All available articles from » Javier Cercas
La Vanguardia - Spain | Thursday, 1. February 2007
The Catalan daily regrets the "political upheaval" that has been created in Catalonia by the Spanish Ministry of Education's decree imposing three hours of Castilian ... » more
The Catalan daily regrets the "political upheaval" that has been created in Catalonia by the Spanish Ministry of Education's decree imposing three hours of Castilian language lessons a week, as opposed to the current two hours. "Catalan and Spanish political life is used to useless polemics .... The irresponsibility of politicians who want to oppose perfectly compatible languages should be unequivocally denounced. The minister Mercedes Cabera has said that the decree will guarantee bilingualism. All it is doing is throwing unfounded doubt over the current Catalan education system, despite a report from the Ministry of Education itself that has shown the level of Castilian among Catalan students to be the same as among the other students of the country. This serious lack of responsibility on the part of the government, resulting from prejudice, has been echoed by Hispanophobic reactions in certain Catalan nationalist circles."
» to the homepage (external link, La Vanguardia)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Minorities, » Spain
Latin
The Guardian - United Kingdom | Monday, 30. October 2006
The daily observes the use of Latin in Europe, pointing out "Google's little-known Latin search engine to not only get a translation but also to ... » more
The daily observes the use of Latin in Europe, pointing out "Google's little-known Latin search engine to not only get a translation but also to find a little more about the way Latin is re-surfacing ... We should be unsurprised that the Vatican is easing restrictions on the Tridentine or Latin Mass by enabling it to be celebrated without special permission or that the Vatican newspaper should suggest (as it has) that Latin should be the official language of the EU. They would, wouldn't they ? But these are only symptoms of a deeper trend. Finland, which holds the current presidency of the EU, broadcasts the news in Latin on national radio to a claimed 75,000 listeners, which on a per capita basis is reported to be more than some BBC Radio 4 programmes get. ... The Finnish presidency also publishes a regular news in brief column in Latin. ...It ought also to remind us that Latin was once the nearest to a common language Europe is ever likely to get."
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Audiovisual Media, » Europe
Maltese
Times of Malta - Malta | Monday, 5. February 2007
"Being a bilingual nation one must differentiate between works written in Maltese and those written in English", considers the Maltese daily in its editorial. "If ... » more
"Being a bilingual nation one must differentiate between works written in Maltese and those written in English", considers the Maltese daily in its editorial. "If a publishing house ... issued [the magazine] 'Treasures of Malta' in Maltese, the fear of not selling would be a determining factor. Apart from the fact that writing 'Treasures of Malta' in Maltese could pose a linguistic problem for those regular contributors who for years have been writing in English, would it be worth the bother and risk to do so simply to say the publication is in the national language? And would this result in an expansion in the target audience, unless Treasures is published in both languages? ... To be truly representational of literary circles, we must as a nation come to terms with our bilingualism and accept both languages spoken concurrently without embarrassment or inhibition. Only in this way will literature, as an art, thrive and develop onto something worth shouting about."
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Literature, » Publishing houses, » Malta
Swedish
Sydsvenskan - Sweden | Wednesday, 19. March 2008
Sweden has no official language to date. The government now wants to change this and introduce a new law stipulating Swedish as the main language. The daily considers this a good idea: » more
Sweden has no official language to date. The government now wants to change this and introduce a new law stipulating Swedish as the main language. The daily considers this a good idea: "The status of the Swedish language in Sweden is no longer as clear as it used to be. In certain circles - particularly among people with a high degree of training in technical and medical professions and the sciences - Swedish has been almost completely supplanted by English. This is referred to as loss of domain. Those who want to protect the language fear similar losses over the coming years in certain sections of the work world and in politics. ... In Sweden, the ability to speak another language must be perceived as an opportunity, not an obligation."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Sweden
Dagens Nyheter - Sweden | Monday, 15. May 2006
Over the past few weeks there has been much public discussion in Sweden about the Swedish language. Many see immigration and the country's numerous subcultures ... » more
Over the past few weeks there has been much public discussion in Sweden about the Swedish language. Many see immigration and the country's numerous subcultures as a linguistic threat. The Stockholm newspaper takes a more optimistic view, but still says it would be a mistake to neglect the Swedish language for the sake of misinterpreted internationalism. "Of course, we must use English in international contexts. But why do our scientists write their theses in a language which they do not speak perfectly, instead of writing them in their own language and having them translated by a professional translator? Pragmatic reforms could make a great difference in this respect. Imposing draconic bans on the use of English terms, as the French have done, is simply foolish. But in the end, continually promoting the Swedish language at universities, in public administration and in large companies would – paradoxically – have a beneficial effect on multicultural society."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » Social movements, » Sweden
Slovak
Sme - Slovakia | Thursday, 16. February 2006
The Slovakian broadcasting council has fined Slovakian television for broadcasting a film with the Czech puppets Speijbl and Hurvinek in the Czech language. The official state language law stipulates that films for children up to 12 years of age must be dubbed in Slovakian. Ondrej Dostal is appauled: » more
The Slovakian broadcasting council has fined Slovakian television for broadcasting a film with the Czech puppets Speijbl and Hurvinek in the Czech language. The official state language law stipulates that films for children up to 12 years of age must be dubbed in Slovakian. Ondrej Dostal is appauled: "The Language Law dates from the times of nationalist fervour under head of government Vladimir Meciar when the aim was to show national minorities, namely the Hungarians, who was the boss. It's completely absurd to fine a TV station for broadcasting classic Czech fairytales in the Czech language at a time when every child in Slovakia understands Czech and when there's a large selection of children's programmes in the Czech language."
» more information (external link, Slovak)
More from the press review on the subject » Media, » Slovakia
All available articles from » Ondrej Dostal
Spanish
ABC - Spain | Thursday, 13. July 2006
The conservative daily, a staunch defender of Spain's unity, thinks it is deplorable that Catalonia has requested a separate space from that of Spain to ... » more
The conservative daily, a staunch defender of Spain's unity, thinks it is deplorable that Catalonia has requested a separate space from that of Spain to present its literature at the Frankfurt Book Fair [from October 4 to 8, 2006]. "This is totally absurd, since so many works from Catalonia are published in Spanish and not just in catalan. ... Languages are an instrument of social cohesion and must not become tools for discriminating against citizens, or serve the purposes of political revenge. Certain nationalist ideologies claim to reject spanish in the name of a conception that gives precedence to supposed collective rights over individual ones. It is regrettable that at a moment when the global influence of spanish is growing, some minority groups are attempting to eradicate it within Spain itself."
» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Literature, » Minorities, » Spain
Hungarian
Heti Világgazdaság - Hungary | Thursday, 18. May 2006
Hungarian is said to be one of the most difficult languages to learn in the world. Linguists now claim the contrary, insisting that Hungarian is actually easier to learn than other languages: » more
Hungarian is said to be one of the most difficult languages to learn in the world. Linguists now claim the contrary, insisting that Hungarian is actually easier to learn than other languages: "The grammar makes no distinction between genders. Most words are spelt as they are pronounced, and there are hardly any baffling combinations of letters, such as the French 'eau' or the English 'enough'. Moreover, it's always the first syllable that's stressed." Hungarian is perceived as difficult because it's only related to the Finnish and the Estonian languages, "and over the course of time has become so different from even these two languages that there is barely a language whose speakers can recognise anything familiar in the Hungarian tongue."
» full article (external link, Hungarian)
More from the press review on the subject » Hungary
All available articles from » Ivan Bedö
Multilingualism in Switzerland
Le Temps - Switzerland | Thursday, 25. January 2007
On the occasion of the Swiss film season in Soleure, Christine Salvadé considers one of the obstacles that Swiss film distribution is up against: » more
On the occasion of the Swiss film season in Soleure, Christine Salvadé considers one of the obstacles that Swiss film distribution is up against: multi-lingualism. "While the screen-life of films tends to be getting shorter and shorter, and Hollywood films are charging through our cinemas at a speed that is difficult to control, French-speaking Swiss viewers have to wait up to thirteen months to express an opinion on a German-speaking film. When, that is, the film is accessible, because a large number of fictional films are never sub-titled or dubbed and thus never distributed beyond the boundaries of language. This is blatantly obvious in Soleure, where Prizes for Swiss cinema were awarded last night: a lot of the films nominated had been seen either by German-speakers or by French-speakers, but rarely by both. ... The lack of enthusiasm among the Swiss to learn the language of others is not making things any easier: On this side of the Sarine, films that are not dubbed are at best confined to art-house cinemas, be they made in Zurich, Saint Gall or Senegal."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Film, » Switzerland
All available articles from » Christine Salvadé
Tribune de Genève - Switzerland | Wednesday, 11. January 2006
The daily reacts to the growing popularity in the country of schwyzerdütsch (the local german dialect), a phenomenon that is the subject of a new ... » more
The daily reacts to the growing popularity in the country of schwyzerdütsch (the local german dialect), a phenomenon that is the subject of a new series of studies by the Forum Helveticum, an association dedicated to promoting dialogue within the confederation. "Regarded as very fashionable, the swiss-german dialect is increasingly supplanting the language of Goethe. (...) Worrying, the Forum Helveticum warns. Especially if one considers that young people leaving school early sometimes have gaps [in their knowledge] that can be a handicap. And what can be said about the difficulties encountered by the country's linguistic minorities and foreigners when faced with swiss german? So, is dialect a prison? Perhaps. But the fact that this way of speaking is experiencing the flush of youth again can be seen as an opportunity. (...) Linguistic diversity, complicated and chaotic, comes at a cost, to be sure. But it is also the price of having true cultural richness."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Society, » Switzerland
All available articles from » Valentine Zubler
Regional languages, minority languages and dialects
Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany | Monday, 17. March 2008
Stefan Ulrich reports on today's "least used language," spoken by only approximately 1,000 people worldwide: » more
Stefan Ulrich reports on today's "least used language," spoken by only approximately 1,000 people worldwide: Cimbrian, a mixture of Bavarian, Italian and Middle High German. "It appeared that the last bastion of the Cimbrians, the village of Lusern 1,300 metres above sea level, would disappear or become just another Italian mountain village. More and more families were leaving. But then a kind of Cimbrian resistance movement emerged. ... The mayor of the village [Luigi Nicolussi] now aims to attract tourists from Germany in a bid to protect his mother tongue. He came up with an idea involving Bruno, the problem bear that crossed the border from Trentino into Bavaria in the summer of 2006 and was shot. Nicolussi has asked the state government in Munich to give him the stuffed bear to put on exhibition. 'We are ancient Bavarians' he wrote in his appeal to the state premier, and pointed out that the Cimbrians were now threatened with extinction. 'The dead bear Bruno can make a positive contribution to our fight for survival'".
» to the homepage (external link, Süddeutsche Zeitung)
More from the press review on the subject » Minorities, » Italy, » Switzerland
All available articles from » Stefan Ulrich
Libération - France | Wednesday, 13. December 2006
The linguist Pierre Encrevé, professor at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), considers that minority and regional languages are not sufficiently defended in France. "As long as it is not designated in one way or another in the Constitution, our irreplaceable cultural heritage will be in danger. ... For all those who deplore the fact that France, always speaking up in defence of cultural diversity and multilingualism, should today be one of the last countries of the European Union yet to ratify the European Charter of regional and minority languages. What counts is that a modification of the Constitution finally allows this ratification. ... It is necessary for Members of Parliament to reformulate line 1 of paragraph 2 with an indisputably democratic affirmation: » more
The linguist Pierre Encrevé, professor at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), considers that minority and regional languages are not sufficiently defended in France. "As long as it is not designated in one way or another in the Constitution, our irreplaceable cultural heritage will be in danger. ... For all those who deplore the fact that France, always speaking up in defence of cultural diversity and multilingualism, should today be one of the last countries of the European Union yet to ratify the European Charter of regional and minority languages. What counts is that a modification of the Constitution finally allows this ratification. ... It is necessary for Members of Parliament to reformulate line 1 of paragraph 2 with an indisputably democratic affirmation: 'The language of the Republic is French, with respect for all the other languages in France'."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Cultural Policy, » Minorities, » France
Hufvudstadsbladet - Finland | Friday, 28. April 2006
Finland promotes the Finnish culture and language in Sweden. Now Sweden is focusing more on promoting the Swedish language in Finland. This is essentially a ... » more
Finland promotes the Finnish culture and language in Sweden. Now Sweden is focusing more on promoting the Swedish language in Finland. This is essentially a logical process of reciprocity, says Björn Mansson, but he points out that many Finns preceive this as a case of the Swedes meddling in domestic affairs because Swedish is already the second national language in Finland. "Apparently, this is still an awkward issue almost two hundred years after Finland freed itself from the embrace of Mother Svea. Of course, particularly those who advocate monocultural states according to the principle 'one country, one people, one language' are making a fuss. They see Sweden's initiative as pure cultural imperialism... Finland is a bilingual country and we don't need help from Sweden to open new Swedish schools in Finland."
» full article (external link, Swedish)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Finland, » Sweden
All available articles from » Björn Mansson
Learning languages
ABC - Spain | Friday, 8. February 2008
A study carried out in 2007 by the Centre for Sociological Studies (CIS), in Madrid, shows that the Spanish have very little knowledge of foreign ... » more
A study carried out in 2007 by the Centre for Sociological Studies (CIS), in Madrid, shows that the Spanish have very little knowledge of foreign languages. For Irene Lozano, "this ignorance not only represents a grave disadvantage in terms of competitively, but also entails a regrettable cultural deficiency. The historical isolation of Spain, the tranquillity that stems from speaking a language that is understood in a large part of the world and the prevalence of dubbed films, can explain our distance from Europe but does not justify it. In the best of cases, we still have half-way to go to reach the level of our European neighbours. Granted, we have come a long way from a difficult situation, as just thirty years ago foreign languages were barely taught at school. But from now on we have to start learning them."
» full article (external link, Spanish)
More from the press review on the subject » Spain, » Europe
All available articles from » Irene Lozano
Lidové noviny - Czech Republic | Wednesday, 26. September 2007
"Young Czechs are no longer interested in learning German," Jana Machalkova notes. "The kids at schools mostly want to learn English. They choose either Spanish or Russian - not German - as their second foreign language. The sinking popularity of German is also evident at universities. Jaroslav Kovar, head of the German language and literature department at Masaryk University in Brno, observes: » more
"Young Czechs are no longer interested in learning German," Jana Machalkova notes. "The kids at schools mostly want to learn English. They choose either Spanish or Russian - not German - as their second foreign language. The sinking popularity of German is also evident at universities. Jaroslav Kovar, head of the German language and literature department at Masaryk University in Brno, observes: 'In a couple of years we won't even need entrance examinations. We'll count ourselves lucky that anyone still wants to study German.' If this trend continues, the German departments may disappear completely from the country's universities, as they already have in Italy and the Netherlands."
» full article (external link, Czech)
More from the press review on the subject » Science / Research, » Czech Republic
All available articles from » Jana Machalkova
Le Vif/L'Express - Belgium | Wednesday, 25. October 2006
The weekly denounces a "linguistic disaster" that characterises the French-speaking community in Belgium. "How can people talk about redressing Wallonia, about technopoles and state of the art technology when most of the population only speaks one language? ... In an increasingly multi-lingual world, 57% of Walloons only speak French, according to a recent study carried out by Victor Ginsburgh (ULB/UCL) and Shlomo Weber (UCL) entitled 'The language dynamic in Belgium'. This is considerably more than the monolingual average among Europeans (44%), according to the 2006 Eurobarometre. Another example: » more
The weekly denounces a "linguistic disaster" that characterises the French-speaking community in Belgium. "How can people talk about redressing Wallonia, about technopoles and state of the art technology when most of the population only speaks one language? ... In an increasingly multi-lingual world, 57% of Walloons only speak French, according to a recent study carried out by Victor Ginsburgh (ULB/UCL) and Shlomo Weber (UCL) entitled 'The language dynamic in Belgium'. This is considerably more than the monolingual average among Europeans (44%), according to the 2006 Eurobarometre. Another example: the proportion of Walloons likely to express themselves in English does not exceed 16%. But four out of ten people from Brussels and five out of ten people from the Flanders region are able to. ... Ginsburgh and Weber are convinced that, 'on an international level, Walloons will remain seriously isolated'."
» full article (external link, French)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Cultural Policy, » Integration, » Belgium
The Daily Telegraph - United Kingdom | Friday, 25. August 2006
The daily reacts after the National Union of Teachers described as a 'complete disaster' new figures showing a decline in the number of UK secondary ... » more
The daily reacts after the National Union of Teachers described as a 'complete disaster' new figures showing a decline in the number of UK secondary school students studying foreign languages. "The NUT's hyperbole catches the attention, but it would be more helpful to speak about a depressing impoverishment of our culture. There are compelling practical reasons for seeking mastery of a foreign language, whether they be advancing job prospects or facilitating travel for pleasure. But to argue the case simply from a utilitarian point of view is to miss the deeper educational value of unlocking the door to a different mode of expression, and therefore of thinking. Learning a language broadens the mind and, by a mirror effect, helps the student to a greater understanding of his or her native tongue. English is a superbly flexible language with a huge vocabulary drawing on both Latin and Teutonic sources. Unfortunately, its universal status suggests to native speakers that it is not worth learning another."
» full article (external link, English)
More from the press review on the subject » United Kingdom
© Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung
Further articles on the subject » Public Culture, » EU Policy, » Europe
More from the press review on the subject » Public Culture, » EU Policy, » Europe
Deutsch
English
Français
© 2005-2012