Language Policy of the European Union

[Arwon]

I think everyone speaks English better than the Spaniards.

 

[Verbose]

For a what-if perspective, just try to imagine what kind of grace the English would be able to summon up, if they were put on the spot, language-wise, and France was set to become the official language of the EU.

 

[Steph]

I'm not sure why French is below English and Italian in native speakers.

Because it's probably wrong. There are 60,000,000 Italians, 65,000,000 French, 4,000,000 French-speaking Belgian, so I can't see how this is possible. This make the source a bit dubious.

This being said, I'd favour Native Language + German or English + French / Italian / Spanish.

 

[Rossiya]

Because it's probably wrong. There are 60,000,000 Italians, 65,000,000 French, 4,000,000 French-speaking Belgian, so I can't see how this is possible. This make the source a bit dubious.

This being said, I'd favour Native Language + German or English + French / Italian / Spanish.

Those "French-speaking Belgians" are non-existent. They speak Walloon. Although 65,000,000 > 60,000,000 still.

 

[Cato the Elder]

Those "French-speaking Belgians" are non-existent. They speak Walloon. Although 65,000,000 > 60,000,000 still.

Walloon doesn't really exist that much as a language anymore, and the difference between the French spoken in Belgium and that in France is comparable to the differen in English spoken in England and in Ireland.

 

[Masquerouge]

Because it's probably wrong. There are 60,000,000 Italians, 65,000,000 French, 4,000,000 French-speaking Belgian, so I can't see how this is possible. This make the source a bit dubious.

It's not the first time I've seen bad stats about French language on Wiki. And you need to include Swiss people too. Anyway.

My choices are, in preference:
1. everybody speaks English
2. mother tongue, then English, then whatever

 

[Steph]

And you need to include Swiss people too.

When comparing language in EU? Why not Quebec then?

 

[Masquerouge]

When comparing language in EU? Why not Quebec then?

Aren't they part of some EU institutions? Like Schengen?

 

[Mise]

51% of the EU speaks English already, which means that if you don't, you're below average. Nobody likes being below average, so they should learn English.

 

[Godwynn]

Because it's probably wrong. There are 60,000,000 Italians, 65,000,000 French, 4,000,000 French-speaking Belgian, so I can't see how this is possible. This make the source a bit dubious.

This being said, I'd favour Native Language + German or English + French / Italian / Spanish.

I have found the source of this mystery.

Eurobarometer - Europeans and their Languages

On page 8...

In conclusion, German is the most widely spoken mother tongue in Europe
(18%) followed by English and Italian with a 13% share. 12% of respondents
indicate that they speak French as their mother tongue.

Now that that has been solved, I will move on to some interesting facts...

56% of EU citizens are able to hold a conversation in a language other
than their mother tongue and 28% state that they master two languages along
with their native language. Approximately 1 in 10 respondents has sufficient skills
to have a conversation in three languages.

Compared to the results obtained in 200121, the share of those knowing at
least one foreign language increases by 9 points (from 47% in 2001 to 56%
in 2005).

Perhaps due to the expansion of the EU into the East?

In terms of foreign languages spoken over the
continent, the linguistic map of Europe seems to be limited to five languages:
English, French, German, Spanish and Russian.

With the enlargement of the European Union, the balance between French and German is slowly changing. Clearly more citizens in the new Member States
master German (23% compared with 12% in the EU15) while their skills in French
and Spanish are scarce (3% and 1% respectively compared with 16% and 7%
among the EU15 group).

English is perceived as the most useful language
by citizens in both new and old Member States. There are variations concerning
the anticipated benefits of knowing French, German, Spanish and Russian.
Russian and German, in particular, are perceived significantly more useful by the
more recent EU countries while French and Spanish maintain more support
among the older Member States.

A caution about the PDF, it is from 2005.

70% of Europeans tend to agree with the statement that every EU
citizen should be able to speak a common language. This notion is the most
widely supported in Germany (79%), Malta (77%) and France (76%).

Second, over half (55%) of European citizens are willing to accept that all
communication with the European Union should take place in a single
language