We are a few days away from the next European elections, and in Brussels, English is gradually establishing itself as the only working language. Many find this very good, in fact. Isn’t this an excellent way to save time, avoid the hassle of translation, and even strengthen the feeling of unity between the countries of the Old Continent? Isn’t that also, isn’t that a good way to save money? After all, the translation costs of the European Union, which is particularly demanding on this point, absorb around 1% of its total budget.
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This reasoning, apparently attractive, is however erroneous, because it forgets the hidden costs and perverse effects of monolingualism, which are as follows:
– Translations always necessary. Using a single language in European institutions does not eliminate the need for translations later. At one point or another, a text written in English must be transposed into the 23 other languages in use in the Union. So the sums apparently saved upstream are ultimately paid downstream. “What is presented as a reduction in costs is in fact only a transfer of expenses,” summarizes Dominique Hoppe, president of the Assembly of French-speaking civil servants of international organizations (1).
– Avoided expenses. Exclusively imposing English (or any other language) as the sole language of the Union would in fact oblige each State to embark on a vast training plan for its citizens. However, a study showed that the price would be… 17 times higher than the cost of the current translation system (2).
– Reduced quality of communication. The possibility for everyone to express themselves in their mother tongue is a guarantee of quality. In 2013, the Dutchman Jeroen Dijsselbloem, then president of the Eurogroup, wanted to respond in English to the Financial Times concerning Cyprus. Having misunderstood the question, he expressed himself in an approximate manner, causing a fall in the euro and bank values…
– A threat to European values. Multilingualism is not only a financial issue, but also a democratic necessity. The fact that the texts under debate in Brussels and Strasbourg are accessible in 24 languages allows each citizen to understand the common issues and defend their point of view.
– An unequal process. The supporters of all-English finally forget one last fundamental element: using only one language leads to profound inequity, as former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali recalled in 1998: “Obliging international civil servants, diplomats or ministers, to express themselves in a language that is not their own is tantamount to placing them in a situation of inferiority. This deprives them of the capacity for nuance and refinement, which amounts to making mistakes. concessions to those whose mother tongue it is.”
It’s obvious: whether in trade or diplomacy, it is easier to impose your views when discussions take place in your own language. The same goes for research: while a British, Australian or American engineer can devote all his energy to his work, his French, German, Slovak or Italian competitors must invest part of their time in perfecting their English…
The economic consequences of such a situation are out of all proportion to the translation costs in Brussels. It is therefore surprising to see certain Europeans – Emmanuel Macron in the lead – favoring the language of the United States, their main commercial and technological rival, and that of the United Kingdom, a country which left the Union with losses and crashes…
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(1) “The true cost of monolingualism”. Way of seeing (supplement to Diplomatic world) No. 186, “The power of languages”, dec. 2022 – Jan 2023.
(2) Value of French, value of multilingualism: exploration of convergences for a French-speaking policy of multilingualismby François Grin, in A Francophonie in search of meaning. Return to the first world forum of the French language, under the direction. J.-F. Simard and AE Ouedrogo. Laval University Press.
Read elsewhere
Basque language in high school: reduced hourly “parity”
Very interesting study from the Médiabask site, which looked at the teaching of Basque in Basque high schools officially practicing “hourly parity” in the bilingual sections. In fact, students only benefit from six to seven hours of Basque per week out of a total of between 27 and 28 hours for the general route. Insufficient volume to train good speakers.
The feminine through words and history
“Woman: reasonable creature made by the hand of God to keep man company.” This is the definition appearing in the very first dictionary devoted exclusively to the French language, published in 1680 by Richelet. Spanning the centuries, the linguist Jean Pruvost offers us an erudite and pleasant dive into the feminine universe as seen by lexicographers and writers. Where we discover in particular this discovery of the cruciverbists: “Feminine: not male at all”.
The Feminine through words and history, by Jean Pruvost. Editions Tallandier.
No, work does not come from torture!
In this original work, semiologist Mariette Darrigrand explores all facets of the word “work”: its synonyms, its antonyms, its foreign equivalents, its distant ancestors and its most recent formulations. Above all, it contests its supposed etymology – an instrument of torture called tripalium – and prefers an Indo-European root which would have given in old French trabs, “beam”. A way of refusing the often negative vision associated with work and defending a much more positive approach.
The Tripalium Workshop. No, work doesn’t come from torture!, by Mariette Darrigrand. Editions des Equateurs.
How to revitalize indigenous and minority languages?
This is the question asked by the academic journal Glottopol, available free online. Should we favor revitalization “from above” (via language policy measures) or “from below”, in other words work with speakers? The authors plead for a conjunction between these two levels, however favoring the “high” for the most fragile languages.
Breton toponyms listed as UNESCO intangible heritage?
This is the request that a Breton association has just submitted to the UN agency. According to her, the addressing imposed by the administration insidiously leads to the Frenchification of many places.
Eugène Green, filmmaker of cultural diversity
“Each language is another vision of the world, and conditions the being of the person who speaks it”, underlines in this interview on the Cheminez site the filmmaker Eugène Green, who himself knows six. Very critical of France’s attitude towards its regional languages, he asserts that “seeking to exterminate a language is a crime against humanity”.
Total Festum is an event intended to promote Catalan and Occitan cultures. Supported by the Occitanie Region, it takes place on several sites from May 16 to July 9 and includes around a hundred events.
A tribute to Jean-Yves Casanova
A specialist in Occitan and French literature, academic Jean-Yves Casanova is also a poet, novelist and essayist. Long secretary of the PEN Langue d’Oc Club, he is the author of poetic collections, novels and essays. 56 Occitan, Catalan, Breton, Corsican, Austrian, Spanish, Italian and French academics and artists pay tribute to him here.
Enfre lei mots e lei paraulas. Mixtures offered to Jean-Yves Casanova. Editions Documents.
Initiatives in favor of Flemish
Installation of bilingual panels, editions of books, publication of records for children, courses for adults, development of teaching, these are some of the actions developed by the Flemish Regional Language Institute during its general assembly. With one regret: the absence of subsidies from the urban community of Dunkirk, which prefers to help the Dutch.
To listen
“That’ll do it”; “There’s no need to fear it”! Far from constituting a French error, the “y savoyard” is in reality one of the particularities of the Arpitane language spoken in particular in Savoy, as the linguist Mathieu Avanzi recalls here, who devoted a study to it. This “y” probably corresponds to a neutral gender mark which existed in Latin and which has almost disappeared in French.
To watch
Massilia Sound System celebrates its 40th anniversary
Occitan ragga group founded in Marseille in 1984, Massilia Sound System is celebrating its 40th anniversary. With the same objectives: to restore the nobility of Provençal, a language despised by the powerful; make the Marseille local a universal, and remain faithful to the precepts of Bob Marley: going back to my roots (“returning to my roots”)… On the program: an album, appropriately titled Birthday, but also a tour. With, as a climax, a free concert in the Old Port on July 19. 10,000 people are expected for this event.
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