A century ago, French was seen as Europe's lingua franca, used by the elite in discussions of diplomacy and politics. But the European Union's latest language barometer shows English to be by far the most popular language – perhaps even to the detriment of multilingualism.
The Eurobarometer surveyed language trends among EU citizens, focusing on how the use of languages and attitudes towards language learning evolve over time. One of the most notable findings of the latest EU barometer was the prominence of English spoken as a foreign language.
The survey found that almost half of Europeans (47%) speak English as a foreign or second language – up 5% since 2012. A substantial 70% of young Europeans (15-24) can have a conversation in English (+9% since 2012).
Credit: European Union
There has been a considerable drop in the other most widely spoken languages after English: just 11% speak French, 10% speak German and 7% speak Spanish as a foreign language. The growing gap begs the question: is multilingualism on the way out?
In the European Commission, English translators have certainly experienced a dramatic reduction in workload over the past two decades, as most official documents are pre-written in English and therefore do not need to be translated.
'An instrument for all'
Former Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans believes Europeans should embrace "bad English" – with all its accents and grammatical flaws – as the European lingua franca, rather than shying away from it.
"This is the first time in human history that we have a lingua franca that is not just for the elites; a global lingua franca that transcends societal layers thanks to the internet and the predominance of Anglo-Saxon culture. English is an instrument for all," the Dutch national stated during a visit to the University of Twente in the Netherlands in May 2023.
"This is the first time in human history that we have a true Lingua Franca for all: bad English"
Frans @TimmermansEU at the University of Twente. pic.twitter.com/qivlPBi6F1 — Pablo Pérez (@PabloPerezA) May 17, 2023
Though the UK parted ways with the EU in January 2021, the language has only increased in popularity across the 27 Member States. As well as being the co-official language in both Malta and Ireland, English is taught as a foreign language to over 97% of school pupils in the EU.
Philosopher Philippe Van Parijs notes that English acts as an "essential instrument for communication", facilitating conversations that wouldn't otherwise take place, more often among young people.
Many also see English as neutral ground, with no political affiliations attached. This is especially true in Belgium, where the division between French and Dutch language communities has been at the centre of a decades-old regional rift. In this context, English brings a refreshing respite.
'Support for multilingualism is solid'
But despite the prevalence of English, EU citizens still fiercely support multilingualism, with 86% agreeing that everyone should speak at least one other language than their mother tongue and 69% more than one additional language.
Over three quarters of Europeans (76%) think that improving language skills should be a policy priority. Language diversity is also considered important and 84% of Europeans believe that regional and minority languages should be protected.
Credit: European Union
"Support for multilingualism is solid. Since the last survey in 2012, knowledge of a foreign language has increased and three in five Europeans feel confident holding a conversation in another language,"
For the European Union to function, translation is essential. I am not just referring to the work by my staff of translating EU legislation and communication into 24 languages, but also access to translation for businesses and organisations operating across borders."
As well as translating EU texts, the Commission's invests in activities that promote language learning and translation as a profession, the 'JuvenesTranslatores' translation school contest, the European Master's in Translation, the Translating Europe Forum, European Day of Languages, and visits to schools and universities.
An interpreter at work during an informal meeting of Dutch Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs. Credit: Dutch Government / Valerie Kuypers
More generally, multilingualism prevents discrimination between citizens whose languages are spoken by a large number of people and others using less widely spoken ones and ensures inclusivity, giving all EU citizens access to legislation, procedures and information in their own languages.
A rich tapestry of languages and translation into all 24 is fundamental to the European project. So for now, at least, multilingualism is in no danger of dying out in the EU.
