A Language Policy for the European Community

A Language Policy for the European Community
Author: Florian Coulmas
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 332
Release: 1991
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9783110128697

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE brings to students, researchers and practitioners in all of the social and language-related sciences carefully selected book-length publications dealing with sociolinguistic theory, methods, findings and applications. It approaches the study of language in society in its broadest sense, as a truly international and interdisciplinary field in which various approaches, theoretical and empirical, supplement and complement each other. The series invites the attention of linguists, language teachers of all interests, sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, historians etc. to the development of the sociology of language.

Multilingual Europe

Multilingual Europe
Author: Guus Extra
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 361
Release: 2008-12-10
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 3110208350

This book offers an inclusive perspective on the constellation of languages in Europe by taking into account official state languages, regional minority languages and immigrant minority languages. Although "celebrating linguistic diversity" is one of the key propositions in the European discourse on multilingualism and language policies, this device holds for these three types of languages in a decreasing order. All three types of languages, however, are constituent parts of a multilingual European identity and should be taken into account in any type of language policy. Both facts and policies on multilingualism and plurilingual education are addressed in case studies at the national and European level. The selection of case studies is based on a careful weighing of geographical spread of countries and languages across Europe on the one hand, and availability of established expert knowledge on the other. After an Introduction to the theme of the book (Guus Extra and Durk Gorter), Part I deals with official state languages with a focus on the spread of English as lingua franca across Europe (Juliane House), on French and France (Dennis Ager), on Polish in Poland and abroad (Justyna Lesniewśka), and on language constellations in the Baltic States (Gabrielle Hogan-Brun). Part II deals with regional minority languages with a focus on Catalan in Spain (Francesc Xavier Vila i Moreno), Frisian in the Netherlands (Durk Gorter et al.), Hungarian as a minority language in Central Europe (Susan Gal), and Saami in the Nordic countries (Mikael Svonni). Part III deals with immigrant minority languages in the United Kingdom (Viv Edwards), Sweden (Lilian Nygren-Junkin), Italy (Monica Barni and Carla Bagna) and Europe at large (Guus Extra and Kutlay Yağmur).

The Language(s) of Politics

The Language(s) of Politics
Author: Nils Ringe
Publisher: University of Michigan Press
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2022-01-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0472902733

Multilingualism is an ever-present feature in political contexts around the world, including multilingual states and international organizations. Increasingly, consequential political decisions are negotiated between politicians who do not share a common native language. Nils Ringe uses the European Union to investigate how politicians’ reliance on shared foreign languages and translation services affects politics and policy-making. Ringe's research illustrates how multilingualism is an inherent and consequential feature of EU politics—that it depoliticizes policy-making by reducing its political nature and potential for conflict. An atmosphere with both foreign language use and a reliance on translation leads to communication that is simple, utilitarian, neutralized, and involves commonly shared phrases and expressions. Policymakers tend to disregard politically charged language and they are constrained in their ability to use vague or ambiguous language to gloss over disagreements by the need for consistency across languages.

Handbook of Easy Languages in Europe

Handbook of Easy Languages in Europe
Author: Ulla Vanhatalo
Publisher: Frank & Timme GmbH
Total Pages: 660
Release: 2021-07-26
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 3732907716

The Handbook of Easy Languages in Europe describes what Easy Language is and how it is used in European countries. It demonstrates the great diversity of actors, instruments and outcomes related to Easy Language throughout Europe. All people, despite their limitations, have an equal right to information, inclusion, and social participation. This results in requirements for understandable language. The notion of Easy Language refers to modified forms of standard languages that aim to facilitate reading and language comprehension. This handbook describes the historical background, the principles and the practices of Easy Language in 21 European countries. Its topics include terminological definitions, legal status, stakeholders, target groups, guidelines, practical outcomes, education, research, and a reflection on future perspectives related to Easy Language in each country. Written in an academic yet interesting and understandable style, this Handbook of Easy Languages in Europe aims to find a wide audience.

Observing Eurolects

Observing Eurolects
Author: Laura Mori
Publisher: John Benjamins Publishing Company
Total Pages: 411
Release: 2018-12-15
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9027263310

Focusing on the multi-faceted topic of Eurolects, this volume brings together knowledge and methodologies from various disciplines, including sociolinguistics, legal linguistics, corpus linguistics, and translation studies. The legislative varieties of eleven EU official and working languages (Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Maltese, Polish, Spanish) are analyzed using corpus methodologies in order to investigate the variational dynamics and translation-induced patterns of the different languages. The underlying assumption is that, within the sociolinguistic continua of the EU languages, it is possible to single out specific legislative varieties (Eurolects) that originate at a supra-national level. This research hypothesis is strongly supported by the empirical findings derived from detailed corpus analyses of each language. This work represents the first systematic and comprehensive linguistic research conducted on a wide range of EU languages using the same protocol and applying corpus methodologies to the extensive Eurolect Observatory Multilingual Corpus.

A Language Policy for the European Community

A Language Policy for the European Community
Author: Florian Coulmas
Publisher: Walter de Gruyter
Total Pages: 324
Release: 2013-02-06
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 3110877139

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SOCIOLOGY OF LANGUAGE brings to students, researchers and practitioners in all of the social and language-related sciences carefully selected book-length publications dealing with sociolinguistic theory, methods, findings and applications. It approaches the study of language in society in its broadest sense, as a truly international and interdisciplinary field in which various approaches, theoretical and empirical, supplement and complement each other. The series invites the attention of linguists, language teachers of all interests, sociologists, political scientists, anthropologists, historians etc. to the development of the sociology of language.

The Status of Sign Languages in Europe

The Status of Sign Languages in Europe
Author: Nina Timmermans
Publisher: Council of Europe
Total Pages: 166
Release: 2005-01-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9287157200

The present report, based on information provided by member states' governments and by NGOs, gives an overview of the recognition of sign languages in 26 European states. It also summarises policies and programmes which have been developed by member states to ensure sign language users access to their political, social and cultural rights.

The Other Languages of Europe

The Other Languages of Europe
Author: Guus Extra
Publisher: Multilingual Matters
Total Pages: 470
Release: 2001
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9781853595097

The book offers demographic, sociolinguistic, and educational perspectives on the status of both regional and immigrant languages in Europe and in a wider international context. From a cross-national point of view, empirical evidence on the status of these other languages of multicultural Europe is brought together in a combined frame of reference.

Let's Explore Europe!

Let's Explore Europe!
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 56
Release: 2010
Genre: Europe
ISBN:

This book for children (roughly 9 to 12 years old) gives an overview of Europe and explains briefly what the European Union is and how it works.--Publisher's description.