What is the English translation of the French word multilingualisme?
Has any francophone politician ever used it in any sense other than “proceedings ought to be carried out in French instead”.
This morning the agreeable Jean Claude Juncker, the Luxembourg prime minister who also chairs the monthly meeting of eurozone finance ministers, gave a rather witty breakfast speech on the euro, entirely in French, because he said (in English), he had a commitment to diversity of European languages. “Otherwise everyone will be speaking English.”
But diversity of two is not much better than diversity of one. No? How many French-speaking politicians preaching multilingualism ever go on to make a speech, or take questions, in German? As it happens Juncker is one of the few francophone top leaders who could have done so; but didn’t.
As the French preach multilingualism repeated eurostat indicators show that the French are no better at speaking Europe’s other main languages than the British (and are among the less competent at English). French history is not known for tolerating France’s minority languages.
Ah, here comes the new Brussels unauthorised dictionary definition, from our cynical man in the interpretation booths. “Multilingualisme: n. A disguised aspiration for French linguistic hegemony. Colloq. ‘We are going to knock you Brits off your perch.’”
Has any francophone politician ever used it in any sense other than “proceedings ought to be carried out in French instead”.
This morning the agreeable Jean Claude Juncker, the Luxembourg prime minister who also chairs the monthly meeting of eurozone finance ministers, gave a rather witty breakfast speech on the euro, entirely in French, because he said (in English), he had a commitment to diversity of European languages. “Otherwise everyone will be speaking English.”
But diversity of two is not much better than diversity of one. No? How many French-speaking politicians preaching multilingualism ever go on to make a speech, or take questions, in German? As it happens Juncker is one of the few francophone top leaders who could have done so; but didn’t.
As the French preach multilingualism repeated eurostat indicators show that the French are no better at speaking Europe’s other main languages than the British (and are among the less competent at English). French history is not known for tolerating France’s minority languages.
Ah, here comes the new Brussels unauthorised dictionary definition, from our cynical man in the interpretation booths. “Multilingualisme: n. A disguised aspiration for French linguistic hegemony. Colloq. ‘We are going to knock you Brits off your perch.’”
