4 ms·

English isn't an official EU language anymore, the only country that chose it was UK. https://www.politico.eu/article/english-will-not-be-an-official-eu-langua

English isn't an official EU language anymore, the only country that chose it was UK. https://www.politico.eu/article/english-will-not-be-an-official-eu-language-after-brexit-senior-mep/ https://www.politico.eu/article/english-will-not-be-an-offic...

silon42 6y ago
Should use US/EU English instead.
m000 6y ago
Do you have any references of English actually being phased-out in EU? The Politico article was written just a few days after the Brexit referendum, and 4 years later I can only take it for empty sabre-rattling.
- dragonelite 6y ago
  Either make french or german the language of diplomacy wouldn't be the first time in history that was done.
  - Tsiklon 6y ago
    Proposing either of those two as a lingua franca (irony aside), would be a sure fire way to start an enormous argument in the EU. Surprisingly with the UK out of the EU; English is perhaps best placed to fill this role, as it is now a "neutral" language, with only the Irish and Maltese contingents who, broadly speaking, don't wield the same influence as France and Germany.
  - Rick1 6y ago
    Legally it could be done, but not practically since English is the language we actually use to communicate.
  - GoblinSlayer 6y ago
    Greek is the most iconic european language.
- pompeirules 6y ago
  > Do you have any references of English actually being phased-out in EU? It's not clear yet if it will be used in official documents after Brexit agreements will be signed, but UK was the only country who chose English as an official language. There's an hard requirement in EU to translate every official document in every language spoken in the EU, if English is not an official language, that requirement will cease to exist and slowly there will be no official document in English anymore because it's also a very costly operation. Unless Ireland or Malta apply for English as primary language. It's also a political stand, Macron is pushing to use French more and more in the EU institutions. It doesn't mean that it won't be taught in schools or that it will fade as the most spoken language in EU, it still is by a large margin, but that it will move away from UK English and will become more similar to the English 75% of the > 1 billion English speakers in the World speak as a second language. Native English speakers not understanding or not being understood by non-native speakers it's already a thing, the gap could widen in the future.
  - mrDmrTmrJ 6y ago
    As an American, I was surprised by the amount of English education I encountered in European. Though the places I visited: Sweden, Rome, Greece, Netherlands, France, Spain, Vienna, Ukraine, Berlin all have above average levels. Do you see the Brexit changing this? Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_in_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_in_Europe
    - pompeirules 6y ago
      As a Roman I thank you for the recognition :) I don't think Brexit will change it, the amount of content consumed in original language has exploded in the past 15 years and most of it is in English. Also young people have been exposed to English much more than I did when I was a kid, but I think that, sadly for me, British English accent will be less common as the years pass. I might be wrong but I think that Brexit could force UK to adapt to the "new English" spoken in Europe when they communicate with non native English speakers, much like of the 200 million Italians in the World, only 55 millions are in Italy and speak the official language and most of the times communicating in Italian is very hard.

silon42 6y ago

Should use US/EU English instead.

m000 6y ago

Do you have any references of English actually being phased-out in EU? The Politico article was written just a few days after the Brexit referendum, and 4 years later I can only take it for empty sabre-rattling.

dragonelite 6y ago
Either make french or german the language of diplomacy wouldn't be the first time in history that was done.
- Tsiklon 6y ago
  Proposing either of those two as a lingua franca (irony aside), would be a sure fire way to start an enormous argument in the EU. Surprisingly with the UK out of the EU; English is perhaps best placed to fill this role, as it is now a "neutral" language, with only the Irish and Maltese contingents who, broadly speaking, don't wield the same influence as France and Germany.
- Rick1 6y ago
  Legally it could be done, but not practically since English is the language we actually use to communicate.
- GoblinSlayer 6y ago
  Greek is the most iconic european language.
pompeirules 6y ago
> Do you have any references of English actually being phased-out in EU? It's not clear yet if it will be used in official documents after Brexit agreements will be signed, but UK was the only country who chose English as an official language. There's an hard requirement in EU to translate every official document in every language spoken in the EU, if English is not an official language, that requirement will cease to exist and slowly there will be no official document in English anymore because it's also a very costly operation. Unless Ireland or Malta apply for English as primary language. It's also a political stand, Macron is pushing to use French more and more in the EU institutions. It doesn't mean that it won't be taught in schools or that it will fade as the most spoken language in EU, it still is by a large margin, but that it will move away from UK English and will become more similar to the English 75% of the > 1 billion English speakers in the World speak as a second language. Native English speakers not understanding or not being understood by non-native speakers it's already a thing, the gap could widen in the future.
- mrDmrTmrJ 6y ago
  As an American, I was surprised by the amount of English education I encountered in European. Though the places I visited: Sweden, Rome, Greece, Netherlands, France, Spain, Vienna, Ukraine, Berlin all have above average levels. Do you see the Brexit changing this? Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_in_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_in_Europe
  - pompeirules 6y ago
    As a Roman I thank you for the recognition :) I don't think Brexit will change it, the amount of content consumed in original language has exploded in the past 15 years and most of it is in English. Also young people have been exposed to English much more than I did when I was a kid, but I think that, sadly for me, British English accent will be less common as the years pass. I might be wrong but I think that Brexit could force UK to adapt to the "new English" spoken in Europe when they communicate with non native English speakers, much like of the 200 million Italians in the World, only 55 millions are in Italy and speak the official language and most of the times communicating in Italian is very hard.