Public Seminar 'The European Union and the challenge of multilingualism'

Tuesday 17 March 2009, 1:00-2:00pm
at Room 212, Level 2, 234 Queensberry Street, The University of Melbourne
A Spinelli Lecture

presented by

Professor Claudia Riehl

(Department of German Language and Literature and director of the Centre of Language Diversity and Multilingualism at the University of Cologne)

Download audio of this seminar in mp3 format (16MB)

Abstract:

The European Union has at present 23 official languages, and as the EU enlarges, the number will increase further. Furthermore, the EU has more than 60 indigenous regional or minority language communities. The process of language evolution in Europe still continues, with many other languages brought to the continent by immigrant communities. In multicultural cities like London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin, hundreds of languages are now spoken. The EU’s language policy officially promotes multilingualism and aims for a situation in which every EU citizen can speak at least two foreign languages in addition to their mother tongue.

The talk will give an overview over the complexity of the language situation in the EU and discuss the problems coming up with multilingualism. It further will illustrate how the official language policy is put into practice within different nations of the EU and within minority settings.

Bio:

Claudia Maria Riehl has a long career in linguistics and the German language at several universities throughout Europe. She has undertaken research in various fields such as multilingualism, intercultural communication, minority and regional languages. Currently she is a professor at the Department of German Language and Literature and director of the Centre of Language Diversity and Multilingualism at the University of Cologne.