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Recommendations
Research
A conference on European language policy organized by the
European Cultural Foundation in 1998, involving academics,
politicians, and administrators, was followed up by a report
detailing a large number of research needs . These have been
incorporated into the set below, which builds on needs identified
in early chapters.
34. Multi-disciplinary research should be undertaken of
the use made of languages in EU institutions in the principal
types of internal and external communication, as one means
of providing a well-documented clarification of the hierarchies
of languages in place.
35. There is a need for conceptual clarification of terms
that are central to language policy and that tend to be used
inconsistently, such as lingua franca, national language,
international language, minority language, official language,
and working language.
36. There should be a broad range of studies of multilingualism
as it evolves in a changing Europe, which can be seen as
four distinct areas, Domestic Europe in each country, Civil
Europe internationally, Institutional Europe (the EU), and
Educational Europe. State-of-the-art reports should draw
out present and predictable consequences of current language
policies for the linguistic groups involved. This research
could be connected to the study of domain loss and diglossia
(functional differentiation between languages for different
purposes), for which a refinement of research methods and
approaches is needed, particularly in light of the fact that
many contexts of use are fundamentally new because of technological
innovation, and changing patterns of communication as a result
of globalization and europeanization.
37. Research should analyse people’s experience of
foreign language learning, the collection of good practice
in educational contexts that achieve positive attitudes to
societal multilingualism. Key topics for multi-disciplinary
analysis are language awareness, good strategies for language
learning, and the potential for foreign language learning
to be assisted by means of Esperanto. There should in general
be a strengthening of scholarly input into decisions on the
organization of language learning in schools. This should
also include serious consideration of the importance of learning
non-European languages.
38. Research is needed into the use and learning of English,
not as a British or American language but as one for continental
European purposes. This should build on a description of
English as a lingua franca, and the relevance of this for
the teaching of English. Micro-level analysis of the forms
of English should be linked to study of macro-level questions,
such as the special position of English in globalization
and in European affairs, within the broader constellation
of all languages in the European linguistic ecology.
39. Research should clarify, in the light of experience worldwide,
which language policy issues lend themselves to rules and
regulations (for instance language rights and duties), and
which to recommendations and attitudinal change (for instance
inducements that facilitate multilingual communication, awareness
campaigns).
40. Many aspects of business communication are being studied
(intercultural communication, branding, mergers, etc) but
little addresses the implications in globalization of an
increased use of English (e.g. as the in-house language)
on language diversity and language maintenance. This should
be explored, along with the relationship between corporate
policies and EU law on language use in a unified market.
Would corporations wish for a European Language Union? As
two-thirds of the interest organizations in Brussels represent
business, and as access to the EU is ‘systematically
skewed in favour of employers, business, and capital’ ,
it would be important to know more of corporate intentions.
41. There is a need for research into the cosmologies associated
with particular languages, the ‘linguistic culture’ inherent
in national language traditions, so as to clarify whether
and why each national group understands language issues in
specific ways, and what foundations there are, if any, for
essentializing stereotypes, ‘the Germans/Greeks/… are
like this’.
42. Serious efforts should be made to induce professional
associations to develop and reflect on principles of good
multilingual practice in their own affairs, at research conferences
and in publications, so that debates and decisions on language
policy can be based on solid information rather than subjective
evaluation and opinion.
43. The coverage of language rights in international and
national law should be scrutinized so as to identify gaps
and limitations. Surveys should also assess how far linguistic
human rights are respected.
44. There is a need for further research on language topics
that have been barely touched on in this book, among them
Sign languages, Romani, and a range of adult literacy needs.
45. A framework should be elaborated that provides for partnership
between researchers and decision-makers at the national and
supranational levels, so as to ensure better coordination
in the identification of research needs and the dissemination
of research results.
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