What is the official language of the European Union?
Official Languages of the European Union To be an official language of the European Union, the language must be both an official and a working language within a member state. For example, French is the official language in France, which is a member state of the European Union, and thus it is also an official language of the EU.
How many languages are spoken in Europe?
The continent of Europe is made up of 45 different countries and covers an area of 3,930,000 square miles (10,180,000 sq km). As such, it is a highly diverse place with many different cuisines, cultures, and languages. The European Union (EU) alone has 27 different member states and there are 23 official languages spoken in it.
How does a country become a member of the European Union?
To become a member, a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at the 1993 meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen. These require a stable democracy that respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law.
What is the EU doing about endangered languages and linguistic diversity?
In 2013, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on endangered European languages and linguistic diversity in the European Union, urging Member States to be more attentive to endangered European languages and to commit to the protection and promotion of the diversity of the Union’s linguistic and cultural heritage.
The EU has 24 official languages: Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, Spanish and Swedish.
What is the most spoken language in the European Union?
English
English is still the most spoken language in the EU by far, with German now spoken by 36\% of citizens and French spoken by 29\% of the EU’s new smaller population of 446 million people. Italian comes fourth at 18\%, followed by 17\% for Spanish.
Which language is spoken more French or German?
Ethnologue (2019, 22nd edition)
| Rank | Language | Speakers (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Turkish | 79.4 |
| 14 | Korean | 77.3 |
| 15 | French | 77.2 |
| 16 | German (only Standard German) | 76.1 |
How many languages can most European speak?
While 46\% of Europeans speak only one language, the majority of Europeans actually do speak more than one language. 54\% of Europeans are able to converse in one or more foreign languages and 10\% of Europeans are impressively able to converse in at least three or more foreign languages.
Can I get a job in Germany after Brexit?
In these cases UK citizens can enter Germany and work as part of the business trip without the need for a residence and work permit. However, any activity that goes beyond these requirements is considered ‘taking up employment’, which is generally not permitted without a separate residence and work permit.
Will English become the EU’s official language after Brexit?
English will likely remain the lingua Franca of EU lawmaking and the majority language of EU citizens even if it is no longer an official language of the EU. It is a reflection of how much English has evolved beyond being just a language that belongs to any country or countries in particular.
Is English still the official language of the European Union?
But each has registered their other language, Maltese and Irish (Gaelic) respectively, as their official language for EU purposes. English will likely remain the lingua Franca of EU lawmaking and the majority language of EU citizens even if it is no longer an official language of the EU.
What will happen to the European Union after Brexit?
Linguistically, nothing will change after Brexit as far as the EU is concerned. Having one official language for the EU defeats the very idea of the Union, be it English, German, French or Slovenian. The European Union is a group of countries working together while retaining their individual characteristics and cultures.
What will happen to English if the UK leaves the EU?
If the UK leaves the EU, English can no longer retain its status as one of the Union’s official or working languages. Every member is entitled to choose one official native language in the EU. Malta and Ireland are the only two countries in which English is official, but Malta chose Maltese and Ireland chose Irish as their official languages.