For best experience please turn on javascript and use a modern browser!
You are using a browser that is no longer supported by Microsoft. Please upgrade your browser. The site may not present itself correctly if you continue browsing.
uva.nl
Amsterdam School for Regional, Transnational and European Studies ARTES

Multilingualism in Europe

Europe is a multilingual entity in which languages are attached to territory. This constellation of the European languages matches the traditional state configuration in Europe. However, the establishment of the European Union has brought changes in this system. Apart from the 40 official state languages some sixty national and ethnic minority languages have been recognized in the framework of The Council of Europe’s conventions. Due to the values and norms of the European Union, like the freedom of mobility new languages have appeared in the Union, including migrant languages and global languages, like English and Esperanto. The proliferation of languages and language-types have modified the linguistic landscape of Europe resulting into complex multilingual configurations on the level of the individual, society, institutions and states.

The MIME consortium bringing together 25 European university institutes, including outstanding experts, like Francois Grin, Balazs Vizi, Noemi Nagy, Peter Kraus, Virginie Mamadouh, Manuel Conceicao, Sabine Fiedler, Michael Gazzola, Federico Gobbo, Helder de Schutter, Robert Dunbar, Zaneta Ozolina, Guillaume Fürst, and Paul Dembinski has studied and analysed this complex multilanguage constellations in Europe (see Grin et al, eds) and proposed a system of integrated language policy to harmonize multilingualism with mobility in Europe. This project aims to continue the research work outlined in the MIME project by making using of interdisciplinary methods and tools and will stimulate network activities, like organizing workshops and conferences that the MIME project has initiated to study the complex patterns of multilingualism in the European Union and Europe. This project will coordinate local and internationals research initiatives and is interested in participating in international tenders. 

Literature

  • Burckhardt, Till, Coakley, John , and Marácz, László (eds). 2021. Revisiting Linguistic Territoriality in Contemporary Europe. Special issue of Language Problems and Language Planning vol. 45. Nr. 2.
  • Grin, Francois, Marácz, László and Pokorn, Nike K. (eds). 2022. Advances in Interdisciplinary Language Policy. John Benjamins: Amsterdam.
The MIME Project