Ahead of the expected onslaught against ‘EU English’ starting 1 January with the French presidency, I’d like to make a suggestion:
Continental European countries should stop teaching English as a ‘foreign’ language.
Hear me out (🧵1/8) languagemagazine.com/2021/06/09/fre…
Continental European countries should stop teaching English as a ‘foreign’ language.
Hear me out (🧵1/8) languagemagazine.com/2021/06/09/fre…
Right now foreign languages are taught tied in with a country’s culture
So when I learned French in high school, textbook examples were all ‘Jean-François is buying a baguette in Paris’
When Europeans learn English it’s all ‘John Smith is preparing a cup of tea in London’ (2/8)
So when I learned French in high school, textbook examples were all ‘Jean-François is buying a baguette in Paris’
When Europeans learn English it’s all ‘John Smith is preparing a cup of tea in London’ (2/8)
But why not teach English as something that isn’t ‘foreign’?
Why not teach it as a communication tool used to speak to people from the other countries in 🇪🇺 and beyond?
Dare I say it, why not teach it as a ‘federal’ communications tool? (3/8)
Why not teach it as a communication tool used to speak to people from the other countries in 🇪🇺 and beyond?
Dare I say it, why not teach it as a ‘federal’ communications tool? (3/8)
What would that look like?
Well, for an Italian in secondary school learning English, her textbook wouldn’t give the example of John Smith sipping tea in London, but of Francesco attending university in Athens speaking to his Latvian friend Kristaps. (4/8)
Well, for an Italian in secondary school learning English, her textbook wouldn’t give the example of John Smith sipping tea in London, but of Francesco attending university in Athens speaking to his Latvian friend Kristaps. (4/8)
English doesn’t belong to 🇬🇧 or🇺🇸 like French belongs to 🇫🇷 or German belongs to 🇩🇪.
English now belongs to the 🌍. It’s the most widely-spoken language on Earth, and is spoken by about half of EU citizens, the vast majority speaking it as a 2nd language. (5/8)
English now belongs to the 🌍. It’s the most widely-spoken language on Earth, and is spoken by about half of EU citizens, the vast majority speaking it as a 2nd language. (5/8)
I understand the European (most pronounced in 🇫🇷) discomfort with English being the EU’s lingua franca.
But what if we disconnected English from its cultural associations with 🇬🇧🇺🇸? What if young EU citizens learned English as a communications tool that they can own? (6/8)
But what if we disconnected English from its cultural associations with 🇬🇧🇺🇸? What if young EU citizens learned English as a communications tool that they can own? (6/8)
Historically, languages evolve and can move from one culture to another.
Latin evolved from being a language of a tiny area around Rome to the language of almost all Western Europe, then diverging into different varieties. It was spoken well after the demise of the Roman Empire
Latin evolved from being a language of a tiny area around Rome to the language of almost all Western Europe, then diverging into different varieties. It was spoken well after the demise of the Roman Empire
Same with Greek for Eastern Med.
IMHO it’s a modern post-Westphalian nation-state preoccupation to innately connect language and culture.
Language is a tool. English is a tool already used by half of EU citizens. Europeans should see English as key to ever-closer Union. (🧵8/8)
IMHO it’s a modern post-Westphalian nation-state preoccupation to innately connect language and culture.
Language is a tool. English is a tool already used by half of EU citizens. Europeans should see English as key to ever-closer Union. (🧵8/8)
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