| Since 1957, the European Union has experienced great changes in terms of language policy. From the use of five official languages to its current linguistic mixture of 23, identity has become more of a contentious issue, especially for linguistic minorities. This issue comes to light in the heated debate about the languages that should be used in EU affairs. The current policy is to translate every document or conference into all 23 of the EU languages, as everyone has a right to understand politics. The other side, the proponents of one or more pivotal languages, state that reducing the number of languages used would not only decrease spending in the EU budget on translation and interpretation, but it would also make communication more efficient. However, this would cause disenfranchisement for those whose languages are not represented. This thesis will also examine the effects of language policy initiatives on young people. |
