*** DOMINIK HANF, KLAUS MALACEK, ELISE MUIR (Ed.): Langues et construction européenne. Presses Interuniversitaires Européennes - Peter Lang (1 av. Maurice, B-1050 Brussels. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "Cahiers du Collège d'Europe" series, No. 10. 2010, 286 pp, €35.90. ISBN 978-90-5201-594-1.
This book provides a report on a conference focusing on linguistic questions in European construction. The conference was jointly organised by the College of Europe- the polish campus of Natolin - and by the International Organisation for the Promotion of the French Language (l'Organisation internationale de la francophonie) in November 2007. A lot has happened since then but not to the point of altering the interest represented by the contributions in this book. This subject is still very much a current issue. In an article in the Financial Times, it was announced that “Brussels” was planning on organising recruitment competitions exclusively in the English language, in an effort to increase the representation of British nationals at the Commission services (this announcement was later denied). It is obvious that far from being obsolete, the question of languages, on the contrary, it is still very much a potentially contentious issue at the European institutions. This explains why this book is so useful. It focuses on both political and legal institutional practices within the Union in the language arena and strives to systematically place this issue in perspective.
Stéphane Lopez is head of the international organisation for promoting the French language in international organisations and wrote the introduction to this book. He has a Ph.D. in linguistics and has a number of masters qualifications in teaching languages, linguistic policy and language sciences. He considers that Community Europe is subject to the demarcation set out by the traditional international organisations that initially demonstrated a well meaning “linguistic voluntarism” for developing a direct dialogue with “its” citizens. The problem, however, is that one cannot help but increasingly notice that over the years there has been, “ in practice, a weakening in multilingualism… to the benefit of a global language, this international and often perfunctory English, which has been baptised 'Bruxellish' in the Belgian capital, to distinguish it from standard English”. According to Stéphane Lopez, this development has followed the frantic rhythm of European construction and results from the fact that many officials now opt for English for the simple and appropriate reason that this language is broadly understood by other speakers (without counting, Lopez adds, that the “summary requirements for speaking it are less demanding than the purism of French speakers…, which dissuades more than it engages one to speak French”. This phenomenon could also be perceived as the, “Community flipside of the linguistic impact of globalisation…where greater exchange is accompanied by an increase in asymmetrical exchanges that benefit English speakers, who possess mastery of the instruments for diffusing their language in all other fields such as science and the Internet, the media, arts and culture, diplomacy, finance and trade international transport etc.” Nonetheless, notwithstanding that this is proving valid for globalisation, is it valid for a political undertaking that originally sought to be the, “champion of linguistic and cultural diversity”? Europe is seeking to be a Europe of citizens but will it surrender to “monolingual temptation” at a level of working languages and bring down its official languages from twenty three to five or six? In response to these questions, Stéphane Lopez begins by refuting the budgetary argument, that the figure for translations and interpreting is above €1 billion. He says that this is a ridiculous argument because at a level of all the citizens in Europe, this figure works out at between two and three Euros a year for each person when the number of citizens are taken into consideration. He also makes the link between multilingualism and democracy but does not manage to be completely convincing because he fails to point out that it is less up to European civil servants than national political leaders to discuss Europe how it is being constructed, to their citizens. This therefore takes place in their own respective national languages. He is, however, more convincing when he establishes a link between multilingualism and diversity of thought because this is true when, “ each language constitutes… the reflection of a particular reading of the world”. This leads him to make the following observation, which is particularly appropriate and interesting, “the paradox is not insignificant… one of shifting towards an exclusive form of European construction based on a derivative of the language of the state that is least in favour of Community political integration”. Lopez also proves more convincing when he identifies a relationship between monolingualism and fairness. It is true in so far as officials who do not have English as a mother tongue are to a certain extent reduced to playing, “ all football matches on English grounds”. This evidently demonstrates a lack of good sportsmanship. Fairness, according to the author would require, “ native English speakers to express themselves in Community and international bodies in another language other than their own”. This brings us back, with a nod and a wink, to the article in the FT mentioned above …
In conclusion, Lopez calls for a Union, “that has an authentic internal linguistic policy that naturally prevents the exclusion of French and German” as working languages at the Commission. This would also help stem the historical march backwards and make the situation less paradoxical, where, “monopolistic commercial positions are denounced and severely penalised” and linguistic networks are not reduced to a single track or one-way system. All these different ideas are backed up with a number of examples in the rest of the book. The linguistic regimes and practices of institutions are also assessed a little less flamboyantly, as well as the challenges that need to be met in terms of translations, codification and interpretation of legal texts. The final part of the book focuses on the, “the challenges of multilingualism in European construction”.
Michel Theys
*** ANGELES LINDE LOPEZ, RASALIA CRESPO JIMENEZ (Ed.): Professional English in the European Context: The EHEA Challenge. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, Postfach 350, CH-2542 Pieterlen. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "Linguistic Insights / Studies in Language and Communication" series, No. 109. 2010, 374 pp, €60. ISBN 978-3-0343-0088-9.
This book is for specialists (teachers and linguists, etc.). It presents the different facettes of so-called professional English in the current European academic landscape. This professional English came into being during the 1960s when it became apparent that traditional English courses no longer responded to the requirements of the student studying it, especially the requirements of potential employers. The appearance and increased power of English for, “specific purposes” and/or “particular” purposes also developed into the European higher education area. Through the learned contributions made here, this book clarifies a number of theoretical and practical questions linksed to this utilitarian idiom, whether this is in terms of discourse and corpus analysis, information and communication technologies or methodological approaches, etc. (PBo)
*** CHRISTINE BEAL: Les interactions quotidiennes en français et en anglais. De l'approche comparative à l'analyse des situations interculturelles. Peter Lang (see address att ached). "Linguistic Insights / Studies in Language and Communication" series, No. 99. 2010, 424 pp., €60.60. ISBN 978-3-0343-0027-8.
Remarkably clear and substantial, this study explores the link between “ways of speaking” and culture through the analysis of ordinary everyday exchanges in French and English. Subsequently, the author decrypts a certain number of intercultural misunderstandings caused by these different language related practices. The first chapter provides the theoretical research framework and key-notions of terminology employed. In the three chapters that follow, Christine Beal analyses the established protocol for speaking such as knowing when it is one's turn to speak, overlapping between speakers, interruptions etc., the ritual aspects of exchange in discourse (telephone conversation openings, asking colleagues for information, greetings and reunions, conversations of courtesy) and direct acts of language (how to “act with others”: requests, instructions and advice etc). It should also be noted that the same technique is used for these three analyses: description and analysis of examples of exchange between French, then between English language speakers. This is all followed by an analysis of intercultural misunderstandings (perception of French by English speakers and vice versa). In the final chapter, the author seeks to provide a synthesis of the distinctive features resulting from each of the two linguistic communities, which enables him to demonstrate their convergences and establish a link between the underpinning cultural values. A summary in English accompanies each chapter. (MT)
*** Bulletin d'information et de documentation. July-December 2009. Service information et presse du gouvernement luxembourgeois (33 bd Roosevelt, L-2450 Luxembourg. Tel: (352) 247-82181 - fax: 470285 - Email: edition@sip.etat.lu - Internet: http://www.gouvernement.lu ). 2010, 295 pp.
This official Luxembourg publication provides an exhaustive account of activities by the government in the Grand Duchy during the second half of 2009. It begins with the formation of the new governmental team of Jean-Claude Juncker in July 2009 and covers certain events or major speeches. It also contains a chronology of the different events that occur during this period. (MT)
*** CHRISTOPH DEMMKE, TIMO MOILANEN: Civil Services in the EU of 27. Reform Outcomes and the Future of the Civil Service. Peter Lang (see address attached). 2010, 285 pp, €41.90.
ISBN 978-3-631-60466-3.
“ … To a large extent, the quality of life in Europe depends on those who work for the government and on how this government functions…” Letting fly from the third line of the introduction in this book, this assertion may repel some of those who are convinced that market forces represent the only real solution. In the rest of the book, we can also read that, “public services … even have a democratic and ethical function”. Market enthusiasts would at this point undoubtedly close this book forever and reject these apparently dangerous and dogmatic assertions. This would really be a shame for them because in fact Professor Demmke (European Institute of Public Administration in Maastricht, College of Europe, University of Maastricht) and Timo Moilanen, researcher at the Department of Political and Economic Studies at the University of Helsinki, provide a book that is underpinned by a scientific and not political propagandist approach. Their goal is to compare and analyse national public services and the dominant features in reforms being experienced in the 27 member states of the Union. The authors begin with an examination of the reform process involving the status of civil servants, organisational changes, recruitment and remuneration policies, decentralisation of responsibilities in human resources management, the security of jobs and, finally, ethics. Subsequently, they seek to see whether there are differences and similarities in the reforms carried out in Union countries, in order to verify whether and to what extent national public functions are shifting away from the preserve of the traditional bureaucratic structures. They reach a number of measured conclusions and state that the reform process is not expected to lead to spectacular progress and change or total standardisation of European structures. (MT)
*** EVA PFOSTL (Editors): Rapporti tra Unione Europea e organizzazioni internazionali. Editrice Apes (93 piazza Navona, I-00186 Roma. Tel: (39-6) 6865904 - fax: 6878252 - Internet: http://www.editriceapes.it ). « Istituto di Studi Politici 'S. Pio V' » series. 2010, 251 pp, €25. ISBN 978-88-7233-057-9.
The European Union is currently the greatest trade power in the world and the biggest donor of development and humanitarian aid. In terms of monetary circulation and reserves, it is also the second biggest power in the world. Nonetheless, we have not yet reached the time when Hegel was able to talk about Europe, in 1832, as the, “end of history”. Professor Antonio Fiorella (“La Sapienza” University in Rome) subsequently writes in his preface that the current era for the EU27 is one of, “ diffuse gloom mongering”, which creates the impression that Europe has lost its centrality in a global environment of transformation and change. Nonetheless, all is not lost, as demonstrated by the Italian academics in this book, who demonstrate that the external projection of the Union can only be understood (as explained by Eva Pföstl), in light of a “normative ambition” based on universal values such as peace and liberal democracy. It is in light of this particular aspect that the authors analyse the reports developed by the Union, togehter with other international organisations, such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and the International Labour Organisation. (MT)
*** Fedechoses… pour le fédéralisme, depuis 1973. Presse fédéraliste - Maison de l'Europe (18 av. Félix Faure, F-69007 Lyon. Internet: http://www.pressefederaliste.eu ). December 2010, No. 150, 32 pp, €3. Subscription: €20.
This 150th edition of the quarterly Fedechoses has been used as an instrument to promote federalist ideas for twenty-seven years. Twenty-seven years of loyalty to the slogan adopted by the European Union federalists during their Montreux congress of 1947, “ a Europe united in a united world” and the values of the, “Federalism of the Resistance” represented by the “Manifesto of Ventotene” and the “ Federalist Declaration of European Resistance”. This anniversary edition is extremely comprehensive and contains a particularly pertinent Focus on the permanent tension between inter-governmental, Community and federalist Europe. This publication also contains an analysis of the, “technique of federalism” by Michel Mouskhely, the Strasbourg-based legal expert who died far too young. The preface was written in 1952 by Henri Frenay, who pointed out that, “in history, Confederations have always sunk into impotence, disagreement or war”. His small volume will soon be reprinted by the Presse fédéraliste publishers. The publication also contains, “an open letter to Members of the European Parliament”, in which the UEF-France discusses the need for withdrawing the right of veto. Bernard Barthalay discusses a survey demonstrating that, “55% of young French people want a United States of Europe”. (MT)