Running a multilingual european union егэ ответы

Задание №6980.
Чтение. ЕГЭ по английскому

Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A — F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1 — 7. Одна из частей в списке 1—7 лишняя.

Running a multilingual European Union

The use of 23 official languages is the public face of the European Union (EU). The reasons ___ (A) are not hard to identify: they are democracy, transparency and the right to know. New legislation must be published and made available in a language all EU citizens can understand. The use of all official languages also makes it easier for people to participate in public debates and consultations ___ (B).

Its law-making function and the direct involvement of its citizens explain ___ (C) like the United Nations or NATO, which operate only at the intergovernmental level with no legislative function. The United Nations, with more than 190 members, uses only six languages. The Council of Europe, ___ (D), publishes official documents only in English and French, as does NATO.

Running a multilingual EU comes at a price. But it is a modest price when set against the results. The annual cost of translation and interpretation is about 1% of the EU budget, ___ (E). The total cost has risen by only a small margin despite the arrival of 12 new countries since 2004.

The EU institutions have adjusted their procedures over the years to handle the rising number of official languages. Translators work with written texts, and interpreters with the spoken word. But they must be able to translate or interpret into their main language, ___ (F), from at least two other EU languages.

1. with more members than the EU
2. which is usually their mother tongue
3. that the EU launches, often online
4. which is a little over 2 for every citizen
5. why the EU uses so many official languages
6. that was earlier translated into three main languages
7. why the EU uses more languages than multinational bodies

A	B	C	D	E	F

Решение:
Пропуску A соответствует часть текста под номером 5.
Пропуску B соответствует часть текста под номером 3.
Пропуску C соответствует часть текста под номером 7.
Пропуску D соответствует часть текста под номером 1.
Пропуску E соответствует часть текста под номером 4.
Пропуску F соответствует часть текста под номером 2.

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Источник: ЕГЭ. Английский язык: типовые экзаменационные варианты. Под ред. М.В. Вербицкой

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Тест с похожими заданиями

Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A–F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1–7. Одна из частей в списке 1–7 — лишняя. Занесите цифры, обозначающие соответствующие части предложений, в таблицу.

Promoting language learning

The European Union (EU) is committed to supporting the rights of its citizens to personal and professional mobility, and their ability to communicate with each other. It does so by A_____________________ to promote the teaching and learning of European languages. These programmes have at least one thing in common: they cover cross-border projects involving partners from two, and often three or more, EU countries.

The EU programmes are designed to complement the national education policies of member countries. Each government is responsible for its own national education policy, B_____________________. What the EU programmes do is to create links between countries and regions via joint projects, C_____________________.

Since 2007 the main programmes have been put under the overall umbrella of the EU’s lifelong learning programme. All languages are eligible for support under this programme: official languages, regional, minority and migrant languages, D_____________________. There are national information centres in each country, E_____________________.

The cultural programmes of the EU also promote linguistic and cultural diversity in a number of ways. The “Media” programme funds the dubbing and subtitling of European films for F _____________________. The “Culture” programme builds cross-cultural bridges by supporting the translation of modern authors into other EU languages.

1.  and the languages of the EU’s major trading partners

2.  which includes language teaching and learning

3.  cinemas and television in other EU countries

4.  which enhance the impact of language teaching and learning

5.  funding a number of educational programmes

6.  and encouraging people to learn new languages

7.  where details about the application procedures are given

Пропуск	A	B	C	D	E	F
Часть предложения

Установите соответствие между текстами A—G и заголовками 1-8. Занесите свои ответы в таблицу. Используйте каждую цифру только один раз. В задании один заголовок лишний. TEST 03

1. How people used to treat them E

2. How they get their food B

3. Where they live A

4. How people start to collect their images F

5. How they confuse the scientists D

6. When they scare the people

7. How they breed C

8. What endangers them G

A. Flamingos are very social and often live in large groups, called colonies, throughout the world. They are found in both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. The American Flamingo is the only one that lives in the wild in North America, and on many Caribbean islands such as the Bahamas, Cuba, and Hispaniola. It also lives in northern South America, the Galapagos Islands, and parts of Mexico.

Места обитания фламинго. Where they live

B. Flamingos fish while walking in shallow water and mud. When a flamingo notices its potential dinner (for example, shrimp, snails, and plantlike water organisms), it plunges its head into the water, twists its head upside down, and scoops the fish up using its upper beak like a shovel. Flamingos get their pink coloring from the carotenoid pigment in their food, which is the same pigment that makes carrots orange.

Как фламинго рыбачит и почему его окраска оранжевая. How they get their food

C. Flamingos build nests that look like mounds of mud along waterways. The parents take turns sitting on the egg to keep it warm and after about 30 days the egg hatches. Young flamingos are born white, with soft, downy feathers and a straight bill. Both adult birds look after the newborn flamingo. The young leave the nest after about five days to join other young flamingos in small groups, returning to their parents for food.

Как фламинго высиживают яйца и что происходит потом с птенцами. How they breed

D. Scientists aren’t 100% sure why flamingos stand on one leg, but they have some theories. One theory says that it is to keep one leg warm. Another idea is that flamingos are drying out one leg at a time. A third theory states that it helps them deceive their catch, because one leg looks more like a plant than do two. Whatever the reason, it is truly amazing that these top heavy birds can balance on one leg for hours at a time.

Теории, почему фламинго стоят на одной ноге. How they confuse the scientists

E. Ancient Egyptians believed that flamingos were the living representation of the god Ra. In the Americas, the Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped nature and paid a great deal of attention to these birds and often depicted flamingos in their art. However, Andean miners killed flamingos for their fat, which is believed to be a remedy for tuberculosis, and in Ancient Rome their tongues were considered a delicacy.

Фламинго поклонялись и их убивали. How people used to treat them

F. Many people have plastic flamingos in their yards as ornaments. This is a fun and inexpensive way to add some elegance to one’s landscaping. In many parts of the world flamingos are popular collectibles, appearing in the form of magnets, water globes, and jewelry. They are also said to be an image that people find to be calming and exciting at the same time. For these purposes people buy millions of plastic flamingos annually all around the world.

Сувениры с изображением фламинго популярны. How people start to collect their images

G. Flamingos have been affected in many ways by global warming. One of the biggest concerns is making nests and laying eggs. Flamingos depend on rainfall to help them mate and without adequate rain they won’t engage in it. Many researchers find that global warming reduces the chance of rain and can cause drought in some of the areas where they live. This could mean a significant reduction of offspring in the years ahead.

Потепление плохо влияет на фламинго. What endangers them

№ текста	A	B	C	D	E	F	G
тема	3	2	7	5	1	4	8

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ВСЕ ТЕСТЫ

Translations in the Lingvo dictionaries

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aнеопределённый артикль

Aпервая буква английского алфавита; — прописная, — строчная

runбежать, бегать

Task 1 Прочитайте текст и заполните пропуски A–F частями предложений, обозначенными цифрами 1–7. Одна из частей в списке 1–7 лишняя. Занесите цифру, обозначающую соответствующую часть предложения, в таблицу.

Fire Crews Hunt Escaped Hamster

Eight firefighters have been called in to help find an escaped hamster. Two crews used a chocolate-covered camera and a vacuum cleaner A ____ , called Fudgie, at the home of a six-year-old girl in Dunbar, Scotland.

The girl’s mother said: ‘We came down for breakfast and discovered Fudgie had opened the top lid of her cage and had made her way into the kitchen and we think she has gone В ____ .’

The fire crews spent five hours trying to recover the pet after it ran down a hole in the kitchen floor. But, the hamster still refused С ____ .

In the search for Fudgie, the firefighters took the family cooker and gas pipes apart. They also dropped a mini-camera coated with chocolate under the floorboards. They then hoped to take out the hamster using a vacuum cleaner. Despite all their efforts, they failed to find Fudgie.

In the end, the firefighters put another camera down the hole D ____ , connected to the screen of the family home computer, to see if Fudgie appeared. Besides, the girl and her parents regularly dropped food E ____ .

At last, after eight days the hamster returned to her cage safe and sound. She crawled from the hole in the kitchen floor early in the morning. It was the girl’s father who first found Fudgie F ____ .

The girl said that day it was like Christmas morning for her. Her parents added that they too felt extremely happy when Fudgie had finally returned.

1. through a small hole in the floor

2. through the hole for the hamster

3. and locked the runaway hamster

4. to come out of the hole

5. to look after the pet

6. to try and locate the missing hamster

7. and left it under the floorboards

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	1	4	7	2	3

Task 2

Speed of eating is ‘key to obesity’

If you eat very quickly, it may be enough to increase your risk of being overweight, research suggests.

Osaka University scientists looked at the eating habits of 3,000 people. Just about half of them told researchers that they A ______ . Compared with those who did not eat quickly, fast-eating men were 84% more likely to be overweight, and women were 100% more likely to В ______ .

Japanese scientists said that there were a number of reasons why eating fast С ______ . They said it could prevent the work of a signalling system which tells your brain to stop eating because your stomach is full. They said: ‘If you eat quickly you basically fill your stomach before the system has a chance to react, so you D _____ .

The researchers also explained that a mechanism that helps make us fat today, developed with evolution and helped people get more food in the periods when they were short of it. The scientists added that the habit of eating fast could be received from one’s parents genes or E ______ .

They said that, if possible, children should be taught to F ______ , and allowed to stop when they felt full up at mealtimes. ‘The advice of our grandmothers about chewing everything 20 times might be true — if you take a bit more time eating, it could have a positive influence on your weight.

1. just overfill your stomach

2. could be bad for your weight

3. have a habit of eating quickly

4. linked to obesity

5. eat as slowly as possible

6. put on weight

7. learned at a very early age

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	6	2	1	7	5

Task 3

Hi-Tech Brings Families Together 

Technology is helping families stay in touch like never before, says a report carried out in the US.

Instead of driving people apart, mobile phones and the Internet are A ____ . The research looked at the differences in technology use between families with children and single adults. It found that traditional families have more hi-tech gadgets in their home В ____ . Several mobile phones were found in 89% of families and 66% had a high-speed Internet connection. The research also found that 58% of families have more С ____ .

Many people use their mobile phone to keep in touch and communicate with parents and children. Seventy percent of couples, D ____ , use it every day to chat or say hello. In addition, it was found that 42% of parents contact their children via their mobile every day.

The growing use of mobile phones, computers and the Internet means that families no longer gather round the TV to spend time together. 25% of those who took part in the report said they now spend less time E ____ . Only 58% of 18—29 year olds said they watched TV every day. Instead the research found that 52% of Internet users who live with their families go online F ____ several times a week and 51% of parents browse the web with their children.

Some analysts have worried that new technologies hurt families, but we see that technology allows for new kinds of connectedness built around cell phones and the Internet/ said the report.

1. than any other group

2. watching television

3. in the company of someone else

4. than two computers in the home

5. communicated with their families

6. helping them communicate

7. owning a mobile

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	1	4	7	2	3

Task 4

The Power of ‘Hello’ 

I work at a company where there are hundreds of employees. I know most of them and almost all of them know me. It is all based on one simple principle: I believe every single person deserves to be acknowledged, A ______ .

When I was about 10 years old, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr. Lee. I knew I could see Mr. Lee any time around the neighborhood, В ______ .

After we passed Mr. Lee, my mother said something that has stuck with me from that day until now. She said, ‘You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody and not open up your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail С______ . That phrase sounds simple, but it has been a guidepost for me and the foundation of who I am. I started to see that when I spoke to someone, they spoke back. And that felt good. It is not just something I believe in — D ______ . I believe that every person deserves to feel someone acknowledges their presence, no matter how unimportant they may be.

At work, I always used to say ‘hello’ to the founder of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I was also speaking to the people in the cafe, and asked how their children were doing. I remembered after a few years of passing by the founder, I had the courage to ask him for a meeting. We had a great talk.

At a certain point, I asked him E ______ . He said, ‘If you want to, you can get all the way to this seat.’ I have become vice president, but that has not changed the way I approach people. I speak to everyone I see, no matter where I am. I have learned that speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, F ______ .

1. it has become a way of life.

2. when it passes you on the street.

3. when you see him and talk to him.

4. and it lets them come into mine, too.

5. so I did not pay any attention to him.

6. however small or simple the greeting is.

7. how far he thought I could go in his company.

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	5	2	1	7	4

Task 5

Friendship and Love

 A strong friendship takes a significant amount of time to develop. It will not just magically mature overnight. A friendship involves committing oneself to help another person A ______ . I believe that, nothing can replace a true friend, not material objects, or money, and definitely not a boy.

I met this guy a couple summers ago who I ended up spending almost all of my free time with. His parents did not approve of our dating because of our age difference, В ______ . He had told me the day we met that he had joined the air force and would leave for overseas that coming October. After three months had past, the time came when he had to leave. This left me feeling completely alone.

I turned to my friends for support, but to my surprise, С ______ . I had spent so much time with this guy and so little time with them, that they did not feel sorry for me when he left. For so long they had become the only constant in my life, and I had taken them for granted over something D ______ .

When my boyfriend came back, our relationship changed. I tried to fix all the aspects in my life that had gone so wrong in the previous six months.

This experience taught me that true friendships will only survive if one puts forth effort to make them last. Keeping friends close will guarantee that E ______ . When a relationship falls apart, a friend will always do everything in their power to make everything less painful. As for me, I try to keep my friends as close as I can. I know they will always support me in whatever I do, and to them, I F ______ .

1. but we did anyway.

2. whenever a need arises.

3. they did not really care.

4. whenever they need your help.

5. could not guarantee would even last.

6. am eternally grateful for a second chance.

7. someone will always have a shoulder to cry on.

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	1	3	5	7	6

Task 6

Mobile phones

 On New Year’s Day, 1985, Michael Harrison phoned his father, Sir Ernest, to wish him a happy new year. Sir Ernest was chairman of Racal Electronics, the owner of Vodafone, A ______ .

At the time, mobile phones weighed almost a kilogram, cost several thousand pounds and provided only 20 minutes talktime. The networks themselves were small; Vodafone had just a dozen masts covering London. Nobody had any idea of the huge potential of wireless communication and the dramatic impact В ______ .

Hardly anyone believed there would come a day when mobile phones were so popular С ______ .But in 1999 one mobile phone was sold in the UK every four seconds, and by 2004 there were more mobile phones in the UK than people. The boom was a result of increased competition which pushed prices lower and created innovations in the way that mobiles were sold.

When the government introduced more competition, companies started cutting prices to attract more customers. Cellnet, for example, changed its prices, D ______ . It also introduced local call tariffs.

The way that handsets themselves were marketed was also changing and it was Finland’s Nokia who made E ______ . In the late 1990s Nokia realized that the mobile phone was a fashion item: so it offered interchangeable covers which allowed you to customize and personalize your handset.

The mobile phone industry has spent the later part of the past decade reducing its monthly charge F ______ , which has culminated in the fight between the iPhone and a succession of touch screen rivals.

1. trying to persuade people to do more with their phones than just call and text

2. that there would be more phones in the UK than there are people

3. and relying instead on actual call charges

4. that mobile phones would have over the next quarter century

5. the leap from phones as technology to phones as fashion items

6. and his son was making the first-ever mobile phone call in the UK

7. the move to digital technology, connecting machines to wireless networks

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	4	2	1	5	3

Task 7

London Zoo

 London Zoo is one of the most important zoos in the world. There are over 12,000 animals at London Zoo and A ______ ! Its main concern is to breed threatened animals in captivity. This means we might be able to restock the wild, should disaster ever befall the wild population.

Partula Snail, Red Crowned Crane, Arabian Oryx, Golden Lion Tamarin, Persian Leopard, Asiatic Lion and Sumatran Tiger are just some of the species London Zoo is helping to save.

That is why it is so important that we fight to preserve the habitats that these animals live in, as well as eliminate other dangers В ______ . But we aim to make your day at London Zoo a fun and memorable time, С ______ .

In the Ambika Paul Children’s Zoo, for instance, youngsters can learn a new love and appreciation for animals D ______ . They can also learn how to care for favourite pets in the Pet Care Centre.

Then there are numerous special Highlight events E ______ unforgettable pony rides to feeding times and spectacular animal displays. You will get to meet keepers and ask them what you are interested in about the animals they care for, F ______ .

Whatever you decide, you will have a great day. We have left no stone unturned to make sure you do!

1. such as hunting exotic animals and selling furs

2. as well as the ins and outs of being a keeper at London Zoo

3. which take place every day, from

4. because they see and touch them close up 

5. despite the serious side to our work

6. which demand much time and effort

7. that is not counting every ant in the colony

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	1	5	4	3	2

Task 8

‘Second Stonehenge’ discovered near original

 Archaeologists have discovered evidence of what they believe was a second Stonehenge located a little more than a mile away from the world-famous prehistoric monument.

The new find on the west bank of the river Avon has been called «Bluestonehenge», after the colour of the 25 Welsh stones of A______.

Excavations at the site have suggested there was once a stone circle 10 metres in diameter and surrounded by a henge — a ditch with an external bank, according to the project director, Professor Mike Parker Pearson, of the University of Sheffield.

The stones at the site were removed thousands of years ago but the sizes of the holes in B ______ indicate that this was a circle of bluestones, brought from the Preseli mountains of Wales, 150 miles away.

The standing stones marked the end of the avenue C _____, a 1¾-mile long processional route constructed at the end of the Stone Age. The outer henge around the stones was built about 2400BC but arrowheads found in the stone circle indicate the stones were put up as much as 500 years earlier.

Parker Pearson said his team was waiting for results of radiocarbon dating D _____ whether stones currently in the inner circle of Stonehenge were originally located at the other riverside construction.

Pearson said: «The big, big question is when these stones were erected and when they were removed — and when we get the dating evidence we can answer both those questions.»

He added: «We speculated in the past E ______ at the end of the avenue near the river. But we were completely unprepared to discover that there was an entire stone circle. Another team member, Professor Julian Thomas, said the discovery indicated F______was central to the religious lives of the people who built Stonehenge. «Old theories about Stonehenge that do not explain the evident significance of the river will have to be rethought,» he said. Dr Josh Pollard, project co-director from the University of Bristol, described the discovery as «incredible».

1. which could reveal

2. which they stood

3. which it was once made up

4. that this stretch of the river Avon

5. that there might have been something

6. that it should be considered as integral part

7. that leads from the river Avon to Stonehenge

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	2	7	1	5	4

Task 9

Australia

 Australia was the last great landmass to be discovered by the Europeans. The continent they eventually discovered had already been inhabited for tens of thousands of years.

Australia is an island continent A _____ is the result of gradual changes wrought over millions of years.

B ____, Australia is one of the most stable land masses, and for about 100 million years has been free of the forces that have given rise to huge mountain ranges elsewhere.

From the east coast a narrow, fertile strip merges into the greatly eroded Great Dividing Range, C ____.

The mountains are merely reminders of the mighty range, D ____. Only in the section straddling the New South Wales border with Victoria and in Tasmania, are they high enough to have winter snow.

West of the range of the country becomes increasingly flat and dry. The endless flatness is broken only by salt lakes, occasional mysterious protuberances and some mountains E ____. In places the scant vegetation is sufficient to allow some grazing. However, much of the Australian outback is a barren land of harsh stone deserts and dry lakes.

The extreme north of Australia, the Top End, is a tropical area within the monsoon belt. F ____, it comes in more or less one short, sharp burst. This has prevented the Top End from becoming seriously productive area.

1. that once stood here

2. that is almost continent long

3. whose property is situated to the north of Tasmania

4. whose landscape — much of bleak and inhospitable

5. whose beauty reminds of the MacDonald Ranges

6. Although its annual rainfall looks adequate on paper

7. Although there is still seismic activity in the eastern highland area

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	7	2	1	5	6

Task 10

Scotland Yard

 Scotland Yard is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police in London. To most people, its name immediately brings to mind the picture of a detective — cool, efficient, ready to track down any criminal, or a helmeted police constable — A____ and trusty helper of every traveller from overseas.

Scotland Yard is situated on the Thames Embankment close to the Houses of Parliament and the familiar clock tower of Big Ben, and its jurisdiction extends over 740 square miles with the exception of the ancient City of London, B____.

One of the most successful developments in Scotland Yard’s crime detection and emergency service has been the “999 system”. On receipt of a call the 999 Room operator ascertains by electronic device the position of the nearest available police car, C ____. Almost instantly a message is also sent by teleprinter to the police station concerned so that within seconds of a call for assistance being received, a police car is on its way to the scene. An old-established section of the Metropolitan police is the Mounted Branch, with its strength of about 200 horses stabled at strategic points. These horses are particularly suited to ceremonial occasions, D ____.

An interesting branch of Scotland Yard is the branch of Police Dogs, first used as an experiment in 1939. Now these dogs are an important part of the Force. One dog, for example, can search a warehouse in ten minutes, E ____.

There is also the River Police, or Thames Division, which deals with all crimes occurring within its river boundaries.

There are two other departments of Scotland Yard – the Witness Room (known as the Rogues’ Gallery) where a photographic record of known and suspected criminals is kept, and the Museum, F ____.

1. which is contacted by radio

2. that familiar figure of the London scene

3. for they are accustomed to military bands

4. which possesses its own separate police force

5. which contains murder relics and forgery exhibits

6. that this policeman will bring the criminal to justice

7. whereas the same search would take six men an hour

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	4	1	3	7	5

Task 11

Harry Potter course for university students 

Students of Durham University are being given the chance to sign up to what is thought to be the UK’s first course focusing on the world of Harry Potter. Although every English-speaking person in the world knows about Harry Potter books and films, few have thought of using them as a guide to … modern life.

The Durham University module uses the works of JK Rowling A ______ modern society. “Harry Potter and the Age of Illusion” will be available for study next year. So far about 80 undergraduates have signed В ______ a BA degree in Education Studies. Future educationalists will analyse JK Rowling’s fanfiction from various points of view.

A university spokesman said: “This module places the Harry Potter novels in a wider social and cultural context.” He added that a number of themes would be explored, С ______ the classroom, bullying, friendship and solidarity and the ideals of and good citizenship.

The module was created by the head of the Department of Education at Durham University. He said the idea for the new module had appeared in response D ______ body: “It seeks to place the series in its wider social and cultural context and will explore some fundamental issues E ______ . You just need to read the academic writing which started F ______ that Harry Potter is worthy of serious study.”

1. up for the optional module, part of

2. to emerge four or five years ago to see

3. to examine prejudice, citizenship and bullying in

4. such as the response of the writer

5. including the world of rituals, prejudice and intolerance in

6. to growing demand from the student

7. such as the moral universe of the school

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	1	5	6	7	2

Task 12

Laughing and evolution

 The first hoots of laughter from an ancient ancestor of humans could be heard at least 10 million years ago, according to the results of a new study. Researchers used recordings of apes and babies being tickled A ______ to the last common ancestor that humans shared with the modern great apes, which include chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans.

The finding challenges the opinion В ______ , suggesting instead that it emerged long before humans split from the evolutionary path that led to our primate cousins, between 10m and 16m years ago.

“In humans, laughing can be the strongest way of expressing how much we are enjoying ourselves, but it can also be used in other contexts, like making fun of someone,” said Marina Davila Ross, a psychologist at Portsmouth University. “I was interested in С ______ .”

Davila Ross travelled to seven zoos around Europe and visited a wildlife reserve in Sabah, Borneo, to record baby and juvenile apes D ______ . Great apes are known to make noises that are similar to laughter when they are excited and while they are playing with each other.

Davila Ross collected recordings of laughter from 21 chimps, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos and added recordings of three babies that were tickled to make them laugh.

To analyze the recordings, the team put them into a computer program. “Our evolutionary tree based on these acoustic recordings alone showed E ______ , but furthest from orangutans, with gorillas somewhere in the middle.” said Davila Ross. “What this shows is strong evidence to suggest F ______ .”

1. whether laughing emerged earlier on than humans did

2. to create the evolutionary tree linking humans and apes

3. that laughter is a uniquely human trait

4. that humans were closest to chimps and bonobos

5. that laughing comes from a common primate ancestor

6. while their caretakers tickled them

7. to trace the origin of laughter back

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	3	1	6	4	5

Task 13

Nenets culture affected by global warming

 For 1,000 years the indigenous Nenets people have migrated along the 450-mile- long Yamal peninsula in northern Russia. In summer they wander northwards, taking their reindeer with them. In winter they return southwards.

But this remote region of north-west Siberia is now being affected by global warming. Traditionally the Nenets travel across the frozen River Ob in November A ___ around Nadym. These days, though, this annual winter migration is delayed. Last year the Nenets, together with many thousands of reindeer, had to wait until late December В ____ .

“Our reindeer were hungry. There wasn’t enough food,” Jakov Japtik, a Nenets reindeer herder, said. “The snow is melting sooner, quicker and faster than before. In spring it’s difficult for the reindeer to pull the sledges. They get tired,” Japtik said.

Herders say that the peninsula’s weather is increasingly unpredictable — with unseasonal snowstorms  С ___, and milder longer autumns. In winter, temperatures used to go down to -50°C. Now they are normally around -30°C, according to Japtik. “Obviously we prefer -30°C. But the changes aren’t good for the reindeer D ___,” he said, setting off on his sledge to round up his reindeer herd.

Even here, in one of the most remote parts of the planet, E __ . Last year the Nenets arrived at a regular summer camping spot and discovered that half of their lake had disappeared. The water had drained away after a landslide. The Nenets report other curious changes — there are fewer mosquitoes and a strange increase in flies. Scientists say there is unmistakable evidence F ___ .

1. when the ice was finally thick enough to cross

2. that the impact on Russia would be disastrous

3. the environment is under pressure

4. and in the end what is good for the reindeer is good for us

5. and set up their camps in the southern forests

6. that Yamal’s ancient permafrost is melting

7. when the reindeer give birth in May

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	1	7	4	3	6

Task 14

Duration of life and its social implications

The world’s population is about to reach a landmark of huge social and economic importance, when the proportion of the global population over 65 outnumbers children under 5 for the first time. A new report by the US census bureau shows A____ , with enormous consequences for both rich and poor nations.

The rate of growth will shoot up in the next couple of years. The В ___ a combination of the high birth rates after the Second World War and more recent improvements in health that are bringing down death rates at older ages. Separate UN forecasts predict that the global population will be more than nine billion by 2050.

The US census bureau was the first to sound the С ___ . Its latest forecasts warn governments and international bodies that this change in population structure will bring widespread challenges at every level of human organization, starting with the structure of the family, which will be transformed as people live longer. This will in turn place new burdens on careers and social services providers, D ___ for health services and pensions systems.

“People are living longer and, in some parts of the world, healthier lives,” the authors conclude. “This represents one of the greatest achievements of the last century but also a significant challenge E ___ population.”

Ageing will put pressure on societies at all levels. One way of measuring that is to look at the older dependency ratio, F ___ that must be supported by them. The ODR is the number of people aged 65 and over for every 100 people aged 20 to 64. It varies widely, from just six in Kenya to 33 in Italy and Japan. The UK has an ODR of 26, and the US has 21.

1. which recently replaced Italy as the world’s oldest major country

2. alarm about these changes

3. a huge shift towards an ageing population

4. change is due to

5. while patterns of work and retirement will have huge implications

6. which shows the balance between working-age people and the older

7. as proportions of older people increase in most countries

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	4	2	5	7	6

Task 15

Elephants sense ‘danger’ clothes

 St Andrews University researchers discovered that elephants could recognise the degree of danger posed by various groups of individuals. The study found that African elephants always reacted with fear A ______ previously worn by men of the Maasai tribe. They are known to demonstrate their courage by В ______ .

The elephants also responded aggressively to red clothing, which defines traditional Maasai dress.

However, the elephants showed a much milder reaction to clothing previously worn by the Kamba people, С ______ and pose little threat.

The researchers first presented elephants with clean, red clothing and with red clothing that had been worn for five days by D ______ .

They revealed that Maasai-smelt clothing motivated elephants to travel significantly faster in the first minute after they moved away.

They then investigated whether elephants could also use the colour of clothing as a cue to classify a potential threat and found the elephants reacted with aggression E ______ . This suggested that they associated the colour red with the Maasai.

The researchers believe the distinction in the elephants’ emotional reaction to smell and colour might be explained by F ______ . They might be able to distinguish among different human groups according to the level of risk they posed.

«We regard this experiment as just a start to investigating precisely how elephants ‘see the world’, and it may be that their abilities will turn out to equal or exceed those of our closer relatives, the monkeys and apes,» researchers added.

1. either a Maasai or a Kamba man

2. who do not hunt elephants

3. when they detected the smell of clothes

4. who carried out the research

5. the amount of risk they sense

6. spearing elephants

7. when they spotted red but not white cloth

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	6	2	1	7	5

Task 16

Culture and customs

 In less than twenty years, the mobile telephone has gone from being rare, expensive equipment of the business elite to a pervasive, low-cost personal item. In many countries, mobile telephones A ___ ; in the U.S., 50 per cent of children have mobile telephones. In many young adults’ households it has supplanted the land-line telephone. The mobile phone is В ___ , such as North Korea.

Paul Levinson in his 2004 book Cellphone argues that by looking back through history we can find many precursors to the idea of people simultaneously walking and talking on a mobile phone. Mobile phones are the next extension in portable media, that now can be С ___ into one device. Levinson highlights that as the only mammal to use only two out of our four limbs to walk, we are left two hands free D ___ — like talking on a mobile phone.

Levinson writes that “Intelligence and inventiveness, applied to our need to communicate regardless of where we may be, led logically and eventually to telephones that we E ___ .”

Given the high levels of societal mobile telephone service penetration, it is a key means for people F ___ . The SMS feature spawned the «texting» sub-culture. In December 1993, the first person-to-person SMS text message was transmitted in Finland. Currently, texting is the most widely-used data service; 1.8 billion users generated $80 billion of revenue in 2006.

1. to perform other actions

2. outnumber traditional telephones

3. to communicate with each other 

4. combined with the Internet

5. to serve basic needs

6. banned in some countries

7. carry in our pockets

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	6	4	1	7	5

Task 17

My Stage

 My family moved to Rockaway, New Jersey in the summer of 1978. It was there that my dreams of stardom began.

I was nine years old. Heather Lambrix lived next door, and she and I became best friends. I thought she was so lucky A ___ . She took tap and jazz and got to wear cool costumes with bright sequences and makeup and perform on stage. I went to all of her recitals and В ___ .

My living room and sometimes the garage were my stage. I belonged to a cast of four, which consisted of Heather, my two younger sisters, Lisa and Faith, and I. Since I was the oldest and the bossiest, I was the director. Heather came with her own costumes С ___ . We choreographed most of our dance numbers as we went along. Poor Faith … we would throw her around D ___ . She was only about four or five … and so agile. We danced around in our bathing suits to audiocassettes and records from all the Broadway musicals. We’d put a small piece of plywood on the living room carpet, E ___ . And I would imitate her in my sneakers on the linoleum in the hall. I was a dancer in the making.

My dad eventually converted a part of our basement into a small theater. He hung two “spotlights” and a sheet for a curtain. We performed dance numbers to tunes like “One” and “The Music and the Mirror” from A Chorus Line. I sang all the songs from Annie. I loved to sing, F ___. I just loved to sing. So I belted out songs like “Tomorrow”, “Maybe” and “What I Did For Love.” I knew then, this is what I wanted to do with my life.

1. like she was a rag doll

2. whether I was good at it or not

3. wished I, too, could be on stage

4. and I designed the rest

5. and I was star struck

6. so Heather could do her tap routine

7. because she got to go to dance lessons

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	3	4	1	6	2

Task 18

Cat’s punctuality

 Sergeant Podge, a Norwegian Forest Cat, disappears from his owner’s home in a small town in Kent, every night. But what baffles his owner, Liz Bullard, mostly is the fact that the next morning, the 12-year-old cat always pops up in exactly the same place, A ___ . And every morning Ms. Bullard takes her son to school before collecting Sergeant Podge.

She said that the routine had set in earlier this year, when Sergeant Podge disappeared one day. Ms. Bullard spent hours telephoning her neighbours В ___ .

An elderly woman living about one and a half miles away called back to inform Ms. Bullard that she had found a cat matching Sergeant Podge’s description. Ms. Bullard picked him up but within days he vanished from sight again. She rang the elderly woman С ___ .

She said a routine has now become established, where each morning she takes her son to school before driving to collect Sergeant Podge D ___ .

It is thought Sergeant Podge walks across a golf course every night to reach his destination.

Ms. Bullard said: “If it’s raining he may be in the bush but he comes running if I clap my hands.” All she has to do is open the car passenger door from the inside for Sergeant Podge to jump in.

Ms. Bullard also makes the trip at weekends and during school holidays — E ___ .

She does not know why, after 12 years, Sergeant Podge has begun the routine but explained that another woman who lived nearby used to feed him sardines, and that he may be F ___ .

His owner doesn’t mind his wandering off at night as long as she knows where to collect him.

1. on the look-out for more treats

2. from the pavement between 0800 and 0815 GMT

3. to discover Sergeant Podge was back outside her home

4. on a pavement about one and a half miles (2.4km) away

5. to identify if anyone had bumped into him

6. when her son is having a lie-in

7. collected by car every morning

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	5	3	2	6	1

Task 19

Do you speak English?

When I arrived in England I thought I knew English. After I’d been here an hour I realized that I did not understand one word. In the first week I picked up a tolerable working knowledge of the language and the next seven years convinced me gradually but thoroughly that I A ______ , let alone perfectly. This is sad. My only consolation being that nobody speaks English perfectly.

Remember that those five hundred words an average Englishman uses are B ______ . You may learn another five hundred and another five thousand and yet another fifty thousand and still you may come across a further fifty thousand C ______ .

If you live here long enough you will find out to your greatest amazement that the adjective nice is not the only adjective the language possesses, in spite of the fact that D ______ . You can say that the weather is nice, a restaurant is nice, Mr. Soandso is nice, Mrs. Soandso’s clothes are nice, you had a nice time, E ______ .

Then you have to decide on your accent. The easiest way to give the impression of having a good accent or no foreign accent at all is to hold an unlit pipe in your mouth, to mutter between your teeth and finish all your sentences with the question: “isn’t it?” People will not understand much, but they are accustomed to that and they will get a F ______ .

1. whatever it costs

2. most excellent impression

3. you have never heard of before, and nobody else either

4. in the first three years you do not need to learn or use any other adjectives

5. would never know it really well

6. far from being the whole vocabulary of the language

7. and all this

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	6	3	4	7	2

Task 20

Before the Hubble Space Telescope was launched, scientists thought they knew the universe. They were wrong.

The Hubble Space Telescope has changed many scientists’ view of the universe. The telescope is named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble, A ______ .

He established that many galaxies exist and developed the first system for their classifications.

In many ways, Hubble is like any other telescope. It simply gathers light. It is roughly the size of a large school bus. What makes Hubble special is not what it is, B ______ .

Hubble was launched in 1990 from the “Discovery” space shuttle and it is about 350 miles above our planet, C ______ .

It is far from the glare of city lights, it doesn’t have to look through the air, D ______ .

And what a view it is! Hubble is so powerful it could spot a fly on the moon. Yet in an average orbit, it uses the same amount of energy as 28100-watt light bulbs. Hubble pictures require no film. The telescope takes digital images E ______ .

Hubble has snapped photos of storms on Saturn and exploding stars. Hubble doesn’t just focus on our solar system. It also peers into our galaxy and beyond. Many Hubble photos show the stars that make up the Milky Way galaxy. A galaxy is a city of stars.

Hubble cannot take pictures of the sun or other very bright objects, because doing so could “fry” the telescope’s instruments, but it can detect infrared and ultra violet light F ______ .

Some of the sights of our solar system that Hubble has glimpsed may even change the number of planets in it.

1. which is above Earth’s atmosphere.

2. which are transmitted to scientists on Earth.

3. which is invisible to the human eye.

4. who calculated the speed at which galaxies move.

5. so it has a clear view of space.

6. because many stars are in clouds of gas.

7. but where it is.

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	7	1	5	2	3

Task 21

The science of sound, or acoustics, as it is often called, has been made over radically within a comparatively short space of time. Not so long ago the lectures on sound in colleges and high schools dealt chiefly with the vibrations of such things as the air columns in organ pipes. Nowadays, however, thanks chiefly to a number of electronic instruments engineers can study sounds as effectively A ____ . The result has been a new approach to research in sound. Scientists have been able to make far-reaching discoveries in many fields of acoustics B _____ .

Foremost among the instruments that have revolutionized the study of acoustics are electronic sound-level meters also known as sound meters and sound-intensity meters. These are effective devices that first convert sound waves into weak electric signals, then amplify the signals through electronic means C ______ . The intensity of a sound is measured in units called decibels. “Zero” sound is the faintest sound D ______ . The decibel measures the ratio of the intensity of a given sound to the standard “zero” sound. The decibel scale ranges from 0 to 130. An intensity of 130 decibels is perceived not only as a sound, but also E ______ . The normal range of painlessly audible sounds for the average human ear is about 120 decibels. For forms of life other than ourselves, the range can be quite different.

The ordinary sound meter measures the intensity of a given sound, rather than its actual loudness. Under most conditions, however, it is a quite good indicator of loudness. Probably the loudest known noise ever heard by human ears was that of the explosive eruption in August, 1883, of the volcano of Krakatoa in the East Indies. No electronic sound meters, of course, were in existence then, but physicists estimate that the sound at its source must have had an intensity of 190 decibels, F ______ .

1. and finally measure them.

2. since it was heard 3,000 miles away.

3. and they have been able to put many of these discoveries to practical use.

4. that loud sound is of high intensity.

5. as they study mechanical forces.

6. as a painful sensation in the ear.

7. that the unaided human ear can detect.

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	3	1	7	6	2

Task 22

Chocolate 

Chocolate is made from a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seeds of tropical cacao trees. Cacao has been cultivated in A ______ at least 3000 years. For most of this time it was made into a drink called, in translation — “bitter water”. This is because В ______ to be fermented to develop a palatable flavour. After fermentation the beans are dried and roasted and the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. These are then ground and liquefied into chocolate liquor. The liquor is then processed into cocoa solids or cocoa butter. Pure chocolate contains primarily cocoa solids and butter in different proportions. Much of С ______ with added sugar. Milk chocolate is sweetened chocolate that additionally contains either milk powder or condensed milk. White chocolate on the other D ______ is therefore not a true chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine and phenethylamine which have physiological effects on the body. It is similar to serotonin levels in the brain. Scientists claim E ______ , can lower blood pressure. Recently, dark chocolate has also been promoted for its health benefits. But pet owners should remember that the presence of theobromine makes it toxic to cats and dogs. Chocolate is now one F______ , although 16 of the top 20 chocolate consuming countries are in Europe. Also interesting is that 66% of world chocolate is consumed between meals.

1. the chocolate consumed today is made

2. that chocolate, eaten in moderation

3. central and southern America for

4. of the world’s most popular flavours

5. hand contains no cocoa solids and

6. cacao seeds are intensely bitter and have

7. many countries worldwide at

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	6	1	5	2	4

Task 23

Reality TV

 Reality TV seems to dominate broadcasting these days. But what is it, how did it emerge and why on earth is it so popular? The first question is easily answered. Reality TV A ______ presents unscripted, dramatic or humorous situations or events. It can involve celebrities В ______ of the public. Reality TV has been gradually growing in importance for over 60 years. “Candid Camera” — the show that filmed ordinary people reacting to set ups and pranks — started in 1948. Some people, however, believe it was the Japanese with their awful shows in the 1980s and 90s that brought reality TV to centre stage. Others believe С ______ that is called “Big Brother” was the show that spawned the reality TV age. But why are the shows so popular? Different theories come to life. Some believe that it is D ______ we like to watch horrible behaviour: the same instinct that once inspired the ancient Romans to go and watch gladiators destroy each other at the Coliseum. Others suggest a kind of voyeurism is involved there — an unhealthy curiosity to spy on other people’s lives.

Whatever the real reason — the trend seems to have already peaked. A lot of such shows E ______ or are expected to go in the near future. And the replacement seems to be talents shows — watching competitions in dance, singing and general entertainment. Does it mean that people are changing? It is too early to say. Most agree that these F ______ .

1. due to basic human instinct that

2. is still early to judge

3. are simply the cycles of fashion

4. but more usually the stars are members

5. that the television phenomenon

6. is a type of programme that

7. seem to have disappeared

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	4	5	1	7	3

Task 24

Mikhail Lomonosov and Moscow State University

 Mikhail Lomonosov was one of the intellectual titans of XVIII century. His interests ranged from history, rhetoric, art and poetry A ______ . Alexander Pushkin described him as В ______ , whose lifelong passion was learning.

Lomonosov’s activity is a manifestation of the enormous potential of the Russian scientific community. Peter I reformed Russia, which allowed the country to reach the standard of С ______ many spheres. Great importance was placed on education. St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, founded by Peter I, established a university and a grammar school to educate intellectuals and researchers the country needed; however, these educational establishments could not fulfill the task they took on. It was Michail Lomonosov D ______ of establishing a university in Moscow. An influential courtier and the E ______ Count Shuvalov supported Lomonosov’s plans for a new university and presented them to the Empress.

In 1755, on 25 January-St. Tatiana’s Day according to the Russian Orthodox Church calendar — Elizaveta signed the decree that a university should be founded in Moscow. The opening ceremony took place on 26 April, when Elizaveta’s coronation day was celebrated. Since 1755 25 January and 26 April F ______ Moscow University; the annual conference where students present the results of their research work is traditionally held in April.

1. who suggested in his letter to Count Shuvalov the idea

2. to mechanics, chemistry and mineralogy

3. a person of formidable willpower and keen scientific mind

4. favourite of Empress Elizaveta Petrovna, the patron of arts and science

5. the contemporary European powers in

6. are marked by special events and festivities at

7. famous among all educated people

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	3	5	1	4	6

Task 25

Window Shopping

 The day would be spent with my best friends Kath and Kate. We are actually three Catherines (by birth spelt with a C), A______ we are all K’s: Kat (that’s me), Kath and Kate — the 3K Window Shopping gang!

Window shopping is simply wonderful. You can look at any outfit. You can try on В ______ not a single item on sale for which the price is a problem. You will try something on, ponder, pout, twirl, think hard, check yourself in the mirror one last time and finally reflect С ______ right for you! The highlight of this regular adventure however, is generally the 3K chocolate and ice cream break in the Shopping Centre’s top floor cafii Of course we do not believe that we are wasting anyone’s time. We do D ______ as well, but a reliable equation for us is — 3Ks + shopping mall = a good time.

But E ______ out to be especially memorable. One of the stores had a questionnaire lottery with the first prize being a voucher worth £200. We filled in the question forms while in the cafiiand returned to the store by their 2.00pm deadline. Kate won the first prize but we had decided in advance that if any of us won something, we would share equally: All for one К and one for all! At this point our morning of window shopping paid off. We completed F ______ slightly less than 10 minutes: three skirts, three hats and three belts and three very OK, K’s.

1. not like to spend our time

2. that it’s probably not quite

3. that particular day turned

4. our real shopping in

5. sometimes go shopping for real

6. anything you want and there is

7. but when we are together

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	6	2	5	3	4

Task 26

The Hotel

 “Have you stayed with us before sir?” asked the receptionist. His accent sounded middle-European; Czech possibly or Polish. Actually I hadn’t stayed at this particular hotel before A ______ to many others from the same chain that I had stayed at. “No — first time” I replied with unnecessary brevity. The thing is I always feel В ______ rather than treated as an individual. Every word that I was about to hear, I had heard before — delivered no doubt from the depths of a tourism and hospitality course. “Welcome to Newcastle sir. Is this your first visit to our city? Can I trouble you to complete this form? Actually the first two lines and the signature at the bottom will do. Would you like С ______ , Sir? This will automatically unlock room facilities like mini-bar and telephone and any other extras you may require. Can I see your passport sir?” The questions and information D ______ responses were actually required and I handed over my passport, credit card and partly filled out form. I was tempted to write under name and address “Donald Duck, Duck Towers, Disney Street” — E ______ ever read the form again. But being a creature of habit I wrote my real name and address. While my card was being processed I looked across the reception area through the wall height windows to the beautiful River Tyne. A wave of nostalgia came over me. It was good to be back. I found myself thinking about her again and wondering F ______ a voice broke in: “It’s a plastic key card sir. You also need it to activate the lift and when you get to your room, plug it into the switch on the left as you open the door. It will automatically supply electricity to the room. Any help with your baggage? No? Then enjoy your stay”. The accomplished young Pole smiled as he delivered the final command and duly processed, I proceeded to the card activated lift.

1. me to take a print of your credit card

2. points poured out smoothly, no verbal

3. if I would even see her when

4. although it seemed virtually identical

5. so sure was I that nobody would

6. me to help you with your luggage

7. as if I am being processed like a product

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	7	1	2	5	3

5

Task 27

Lindsay Wildlife Museum

 Lindsay Wildlife Museum is a unique natural history and environmental education centre where visitors can listen to the cry of a red-tailed hawk, go eye-to-eye with a grey fox and watch a bald eagle eat lunch. More than fifty species of native California animals are on exhibit here.

 Thousands of school children learn about the natural environment in their classrooms A ____ of the museum. Nature- and science- oriented classes and trips are offered for adults and children. More than 600 volunteers help to feed and care for wild animals, В _____. Volunteers are active in the museum’s work, contributing С ____.

 The museum was founded by a local businessman, Alexander Lindsay. Sandy, as friends knew him, started teaching neighborhood children about nature in the early 1950s. Initially housed in an elementary school, the museum began offering school-aged children summer classes, D ____.

 After nearly a decade of the museum operation, it became apparent E ____. With a new 5,000 square-foot home, the museum could now develop and display a permanent collection of live, native wildlife and natural history objects. People came to the museum for help with wild animals F ___ urban growth. In response, a formal wildlife rehabilitation programme — the first of its kind in the United States of America — began in 1970.

1. that a permanent, year-round site was necessary

2. as well as field trips focused on the natural world

3. many hours of service to wildlife care and fundraising

4. that had been injured or orphaned because of intense

5. that needed public attention and a new building

6. as well as teach children and adults about nature

7. through education programmes and on-site tours

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	6	3	2	1	4

Task 28

America’s fun place on America’s main street

 If any city were considered a part of every citizen in the United States, it would be Washington, DC. To many, the Old Post Office Pavilion serves A ____. If you are in the area, be a part of it all by visiting us — or В ____. Doing so will keep you aware of the latest musical events, great happenings and international dining, to say the least.

Originally built in 1899, the Old Post Office Pavilion embodied the modern spirit С ____. Today, our architecture and spirit of innovation continues to evolve and thrive. And, thanks to forward-thinking people, you can now stroll through the Old Post Office Pavilion and experience both D ____ with international food, eclectic shopping and musical events. All designed to entertain lunch, mid-day and after work audiences all week long.

A highlight of the Old Post Office Pavilion is its 315-foot Clock Tower. Offering a breath-taking view of the city, National Park Service Rangers give free Clock Tower tours every day! Individuals and large tour groups are all welcome. The Old Post Office Clock Tower also proudly houses the official United States Bells of Congress, a gift from England E ____. The Washington Ringing Society sounds the Bells of Congress every Thursday evening and on special occasions.

Visit the Old Post Office Pavilion, right on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and the Capitol. It is a great opportunity F ____, this is a landmark not to be missed no matter your age.

1. that are offered to the visitors

2. its glamorous past and fun-filled present

3. as a landmark reminder of wonderful experiences

4. by joining our e-community

5. that was sweeping the country

6. celebrating the end of the Revolutionary War

7. to learn more about American history

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	4	5	2	6	7

Task 29

Number of teenagers with Saturday job drops

 The number of teenagers with Saturday jobs has dropped. Young people do not acquire any experience for their CVs — a crucial step towards getting full-time work. The proportion of teenagers combining part-time jobs with school or college has slumped from 40% in the 1990s to around 20% now, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), a government agency. Latest figures show that only A ____ in 1997.

The trend is not just recession-related, but the result of an increasing expectation В ____ well as a falling number of Saturday jobs, according to the report. Many of the jobs that young people do, such as bar work, are in long-term decline, and are forecast to decline further over the next decade.

«Recruiters place significant emphasis on experience С ____,» the report says. Word of mouth is the most common way to get a job, D _____ young people are unable to build up informal contacts, it adds.

Ms. Todd, a commissioner at the UKCES, said: «There’s more emphasis on doing well at school, young people are finding less time to do what they would have done a few years ago.» «I think it’s also the changing structure of the labour market. Retail is still a big employer, E ____. As a consequence, we need to think about how we get young people the work experience they need.»

A new initiative to send employees into state schools to talk about their careers was also launched recently. The scheme, Inspiring the Future, is meant to give state schoolchildren access to the kind of careers advice that private schools offer. The deputy prime minister said: «The power of making connections F ____ and can be life-changing.»

1. that it was researching the system of funding education after 16

2. 260,000 teenagers have a Saturday job compared with 435,000

3. but young people are leaving education increasingly less experienced

4. that inspire young people is immeasurable

5. but an increasing shortage of work experience means

6. that young people should stay on at school, as

7. but a lot more of it is being done online

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	6	3	5	7	4

Task 30

Lots of fun in Cardiff

 As you would expect of a capital city, Cardiff offers a huge choice of exciting sport and entertainment throughout the year.

Every March the city celebrates St. David, Wales’ patron saint, with parades and music. August sees the International Festival of Street Entertainment, with the heart of the city A ____. Family fun days in the parks and at the waterfront are part of this sensational summer scene. Brass and military bands are often to be seen on Cardiff s streets. Between May and October the world’s only seagoing paddle steamer cruises from Cardiff’s seaside resort.

In autumn the fun continues with Cardiff s Festival of the Arts В _____. Music is at the centre of the festival, with international stars С ____. Christmas in Cardiff is full of colour and festivities. The truly spectacular Christmas illuminations have earned Cardiff the title of «Christmas City». And there is entertainment for all the family, D ____.

There is always something happening in Cardiff. The BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera can both be heard here. Cardiff previews many London «West End» shows E _____.

The city’s range of accommodation facilities is truly impressive, F ____. And with a city as compact as Cardiff there are places to stay in all price brackets.

1. from international names to family-run guest houses

2. joining some of Wales’ most talented musicians

3. having their summer holidays in Cardiff

4. that usually attract hundreds of theatre lovers

5. which features music, film, literature and graphics

6. from pantomimes to Christmas tree celebrations

7. beating with dance and theatrical performances

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	5	2	6	4	1

Task 31

Changing image

 For more than 200 years Madame Tussaud’s has been attracting tourists from all over the world and it remains just as popular as it ever was. There are many reasons for this enduring success, but at the heart of it all is good, old-fashioned curiosity.

Madame Tussaud’s original concept has entered a brand new era of interactive entertainment A _____. Today’s visitors are sent on a breathtaking journey in black cabs through hundreds of years of the past. They have a unique chance to see the great legends of history, В _____ of politics.

Much of the figure construction technique follows the traditional pattern, beginning whenever possible with the subject С _____ and personal characteristics. The surprising likeliness of the wax portraits also owes much to many stars D _____, either by providing their stage clothes, or simply giving useful advice.

The museum continues constantly to add figures E ____ popularity. The attraction also continues to expand globally with established international branches in New York, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and many other cities. And they all have the same rich mix of interaction, authenticity and local appeal.

The museum provides a stimulating and educational environment for schoolchildren. Its specialists are working together with practicing teachers and educational advisors to create different programmes of activities, F ____.

1. as well as resources on art, technology and drama

2. as well as the idols of popular music and the icons

3. who is sitting to determine exact measurements

4. ranging from special effects to fully animated figures

5. ranging from all kinds of souvenirs to sports equipment

6. that reflect contemporary public opinion and celebrity

7. who are eager to help in any possible way they can

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	2	3	7	6	1

Task 32

Saturday jobs: memories of weekend working

 Research has shown a sharp fall in the number of teenagers who do Saturday jobs. It seems such a shame — my Saturday job as a kitchen porter was something of a rite of passage. I’ll never forget long hours A _____, scouring grease off huge saucepans and griddles. Working atmosphere there helped me grow a thicker skin, develop quicker banter and, most importantly, taught me the value of hard work. It also resulted in a steady supply of cash, В ____. I’m not the only one who has strong memories of weekend work. DJ Trevor Nelson said everyone should be able to have a Saturday job: «It taught me a lot, С ____.»

The link between the type of Saturday job a celebrity performed and their later career is sometimes obvious. Dragon’s Den star and businessman Peter Jones, for example, showed early promise by starting his own business. «I passed my Lawn Tennis Association coaching exam, D ____,» he explains. «At the start I was coaching other kids, E ____, for which I could charge £25-30 an hour. While my friends on milk rounds were getting £35 a week, I was doing five hours on a Saturday and earning four times as much.»

Skier Chemmy Alcott got a job working for the Good Ski Guide, on the advertising side. «It became clear to me what my personal value to companies could be. It led directly to me finding my head sponsor … and it offered me an eight-year contract. That gave me the financial backing F ____.»

As part of its response to the Saturday job statistics, the UK Commission for Employment and Skills said a lack of early work opportunities makes it harder for young people to acquire experience for their СVs.

1. and things would be different if everyone was given the chance

2. which let me know he approved of me

3. and I persuaded my local club to let me use a court on Saturdays

4. which I needed to become a professional skier

5. which I would happily spend as I liked

6. that I spent in the kitchen of a busy country pub in East Sussex

7. but soon I got adults wanting to book lessons

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	5	1	3	7	4

Task 33

Orient Express

 In the early 1860s, trains were the preferred way to travel. They weren’t particularly comfortable, however, until American engineer George Mortimer Pullman decided to make trains more luxurious.

By the late 1860s, trains furnished not only sleeping cars, but kitchen and dining facilities, where A _____. This was innovative for the time, and was aimed to encourage people В _____. The first of these Pullman trains in England ran from London to Brighton and used electricity for illumination.

In 1881, another railway entrepreneur, George Nagelmacker, introduced the use of a restaurant car onboard, and the first Orient Express train service was begun. Running from Paris to Romania the route included Strasbourg, Vienna, Budapest and Bucharest.

Thanks to the 12 mile Simplon Tunnel, С _____, the Orient Express expanded, including a route to Istanbul, and the legendary romance of the Orient Express was in full swing.

Everyone in the social register, including royalty, chose to travel on the wheels of that luxury hotel D _____ in wealthy surroundings. Legends, stories, and intrigue surrounded those trips to exotic places, and those famous people E _____.

Unfortunately, during World War II this luxury travel was closed for the most part, and later, after the war, F ____ to start it again. Within the next few years airplane travel became popular, and train passenger service declined.

1. elegant meals were served to passengers

2. to use trains for long distance travel and vacations

3. who rode the train

4. who wrote about it

5. which connected Switzerland and Italy

6. that served dishes and wines

7. there was no money

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	2	5	6	3	7

Task 34

Arizona’s world class cruise

 Spectacular Canyon Lake is situated in the heart of the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, giving home to the Dolly Steamboat. The Dolly Steamboat, A ____, now cruises the secluded inner waterways of this beautiful lake. It is worth exploring this favourite destination of President Theodore Roosevelt who declared, «The Apache Trail and surrounding area combines the grandeur of the Alps, the glory of the Rockies, the magnificence of the Grand Canyon and then adds something В ____.» You will marvel as you travel up to the national forest, which provides the most inspiring and beautiful panorama С ____. Every trip brings new discoveries of rock formations, geological history, and the flora and fauna distinct to the deserts of Arizona.

Once aboard the Dolly Steamboat, you may view the majestic desert big horn sheep, bald eagles and a host bird of other wildlife, water fowl, D ____. Experience the unique sound harmony that is created by the waters of Canyon Lake. Stretch out and relax at one of the tables or stand next to the railings on the deck. There is plenty of leg room on the Dolly. You will get a unique chance to listen to the captain E ____.

All the passengers are treated with outstanding service and personal attention to every need. Feel free to ask questions, move about and mingle with the crew. So enjoy an unforgettable vacation cruise and see F ____ ,like a ride on Arizona’s Dolly Steamboat.

1. that nature has ever created in the wild

2. that none of the others have

3. hovering over the magnificent lake

4. who retells the legends of the mysterious past

5. for yourself why there is nothing quite

6. who pays much attention to children’s safety

7. continuing a tradition of cruising since 1925

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	2	1	3	4	5

Task 35

US Congress

 The Congress of the United States of America is an important part of the US federal government.

It is an assembly of elected representatives A ____ but not to select the chief executive of the nation; that individual is elected by the people.

Congress is not a single organization; it is a vast and complex collection of organizations B ____ and through which members of Congress form alliances.

C ____, in which political parties are the only important kind of organization, parties are only one of many important units in Congress.

In fact other organizations have grown in number D ____.

The Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate are organized by party leaders, E ____ within the House and Senate. The party structure is essentially the same in the House as in the Senate, though the titles of various posts are different.

But leadership carries more power in the House than in the Senate because of the House rules. F _____, the House must restrict debate and schedule its business with great care; thus leaders who do the scheduling and who determine how the rules shall be applied usually have substantial influence.

1. as party influence has declined

2. against the spirit of the Constitution

3. being so large (435 members)

4. empowered to make laws

5. unlike the British Parliament

6. by which the business of Congress is carried on

7. who in turn are elected by the full party membership

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	6	5	1	7	3

Task 36

The Trailblazers

 In the early 1800s, the area that would become the western United States was completely undeveloped.

Explorers, hunters, traders, and settlers had to blaze their own trails. A____ to move possessions and supplies became common place.

Manifest Destiny was the belief that Americans had a God-given right to take over the continent. As they moved west, settlers used this policy B_____ to new people and territories.

Trails increased trade opportunities between western and eastern regions, and the U.S. economy prospered C_____ on each other for goods.

To achieve Manifest Destiny, the United States purchased land from other countries or conquered territory D_____ until its borders stretched from coast to coast.

More than one-half million people chose to travel West on trails between 1800 and 1870, E_____.

As new technology spread across the West, however, the use of trails came to an end. The railroads built thousands of miles of tracks, and, F ____, a cheap, relatively safe, and quick way to transport people and supplies to western areas existed.

1. to spread U.S. ideas and government

2. for the first time in history

3. thus replacing them forever

4. as territories became interdependent

5. the use of covered wagons

6. by taking land from Native peoples

7. forming the largest mass migration in history

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	1	4	6	7	2

Task 37

A Young Mayor

 This is a very unusual case, but as you will see, unusual doesn’t mean impossible.

An 18-year-old school girl has become the youngest mayor of a British town in history. Amanda Bracebridge, A_____, won leadership of Clun village council in a dramatic election last night. The tiny village only has 122 voters and Amanda won the election by just two votes from the only other candidate, 69-year-old Fred Gardner of the Conservative party. Amanda, B _____, was an independent candidate. She was surprised by her success, C _____. “My election promise was to make sure D _____,” she told us. She was referring to the plans from a large company to buy up farmland and build flats there. “We live in one of the most beautiful villages in Shropshire and I want to make sure it stays that way.”

Amanda, who is in her last year at nearby Bishop’s Castle High School, E _____ and her exams which she takes in two months. “It’s going to be a pretty busy few months,” she said. “But when the exams are over I will be able to concentrate completely on helping my village”.

Amanda had plans to go to university but is now going to start a year later F _____. “I’ve talked to Leeds University and they say my place will wait for me”. And what is she going to study? Politics? “No, actually, I am going to do sociology and economics”.

1. who is not a member of any political party

2. that our village would be protected from outside interests

3. but it was not a total shock to her

4. being a politics student at the university

5. so she can do her job as mayor properly

6. who is only just old enough to vote herself

7. will have to find time for her work as mayor

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	1	3	2	7	5

Task 38

Is there enough to say?

 They only appeared about ten years ago but already they are everywhere, everyone’s got one. They are the wonder of the modern age — mobile phones, or cell phones, A ____. Apparently, mobile phones are now used by about 2.5 billion people worldwide, and about one billion new mobile phones are sold every year worldwide. Go back to 1997, and only 100 million were sold. As we can see, the mobile phone business B_____.

And the developments keep on coming. Once we could only make phone calls; now mobile phones C_____ and do many other useful things. Once we had to hold our mobile phones in our hand; now we can use throat microphones. What next? We are told that soon, tiny microphones will be implanted into our lips. We’ll be able to dial numbers just by saying them.

But surely we need to ask ourselves: What’s good about this? OK, we can talk to other people almost all the time now — but is that so great? Watch and listen to people when a plane has landed. Anxious D _____, dial a number, and then: “It’s me, I’m here. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.” Is this communication? Is this what all these years of technology have brought us to?

In the early days of communication there were letters. When they arrived at your house, you knew they had been delivered by a man E _____.

In those days, people would think very hard before they wrote a letter. You had to have a good reason to write — communication was serious. Now it’s not — people phone each other F ____. Once the phone was a way for people far away from each other to talk — now it’s just an excuse to talk.

1. has been developed very quickly

2. not understand why they are doing it for

3. as Americans call them

4. riding halfway across the country on a horse

5. just because they can

6. can also be used to take and send photos

7. fingers immediately switch on the mobile phone

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	1	6	7	4	5

Task 39

Promoting language learning

 The European Union (EU) is committed to supporting the rights of its citizens to personal and professional mobility, and their ability to communicate with each other. It does so by A_____ to promote the teaching and learning of European languages. These programmes have at least one thing in common: they cover cross-border projects involving partners from two, and often three or more, EU countries.

The EU programmes are designed to complement the national education policies of member countries. Each government is responsible for its own national education policy, B_____. What the EU programmes do is to create links between countries and regions via joint projects, C____.

Since 2007 the main programmes have been put under the overall umbrella of the EU’s lifelong learning programme. All languages are eligible for support under this programme: official languages, regional, minority and migrant languages, D____. There are national information centres in each country, E_____.

The cultural programmes of the EU also promote linguistic and cultural diversity in a number of ways. The “Media” programme funds the dubbing and subtitling of European films for F ____. The “Culture” programme builds cross-cultural bridges by supporting the translation of modern authors into other EU languages.

1. and the languages of the EU’s major trading partners

2. which includes language teaching and learning

3. cinemas and television in other EU countries

4. which enhance the impact of language teaching and learning

5. funding a number of educational programmes

6. and encouraging people to learn new languages

7. where details about the application procedures are given

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	2	4	1	7	3

Task 40

Starting your own business

What are the reasons for starting your own business? One of them is because you believe you are the best in that line or because you have a product or service that has never been offered to the market before. Another is that you are a person in a real hurry and cannot suffer the A_____ to reach your goals. Sometimes it is because you have an inheritance B_____ soon after you set up a business or that there already is a cash purse with loose strings and you want to make the best of this bonanza.

If your reasons are any or all of the above, abandon the thought right now and save yourself the disillusionment C____ into the world of commerce.

Start your own business just for the sake of doing a trade, or for D____. Do not burden yourself with lofty notions of superiority when compared to your peers. When setting out to start your own business, be emotional about it, but not impractical; don’t be led by your heart, but be dictated by your mind.

Having covered those parts that are not taught in a business school, let us look at E____ your own business. You should start with a SWOT analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – analyze these for yourself, for partners in your business, if any, and for the business itself.

If the result of the analysis is encouraging, then prepare a business plan. It is like a road map for actions in the near foreseeable future to achieve your business goals. Finally, execute the business plan with precision; tweak it as you go along, only so that it helps to meet the end goal of successfully F_____ the business.

1. the essentials of starting

2. that awaits when you step

3. trials and tribulations of employment

4. establishing and conducting

5. preparing a business plan

6. waiting to be acquired

7. undertaking the commercial activity

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	6	2	7	1	4

Task 41

Archaeology done underwater

 Nautical archaeology is the science of finding, collecting, preserving, and studying human objects that have become lost or buried under water. It is a fairly modern field of study since it depends on having the technology to be able to remain underwater for some time to do real work. Whether it is conducted in freshwater or in the sea, A____, nautical archaeology is another way of learning more about the human past.

Although some use the words nautical archaeology to mean a specialized branch of underwater archaeology, B____, most consider the term to mean the same as the words underwater archaeology or marine

archaeology. All of these interchangeable terms mean simply C_____.

Once real trade began, it is safe to say D_____ was probably transported over water at some point in time. By studying submerged objects, we can learn more about past human cultures. In fact, studying ancient artifacts is the only way to learn anything about human societies E_____. Being able to examine the actual objects made and used by ancient people not only adds to the written records they left behind, but allows us to get much closer to the reality of what life was like when they lived. Also, if we pay close attention to how the objects were made and used, we begin to get a more realistic picture of F_____.

1. that existed long before the invention of writing

2. that nearly every object made by humans

3. what those people were really like

4. which is concerned only with ships and the history of seafaring

5. that it is the study of archaeology done underwater

6. and whether it finds sunken ships or old cities

7. and what was discovered underwater

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	4	5	2	1	3

Task 42

Visiting the Royal Parks

 London has a well-deserved reputation as one of the greenest cities in Europe, with a huge number of open spaces across the center of the city. Tourists A_____ can always relax in a lovely, quiet London park.

The Royal Parks, such as St James’s, Green Park, the Regent’s Park, Hyde Park, Richmond, Greenwich, Bushy Park and Kensington Gardens, are beautifully maintained and popular with locals and visitors alike. Many are former hunting estates of English monarchs, preserved as open space B______. They are ideal places to relax and sunbathe in summer, enjoy gorgeous flower beds in spring C_____.

The Royal Parks provide fantastic green routes in London D______ and through some of the most attractive areas of the capital. Picnics in the parks are also a popular activity especially during the busy summer months.

Dogs are welcome in all the Royal Parks, although there are some places E_____. These are clearly indicated within each park and are usually ecologically sensitive sites, children’s play areas, restaurants, cafes and some sports areas. Ground nesting birds are particularly sensitive to disturbance by dogs and people. So it is necessary to observe the warning signs F____. In Bushy Park and Richmond Park dogs should be kept away from the deer.

The Royal Parks are for everyone to enjoy.

1. that are displayed during the nesting season

2. while the city has grown up around them

3. and admire the changing leaves as autumn arrives

4. where they are not allowed or should be kept on a lead

5. who are tired of the noise, crowds and excitement of sightseeing

6. who does not know the route to the place of destination

7. that take cyclists away from traffic

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	2	3	7	4	1

Task 43

The Survival of the Welsh Language

 Wales is a small country of just over 3 million people, on the north west seaboard of Europe. Despite many historical incursions of other peoples, particularly the English, it has preserved its ancient Celtic language, A_____. Welsh is habitually spoken by about 10% of the people, half understood by a further 10%, and not spoken at all by the majority in this ‘bilingual’ society.

Up to the First World War most people were Welsh speaking, especially in the mountains of North Wales. The English-speaking areas were along the more fertile coastal plains. On the whole there was an easy tolerance of the two languages, B______.

By 1919 there was a considerable drop in Welsh speakers. This was due to the large flows of capital investment from England into the South Wales coalfield, C_____.

Now, D_____, commerce and everyday business were carried out in English.

In the rural mountain areas 80% to 85% of the population were Welsh speakers, E ____. However, in the coalfield country of Glamorgan 70% spoke English only, and in its neighbour border county the figure was over 90%.

By 1931 the number of people able to speak Welsh in the whole of Wales had fallen to 37% of the population, F ____. It continued to drop and reached its lowest – 18.6% — in the 1990s. But by the start of the 21st century, numbers had begun to increase again and reached 21.7% in 2004!

1. as well as education and the law

2. the only one of a number of allied languages that remain

3. with radio and the English press further speeding the decline

4. many being able to speak Welsh only

5. where Welsh was studied as language and literature in an academic manner

6. apart from the fact that Welsh was not permitted to be used at all in the schools

7. bringing a flood of immigrant labour from all over Britain

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	6	7	1	4	3

Task 44

Secrets of Long Life

 There are places in the world where people live longer than anywhere else. The remote Japanese island of Okinawa is one of these places. While the lifespan in Britain is 77 years for men and 81 for women, Okinawa has a population of about one million, of which 900 are centenarians — A_____ in Britain or the USA. So what is their secret of long life?

«The calendar may say they’re 80, but their body says they’re 60,» says Bradley Willcox, a scientist researching the extraordinary phenomenon. The research has shown hormonal differences between Okinawans and B____ but their longevity has been linked to diet. They eat more tofu and soya than any other people in the world and also enjoy a range of different fruit and vegetables, all rich in anti-oxidants. But the most significant thing isn’t what they eat but how much. The Okinawans C_____ known as ‘hara hachi bu’, which translates as ‘eat until you are only 80 % full’.

Scientists refer to this way of eating as ‘caloric restrictions’. No-one knows exactly why it works, but scientists believe it D_____ that there is the danger of famine. This in turn E_____ and so may lead to better preservation and slower aging.

«It’s a stark contrast with the cultural habits that drive food consumption in F____ » says Mr. Willcox. If we look at high streets and supermarkets in most other countries, you will see that he is right. Restaurants offer all-you-can-eat menus and supersize portions. Supermarkets are full of special offers encouraging us to buy more food than we need.

1. make it a healthy diet

2. other parts of the world

3. four times higher than the average

4. have a cultural tradition

5. sends a signal to the body

6. the rest of the population

7. makes the body protect itself

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	6	4	5	7	2

Task 45

Beaches of Portugal

 Covering more than 850 km, the Portuguese coast boasts such a large number of fine, white sandy beaches that it is almost impossible to keep count. All bathed by the Atlantic Ocean and all different, their beauty is hard to describe, so there is nothing better A _____.

The most famous are in the Algarve. With three thousand hours of sun per year and warm waters, there are beaches to suit every taste and many dreamlike resorts. The choices are many, from sandy stretches extending as far as the eye can see B ______, the trade image of the region. They are always accompanied by a calm clear sea, C_____.

In Costa da Caparica, the beaches are particularly dear to Lisbonites D _____ for sun and sea bathing. There are deserted beaches here too, of a wild beauty, E ____ nature. In the centre, tourists will find very wide sandy stretches, to which traditional fishing adds a picturesque touch. And further north, the colder waters and the invigorating sea are tempered by the welcoming atmosphere and the clean air of the mountains and the forests.

Despite all their differences, all beaches share one thing – quality. They are safe and offer a wide range of support and recreational services, F ____. And a large number of Portuguese beaches are granted the European blue flag every year, a distinction that is a sign of their excellent conditions.

1. where one can enjoy close contact with

2. which meet every need of their users

3. than to discover them once for oneself

4. who has never been to this wonderful city

5. which is ideal for various water sports

6. to the smaller coves, sheltered by huge cliffs

7. who have different options around the capital

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	6	5	7	1	2

Task 46

The Joy of Reading

 Have you ever wondered why people read? Why reading is one of the few things A _____ for thousands of years? Even before reading became available to the general public, stories were told around campfires, passed down from generation to generation.

First of all, stories are a good way to escape from your ordinary life, to get immersed in another world, if only for a little time. While reading, you can imagine yourself in different situations B _____, but in the moment that doesn’t matter. Whether you’re suffering from depression or are just bored, reading is a great distraction.

Similarly, another reason people are attracted to stories, is because they are lonely, very often they feel as if they are the only ones in the world C _____. Identifying with a fictional character can make a big difference in helping a person understand D _____.

Other people read because it can be a good way to relax. It can be very nice to sit down and enjoy a good plot unfold, to watch the actions of fictional characters from the side, and to see the consequences of these actions, E ____.

Lastly, people read because it is the easiest way to gain knowledge in a certain area. Instead of finding a teacher, you can just find a book, sit down, and spend a few hours reading. This way you can study wherever you want, whenever you want F _____.

There are countless books in the world, and whoever you are, whatever you’re feeling, there is definitely a book out there, just waiting for you to discover it.

1. try to avoid the boredom of life

2. that has consistently remained part of society

3. that they are not alone

4. going through something difficult

5. without having to bear any responsibility

6. that range from unlikely to impossible

7. at your own pace

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	6	4	3	5	7

Task 47

Peter and Paul Fortress

 The Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, located on small Hare Island, is the historic core of the city. The history of St. Petersburg begins with the history of the fortress.

Since 1700 Russia had been fighting the Northern War against Sweden. By 1703 the lands by the Neva River were conquered. To protect them from the attacks of the Swedes it was necessary to build a strong outpost here. The fortress was founded on Hare Island 16 (27) May, 1703 by joint plan of Peter I and French engineer Joseph-Gaspard Lambert de Guerin. This day is well known A____.

The fortress stretches from west to east with six bastions B____. The Peter’s Gate on the east side, C____, has remained since the time of Peter I. The Peter and Paul Cathedral, D____ emperors and the monument of Russian baroque, was completed after the death of the emperor, in 1733. The weathervane as a golden angel with a cross, E____, is one of the main symbols of the city. On the opposite side of the cathedral, there is the Mint building, constructed in the time of Paul I by architect A. Porto. Coinage was moved to the fortress F____ in the time of Peter I. The Peter and Paul Fortress has never directly participated in any fighting. From the very beginning of its existence it was used as a political prison. Since 1924 the Peter and Paul Fortress has been a part of the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg.

1. as the day of the birth of St. Petersburg

2. which was designed by D. Trezzini

3. which was the burial place of Russian

4. and reminding of the rich history of the city

5. as the most protected part of the city

6. which is located on the spire of the cathedral

7. that are located at the corners

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	7	2	3	6	5

Task 48

Surviving in a Desert

 A desert is defined as a place that gets less than 250 mm of rain each year. It differs sharply from the climate of a rain forest, A _____.

Arid desert lands cover about one third of the earth’s surface. Most deserts are covered with sand, B _____. There are also usually a lot of rocky areas. This combination of sand and rock means that the soil is not very fertile. C ____, some living things are able to do well in this setting. Many plants have changed and developed in ways D____. These changes have become apparent in a number of ways. Some plants are able to grow very quickly E____. They turn green and produce flowers within just a few days. Other desert plants simply stop growing in very dry weather. They appear to be dead, but when the rain returns, they come back to life and begin growing again.

Desert animals have also developed many characteristics that help them to survive in arid environment. Camels can go for a very long time without drinking. Other animals, such as snakes and rats, find cool places to sleep during the day and come out only at night. The extremely long ears of desert rabbits help them F_____. Changes like these have allowed some animals and plants to grow and develop successfully in a very challenging ecological system: the desert.

There are countless books in the world, and whoever you are, whatever you’re feeling, there is definitely a book out there, just waiting for you to discover it.

1. which is often in the form of hills called sand dunes

2. whenever it rains

3. to find water as far as 25 metres away

4. which can receive up to 10,000 mm of rain annually

5. to better distribute their body heat and stay cool

6. even though the desert environment is very dry and hot

7. that help them to live in the desert

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	1	6	7	2	5

Task 49

Nevsky Prospect

 Nevsky Prospect is the main and most famous street of St. Petersburg. The unique architectural ensemble of Nevsky Prospect was formed during the 18th – early 20th centuries. It starts from the bank of the Neva River, runs through the centre of the city and ends at the Neva River. The whole history of St. Petersburg can be seen in the history of the avenue. Nevsky Prospect is 4.5 km long and 25-60 m wide. The narrowest section is located from the Admiralty to the Moika River, A_____.

After the construction of the Admiralty in 1704 and the Alexander Nevsky Monastery in 1710, it was decided to build a road B_____ each other and with the Novgorod Path, which was used by Russian merchants. The construction began on both sides at the same time, the roads were laid through the wood, and in 1760s they were connected into one road, C_____, but with a turn at the Vosstaniya Square. Nevsky Prospect got its name only in 1783. The road was paved with cobble stones, D_____. It was the first street in St. Petersburg with gas lighting. By the early 20th century Nevsky Prospect had become the financial centre of Russia E____ had their offices there.

Nowadays, Nevsky Prospect is the centre of cultural and social life of St. Petersburg. There are museums, theatres, exhibition halls, cinemas, restaurants, cafés, shops F____.

1. and hotels there or nearby the avenue

2. showing the original width of the avenue

3. which was not as straight as it was planned

4. which were built by famous architects and

5. connecting these two important structures with

6. and a few rows of trees were planted along the street

7. as the 40 largest banks of Russia, Europe and America

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	5	3	6	7	1

Task 50

Whales in a Noisy Ocean

Whales use sound in very different ways. Some whales produce songs that travel over vast distances. They also use echolocation, like bats, A _____. But other noise in the ocean creates a problem for the whales.

Since 1987, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has sent their research vessel Song of the Whale around the world B _____. During the travels, the Song of the Whale scientists have developed expertise C ____ to listen to and record the sounds that the animals make. Thishelps them to track, identify, and survey different species.

One of the threats facing whales and other marine animals is noise pollution in the seas, such as noise from drilling, military activities, oil exploration, and coastal construction. This noise can cause great distress to whales and dolphins and can D _____.

It is feared this noise pollution may cause mass strandings, E _____. If the Song of the Whale team can F ____, then hopefully the nature and location of disturbing noise can be changed.

1. in using underwater microphones

2. to locate food and find their way

3. result in injury and even death

4. track and identify their habitats

5. to filter out food from the water

6. to provide a platform for marine research

7. when large numbers come ashore

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	6	1	3	7	4

Task 51

Unique nature of Kamchatka

Kamchatka is a peninsula located in the north-eastern part of Russia. It is surrounded with the Okhotskoye Sea, the Beringovo Sea and the Pacific Ocean. This region has a very unique environment A_____ one is looking for picturesque views, unforgettable travels and unity with nature.

Kamchatka is famous for its volcanoes, B_____. Volcanoes are represented on Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the most eastern city in the northern hemisphere, coat of arms as well. There are more than 300 volcanoes

in Kamchatka, from 28 up to 36 of them are active, or potentially active. Kamchatka volcanoes are included in the list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The region is also known C____ — rivers and lakes. Many Kamchatka rivers spring from mountain tops and glaciers, that is why they are very clean, and it is wonderful for those D_____. In general, there are up to 14 thousand rivers and streams, 100 thousand lakes and 414 glaciers in Kamchatka.

Kamchatka is a home to the Valley of Geysers, E_____ geysers in the world, after Icelandic geyser fields. It is not easily accessible, as long as it is too unique to be opened for tourists all the time. The Valley of Geysers’ ecosystem is very vulnerable, F_____ and regulate the visiting. In fact, the larger part of Kamchatka is preserved. There are many nature reserves and nature parks in Kamchatka.

1. which are depicted on most souvenirs there

2. so it is necessary to monitor it all the time

3. who love fishing, including Kamchatka bears

4. which has the second largest concentration of

5. to be a place of many water sources

6. to be a popular nature reserve and health resort

7. that makes it a place to visit when

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
7	1	5	3	4	2

Task 52

The life of Pi

 «The Life of Pi» published in 2001 is the third book by the Canadian author Yann Martel. It has A_____, won several prizes and been translated into forty-one languages.

At the start of the book, we B____ in India. His father owns the city zoo and the family home is in the zoo. When they aren’t at school, Pi and his brother help their father at the zoo and he learns a lot about animals.

When Pi is sixteen, his parents decide to close the zoo and move to Canada. They travel by ship taking the animals with them. On the way, there is C_____. Sadly, Pi’s family and the sailors all die in the storm, but Pi lives and finds himself in a lifeboat with a hyena, zebra, orangutan and an enormous tiger. At first, Pi is scared of the animals and jumps into the ocean. Then he remembers there are sharks in the water and decides to climb back into the lifeboat. One by one, the animals in the lifeboat kill and eat each other, till only Pi and the tiger are left alive. Luckily for Pi, there is D_____, but he soon needs to start catching fish. He feeds the tiger to stop it killing and eating him. He also uses a whistle and E_____ and show it that he’s the boss.

Pi and the tiger spend 227 days in the lifeboat. They live through terrible storms and the burning heat of the Pacific sun. They are often hungry and ill. Finally, they arrive at the coast of Mexico, but you will have to F_____ in the end!

1. read the book to find out what happens

2. some food and water on the lifeboat

3. his knowledge of animals to control the tiger

4. received an award for being strong

5. sold seven million copies worldwide

6. learn about Pi’s childhood in Pondicherry

7. a terrible storm and the ship sinks

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	6	7	2	3	1

Task 53

Santa Claus

The man we know as Santa Claus has a history all to his own. Today, he is thought of mainly as the jolly man in red, but his story A_____ the 3rd century to a monk named St. Nicholas. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around 280 AD in modern-day Turkey. Much admired for his kindness, St. Nicholas B_____. It is said that he gave away all of his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick. Over the course of many years, Nicholas’s popularity spread and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. His feast day C_____ his death, December 6. This was traditionally considered a lucky day to make large purchases or to get married. By the Renaissance, St. Nicholas was the most popular saint in Europe.

St. Nicholas first D______ at the end of the 18th century. The name Santa Claus evolved from a Dutch shortened form of Sint Nikolaas. As his popularity grew, Sinter Klaas was described as everything from a jocker with a blue three-cornered hat, red waistcoat, and yellow stockings to a man wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a huge pair of Flemish trousers.

In the 19th centuries big stores E_____ using images of the newly-popular Santa Claus. In 1841, thousands of children visited a Philadelphia shop to see a life-size Santa Claus model. It F_____ before stores began to attract children, and their parents, with the lure of a peek at the “real-life” Santa Claus with his famous white beard and red gown.

1. began to advertise Christmas shopping

2. became the subject of many legends

3. began dressing up unemployed men in

4. is celebrated on the anniversary of

5. was only a matter of time

6. stretches all the way back to

7. appeared in American popular culture

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	2	4	7	1	5

Task 54

Welcome to the Smithsonian

When you visit any of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and galleries or the National zoo, you are entering the largest museum complex in the world. This complex holds about 137 million unique objects in its trust for the American people.

The Smithsonian was established in 1846 with funds given to the United States by James Smithson, an English scientist. The main idea was to increase and spread knowledge for free. And now all Smithsonian institutions are still devoted to public education, A__________ history.

Ten Smithsonian museums and galleries are located in the centre of the U.S. capital. Six other museums and the National zoo are nearby in the Washington metropolitan area, B__________.

The 19th and the newest museum C__________ is the National Museum of African American history and culture. It is now operating in the form of a virtual museum. Its key feature is the memory book, D__________. These diverse memories are linked to each other and to the museum content, E__________.

The Smithsonian complex is home to the world’s foremost research centres in science, the arts and the humanities. Besides the basic research F__________, there are a number of special facilities. Conservation centre at the zoo studies rare and endangered species, environment centre carries out research in ecosystems in the coastal area.

1. that is carried on regularly in each of the museums

2. providing different materials in the arts, science and

3. placing a spotlight on people and events in African American history

4. that has been established within the Smithsonian complex

5. which allows website visitors to upload their own stories or images

6. and visitors can enjoy watching rare exhibits on

7. and two museums are situated in New York City

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	7	4	5	3	1

Task 55

National Gallery of Art

 The National Gallery of Art was created in Washington D.C. for the people of the United States in 1937. It started with the gift of the financier and art collector A__________. His gift also included a building to house the new museum, to be constructed on the National Mall. Opened to the public in 1941, this grand building, B__________, was at the time the largest marble structure in the world.

The newly created National Gallery soon attracted similar gifts from hundreds of other collectors. This tradition of generosity continues to this day with gifts from private donors and artists C__________.

The gallery’s East building contains the collection of modern and contemporary painting, sculpture, D__________. The East and West buildings are connected by an underground tunnel with a moving walkway.

The National Gallery enjoys federal support, E__________, to fulfill its mission to exhibit and interpret great works of European and American art in the nation’s collection. Since its founding, federal funds have fostered the protection and care of the art collection and have supported the gallery’s work, ensuring F__________. Private funding helped to create a renowned collection of works of art and to construct the two landmark buildings. Private support makes possible to arrange a changing programme of special exhibitions.

1. which is now called the West building

2. that the gallery brings daily profit to the country

3. who are willing to share their possessions with the public

4. who presented old master paintings and sculptures to the country

5. as well as partnership with private organizations

6. that the gallery is open daily and free of charge

7. as well as an advanced research centre and an art library

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	1	3	7	5	6

Task 56

Healthy school meals

Children at Southdown Infants School in Bath enjoy tasty homemade meals such as roast turkey with fresh vegetables, chicken, salad and fresh fruit for pudding. Vegetables are A ____________. Instead of crisps, chocolate and sweets, the school canteen serves organic carrots, dried fruit and fresh seasonal fruit in bags for 10p, B ______________.

Southdown’s healthy eating initiative began four years ago with the start of a breakfast club.

Now Ms Culley, the head teacher of the school, says that the teachers very clearly see the link between diet and concentration. “Children’s concentration and behaviour C ______________.” The teachers would also like to give the children the experience of eating together. It turned out that some children weren’t used to that.

Pupils are also encouraged to find out more about where their food comes from by  D ______________.

Parents are also involved and are invited in to try school dinners on special occasions, E _______________.

The efforts of staff, pupils and parents to create a healthy eating environment were recognized earlier this month F ______________ the Best School Dinner award.

Ms Culley said: “We are happy to win this award. Healthy eating is at the centre of everything we do. It’s really rewarding to see so many children enjoy real food.”

1. such as Easter and Christmas

2. visiting a local farm

3. local, fresh and organic where possible

4. provide good quality food

5. definitely improve after a good meal

6. and about 100 bags are sold each day

7. when the school was awarded

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	6	5	2	1	7

Task 57

Walking is not enough to keep fit

Walking may not be enough on its own to produce significant health benefits, research suggests. A team from Canada’s University of Alberta compared a 10,000-step exercise programme with a more traditional fitness regime of moderate intensity. Researchers found improvements A _______ were significantly higher in the second group. They told an American College of Sports Medicine meeting that gentle exercise was B __________. In total 128 people took C _________. The researchers assessed influence on fitness by measuring blood pressure and lung capacity. They found out the 10,000-step programme did help to get people motivated – and was an excellent way to start D _________. But to increase the effectiveness, some intensity must be added to their exercise. “Across your day, while you are achieving those 10,000 steps, take 200 to 400 of them at a faster pace. You’ve got to do more than light exercise and include regular moderate activity, and don’t be shy to have an occasional period of time at an energetic level.” The researchers were concerned there was too much focus E __________, rather than on its intensity.

Professor Stuart Biddle, an expert in exercise science at the University of Loughborough, said it was possible that the current guidelines on how much exercise to take were set too low. “However, you have got to find F ____. The harder you make it, the fewer people will actually do it.” Professor Biddle said there was no doubt that energetic exercise was the way to get fit, but volume rather than intensity might be more useful in tackling issues such as obesity.

1. part in the project

2. taking exercise

3. gave marked health benefits

4. in fitness levels

5. on simply getting people to take exercise

6. not enough to get fit

7. a compromise between physiology and psychology

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	6	1	2	5	7

Task 58

Double-decker Bus

A double-decker bus is a bus that has two levels. While double-decker long-distance buses are in widespread use around the world, A ____. Double-decker buses are popular in some European cities and in some parts of Asia, usually in former British colonies. Many towns around the world have a few that specialize in short sight-seeing tours for tourists because, as William Gladstone observed, «the way to see London is from the top of a ‘bus'».

Double-decker buses are taller than other buses. They are extensively used in the United Kingdom, B _____, removed from normal service in December 2005 — they still operate on heritage routes. Elsewhere in Europe, double-deckers are used throughout the Dublin Bus network in Ireland, where they are making a comeback on Dublin’s outer suburban routes and also the streets of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. They are a common sight in Berlin, where the BVG makes extensive use of them. Double-decker long-distance coaches are also in widespread use throughout Europe.

Most buses in Hong Kong and about half in Singapore are double-deckers as well. The only areas in North America that C _____ are the western Canadian province of British Columbia and the United States city of Las Vegas. They are currently being tested in Ottawa on the express routes. The city of Davis, California, in the United States uses vintage double-decker buses for public transport. Davis, California is also home to the first vintage double-decker bus converted from diesel gasoline to run on CNG. The city of Victoria, BC, the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, and a couple of others use Dennis Tridents. A few are also used as tour buses, especially in New York. Double-deckers are have also been used in Mumbai since 1937.

In Brazil, D _____, some companies use double-decker buses. Double-deckers are not a good option for use outside the towns (most roads in Brazil are in very poor condition), and E _____.

Double-decker buses are in widespread use in India in many of the major cities. Some double-decker buses F _____, with no roof and shallow sides. These are popular for sightseeing tours.

1. double-deckers are adored by thousands of tourists

2. use double-decker buses for public transport

3. double-decker city buses are less common

4. where perhaps the most famous was the London Routemaster

5. their use is being discouraged by transportation authorities

6. have an open upper deck

7. where buses are sometimes the only interstate transport

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	4	2	7	5	6

Task 59

Natural Links In a Long Chain of Being

I believe we are not alone.

Even if I am on the other side of the world from the farmhouse I live in, I still dream of the ancient vines out the window, and the shed out back that my grandfather’s father built in 1870 with eucalyptus trunks. As long as I can recreate these images, A ____. 

All of us need some grounding in our modern world of constant moving, buying, selling, meeting and leaving. Some find constancy in religion, others in friends or community. But we need some daily signposts that we are not different, not better, B ____. 

For me, this house, farm, these ancient vines are those roots. Although I came into this world alone and will leave alone, I am not alone. 

There are ghosts of dozens of conversations in the hallways, stories I remember about buying new plows that now rust in the barnyard and ruined crops from the same vines C ____. 

All of us are natural links in a long chain of being, and that I need to know what time of day it is, what season is coming, whether the wind is blowing north or from the east, and if the moon is still full tomorrow night, D _____. 

The physical world around us constantly changes, E _____. We must struggle in our brief existence to find some transcendent meaning and so find relief in the knowledge F _____.

You may find that too boring, living with the past as present. I find it refreshing. There is an old answer to every new problem, that wise whispers of the past are with us. If we just listen and remember, we are not alone; we have been here before.

1. I never quite leave home

2. but human nature does not

3. that we are now harvesting

4. but we as well as our heart did not

5. not worse than those who came before us

6. just as the farmers who came before me did

7. that our ancestors have gone through this before

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	5	3	6	2	7

Task 60

The Show Begins

My Uncle Jim took me to all the Broadway shows in New York City, and I was star struck! Actually he wasn’t my real uncle – that’s just what we called him. He was a close friend of my parents. He was a bit stocky with red hair, A _________.

I remember the theaters on Broadway, B __________. The curtains were made of this real heavy, dark red material. There were huge chandelier lights hanging from the ceiling. The walls were dark, paneled wood. The seats were red and cushy C __________.

The orchestra sat at the base of the stage in a pit. I usually went down to the front to see the musicians D __________. They were all crammed into such a tiny space. I played the flute myself and my dad kept encouraging me that if I kept it up, E ___________. But truly, I didn’t want to be tucked away down there. I wanted to be on top, front and center.

Most people dressed rather finely, and certain fragrances took center stage as various women passed by. The sounds of the audience F __________ at their seats were clearly heard while last minute patrons filled in. There was electricity in the air and then the lights would go down and up, and you knew it was time for the show to get started. The lights dimmed. The music began. And you were swept up into a whole new world. I loved it!

1. I could be playing down there someday

2. and set real close together

3. which were so old and posh

4. and he had a beard and moustache

5. I wasn’t that good at music

6. getting ready and warming up

7. laughing and chattering away

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	3	2	6	1	7

Task 61

Scouting moves ahead

The Scout Movement, which is also known as the Boy Scouts has changed massively in more than 100 years, though many people do not realise this.

For many people in Britain the word “scouting” evokes images of boys in short trousers A__________. Many people imagine that the Scout Association and its female counterpart the Guides Association are old-fashioned. They think these associations are for people B__________ than the future, people who just like camping in the rain and washing in cold water.

It’s quite easy to understand why Scouts and Guides have this sort of image. The “Boy Scouts” were founded over 100 years ago by Robert Baden-Powell, a retired English army general; the “Girl Guides” followed three years later. They were organised in an almost military manner. Young people had to learn discipline and how to do things as a group. They C__________ in difficult conditions, learnt to make campfires and, yes, they certainly had to get used to washing in cold water. In those days though, that D__________ many people washed in cold water.

Nevertheless, even at the start, there was much more to scouting than that. Scouts and Guides also learned the value of solidarity. Right from the start, they had to cope with difficult situations, E__________, and play a useful part in society. Baden-Powell’s organisations were inclusive, and never exclusive; any young person could become a Scout or a Guide, regardless of race, background or religion.

Though the Scout and Guide movements began in England, they soon spread to other countries, and within 50 years, scouting F__________ with young people all over the world.

1. who are more interested in the past

2. and girls in blue uniforms

3. that were generally better

4. was not particularly unusual as

5. went on camping expeditions

6. interact with other people

7. had become a popular activity

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	1	5	4	6	7

Task 62

Skip the sun, get a glow the healthy way

Everyone at some point has wanted a “healthy glow,” whether it’s a must-have for summer, or a vacation, the thought of tan skin has crossed the minds of millions. If you are pale, it A__________. There is wild excitement when after a day in the sun your skin is tan, not burnt. Surely everyone is familiar with the famous conversation upon the realization that you got fried at the beach. Your friends reassure you with “Don’t worry it B__________.” It may all seem like fun and games at the time, but alarming new research C__________.

Some tan-seekers do it the old-fashioned way, grab a towel and hit the pool or beach. Recently, millions of young girls D__________ instead. Regardless of how the tan is achieved, any change in skin coloring is evidence of skin cell damage. This can lead to cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma, or skin cancer, among people aged 18 to 39 has risen dramatically. In the United States the number of skin cancer cases due to tanning, is higher than the number of lung cancer cases due to smoking.

While it is true that being outside and active is great for your body and the sun does provide vitamin D, everyone’s health still needs protecting. However, it’s E__________, limit time spent in direct sunlight, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and wear sunscreen at all times. A fashionable option is the sun hat: both elegant and fun. Big floppy hats may seem ridiculous at first, but F__________.

Another advice is to look into sunless tanners: They are cheap and in no way endanger the lives of users. So, fake it, don’t bake it!

1. takes a lot of time and effort to tan

2. have been turning to tanning beds

3. they are actually quite classy accessories

4. better to avoid indoor tanning

5. have inspired people to get their skin checked

6. will eventually turn into a tan

7. has taken the healthy out of healthy glow

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	6	7	2	4	3

Task 63

Grant-making agency

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent grant-making agency of the United States government. Established in 1965, it is one of the largest sources of grant funds for humanities projects and programs in the U.S. NEH promotes knowledge of the history, thought, and culture, not only of the United States, A__________.

NEH grants facilitate research and original scholarship, strengthen teaching and learning in the humanities in American schools and colleges, give opportunities for citizens to engage in lifelong learning, B__________.

The Endowment is directed by a chairman, C__________ and confirmed by the U.S. Senate for a term of four years. Advising the chairman is the National Council on the Humanities, a board of 26 distinguished private citizens D__________ with the advice of the Senate. The National Council members serve six-year terms.

NEH grants are typically awarded to U.S. cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, and public television and radio stations, E__________. Eligibility is limited to U.S. non-profit institutions and to U.S. citizens and foreigners F__________ prior to the time of application. Grants are awarded through a competitive process. The chairman takes into account the advice provided by the review process and, by law, makes all funding decisions.

1. who is appointed by the president

2. but of other countries of the world

3. but in every aspect of social sciences

4. who are also appointed by the president

5. who have been living in the U.S. for three years

6. as well as to individual scholars of the humanities

7. as well as provide access to cultural and educational resources

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	7	1	4	6	5

Task 64

The Bonfire Night

The 5th of November has always had a very special place in my heart. More important than New Year’s Eve, but probably less important than the Olympics ceremonies, the 5th of November every year is A __________ all over the country to go wild!

The night of the 5th is often cold and damp and parents wrap up their children in layers of jumpers, coats, hats, scarves and gloves. They fuss over the littlest B __________ aren’t scared. They comfort their pets and give them a safe place to curl up inside, away from the cacophony about to start outside.

Outside the bonfire is C __________ up your nose. If you’re lucky, there might be some pumpkin soup left over from Halloween to warm you up, because in spite of all the layers and the excitement, you’ll still need warming up until the bonfire gets going!

When it’s absolutely dark and the bonfire is blazing, the children and parents huddle together in groups, staring up at the sky. What are they waiting for? The screech of the first firework deafens them all and D __________. The “oohs” and “aaahs” of the crowd keep perfect time with the “kabooms” of the rockets. With every firework that lights up the sky, parents watch the delight grow on their children’s faces and sigh with relief.

After the grand finale, they make their way home with the noises still echoing in their ears. An extra special treat E __________! Waving them through the chilly air, spelling out names and drawing pictures, even the oldest members of the family remember how to be kids!

This is what the 5th of November means to me. Every year, it F __________ such bright and colourful fireworks and heard such loud bangs. I really hope I never grow out of it!

1. differences in traditions

2. children and hope that they

3. the day for fireworks lovers

4. the explosion lights up the sky

5. feels like the first time I’ve seen

6. waits at home though: sparklers

7. lit and the smell of smoke creeps

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	2	7	4	6	5

Task 65

Earth-sheltered homes

Earth-sheltered or simply underground homes are one of those creations by man, which brings him closer to nature. Unlike the normal traditional houses that A __________, these earth-sheltered homes are built using the shelter of the ground. Earth-sheltered homes can be easily made in hilly areas.

The basic idea behind the construction of such a house is that they are built with the idea of B ________ and each of these homes is built entirely different from each other.

The construction of these homes is usually done according to the shape of the area where the house is built. Their designs C ________ to the nature. The early earth houses which were initially built lacked windows. Modern day earth-sheltered homes though have windows as well as any other facility that the people living there might require.

Some of the major benefits of earth-sheltered homes are that they are naturally insulating. This makes them cool in the summer and cozy and warm in the winter. Another advantage D __________ and are well protected from earthquakes as well as wind-storms. Many earth-sheltered homes are also defended against intruders since there is usually only one entry.

As everything has its pros and cons, earth-sheltered homes also do. The interior decoration of these homes, like placing the furniture or huge paintings, E __________. These homes also have dark spaces inside and for this reason, lots of lighting is essential.

Earth-sheltered homes are one of the greenest housing designs that combines Mother Nature with eco-friendly F __________.

1. are built on the ground

2. are usually very organic

3. is being built facing south

4. being environmentally friendly

5. building materials and lifestyle

6. is that these homes are safe from fire

7. can be difficult due to the construction

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	4	2	6	7	5

Task 66

Australia

Australia is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse nations. Nearly a quarter of the people who live in Australia A __________. They come from the United Kingdom and other European countries, but also from China, Vietnam, North Africa, and the Middle East.

First people arrived in Australia about 50,000 years ago. They B __________ land bridges when sea levels were lower. The next to land in Australia were Dutch explorers. They came in 1606. In 1788 the British began to settle there. Many settlers C __________ as punishment. For a short time, the newcomers lived peacefully with the Aboriginal people.

In 1851, gold was discovered in Australia. A rush to find riches brought D __________ 1859, six separate colonies were created which later became part of the British Commonwealth.

Australian culture is founded on stories of battlers, bushrangers and brave soldiers. Today E __________ its Aboriginal heritage, vibrant mix of cultures, innovative ideas and a thriving ecosystem.

Australia’s ecosystem is an unusual one because of its remote location. As a result, there are F __________ and nowhere else in the world, such as kangaroo and koala.

One of Australia’s most amazing sites rises like an enormous whale’s back from a flat desert called the Red Center. It is a sacred natural formation at the heart of the country and the largest rock in the world!

1. Australia is one of the most

2. were born in other countries

3. Australia also defines itself by

4. many animal species that occur here

5. may have travelled from Asia across

6. thousands of new immigrants, and by

7. were criminals sent to live in Australia

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	5	7	6	3	4

Task 67

Living nature in Madeira

Right in the middle of the Atlantic, the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo are a haven of natural beauty. The exotic colours of the flowers stand out from among the blue sea and the emerald green vegetation. This is an archipelago where the big territory is a protected area and A __________ is located.

The Madeira Natural Park was created in 1982 to preserve this vast natural heritage, a worldwide rarity. The park is classified as a Biogenetic Reserve, B __________, with some rare species such as the mountain orchid, unique in the world, and also some exotic large trees. To visit this park is to discover Nature! The park covers about two-thirds of the island, making Madeira a truly ecological destination.

The springtime temperature, C __________, cries out for open air activities. Visitors can go for a walk in the park, visit the city of Funchal or roam freely around the island. Boat rides are an excellent way of D __________. In such a naturally welcoming environment, balance and well-being are taken for granted. Madeira offers various tourist complexes E __________.

Popular feasts, F __________, are opportunities to appreciate traditional gastronomic flavours and see Madeira partying, especially for the Carnival parades, the Flower festival, the Atlantic festival and, above all, the end-of-year fireworks display.

1. which is felt all year round

2. which take place in Madeira all year round

3. where the largest laurel forest in the world

4. admiring the coastline from a different perspective

5. where one can find a unique range of flora and fauna

6. choosing this holiday destination for its natural beauty

7. that have prime conditions for boating and scuba diving

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	5	1	4	7	2

Task 68

Wild animals in cities

Have you ever seen bears in Vancouver parks, leopards on the streets of Mumbai or wild pigs in gardens in Berlin? Recently, there A __________ on TV about big animals coming into towns and cities. What happens when wild animals come into our cities? Is it dangerous for us and the animals?

Wild animals usually come into cities to look for food. In Cape Town, South Africa, baboons sometimes come into the suburbs. They eat fruit from gardens and go into people’s kitchens and take food from cupboards and fridges! Baboons are B __________ children and fight with pet dogs. Many people do not like them, but the city can be dangerous for baboons too. Sometimes, baboons are C __________ human food can be very bad for their teeth. The city council in Cape Town has a team of Baboon Monitors whose job is to find baboons D ___________ to the countryside. This makes the city safer for people and is healthier for the baboons. However, the main problem is that a lot of baboons will come back to the city to find food again.

In Berlin, Germany, groups of wild pigs have come into the city for hundreds of years, but now the winters are warmer, there are even more pigs than in the past. Pigs eat flowers and plants and dig in gardens and parks in the city. They also E __________ accidents. Some city residents like the pigs and give them food. But the city council is worried about the traffic accidents, so they F __________ have put up fences to stop the pigs coming into the city.

1. cause lots of problems

2. in the city and take them back

3. walk in the street and cause traffic

4. hurt in car accidents and the sugar in

5. strong animals and sometimes they scare

6. have been many reports in newspapers and

7. have told people to stop giving the pigs food and

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	5	4	2	3	7

Task 69

Europe’s best hidden gems

There are incredible destinations in Europe known worldwide, such as Amsterdam and its canals, London and its museums, its shopping and atmosphere, or Paris, the City of Light. Europe also has thousands of hidden treasures. There is a wide selection of the finest unknown destinations in Europe, from Lugano in Switzerland  A __________.

Lugano is an international city, the crossroads and melting pot of European culture. It constitutes one of the most interesting regions to be discovered. Lugano is not only Switzerland’s third most important financial centre,  B __________ old buildings.

The area of Cinque Terre in Italy represents one of the best preserved natural sights of the Mediterranean. Human activity has contributed to creating a unique landscape in which the development of typical stone walls is so extensive C __________. All this, D __________, makes the Cinque Terre an increasingly popular location among Italian and foreign tourists.

Sintra is a jewel set between the mountains and the sea, waiting to be discovered by tourists E __________, luxuriant nature and cosmopolitan cultural offer. Sintra has a wonderful charm that left a deep impression on the soul and work of the writers F __________. Sintra is truly the capital of Romanticism. It is a place to be experienced by everyone!

1. but showed evidence of an early human housing

2. to Cinque Terre in Italy and Sintra in Portugal

3. as to equal that of the famous Great Wall of China

4. but also a town of parks and flowers, villas and

5. who want to be lost in its majestic historical heritage

6. combined with the beauty of a crystal clear sea

7. who pioneered the Romantic spirit in the eighteenth century

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	4	3	6	5	7

Task 70

Beautiful cities of Italy

The political and cultural centre of Italy is the ‘Eternal City’, Rome. Ever since the Roman Empire, as its capital, Rome has become famous as a centre of European culture. The most striking sights of Rome are, of course, the Colosseum and the Forum. Once the Colosseum was able to receive about 50 thousand spectators, A __________ and concert halls. The Pantheon, the old temple of all gods, B __________, is also located in Rome.

The second most important town in Italy is Milan. Milan is the capital of fashion and C __________, exhibitions and conferences. The main attraction of Milan is its Cathedral Square, where the monument to the King Victor Emmanuel II is installed. Theatre fans will not be left disappointed by visiting the Theatre of La Scala.

The most popular city among tourists is Venice. The city is unique because it has more than 120 islands, D __________ and 400 bridges. Venice has been known for more than fifteen hundred years, and for E __________. The main area of the city is Saint Mark’s Square with the Cathedral of San Marco. One of the most beautiful buildings in Venice is the Palace of Doges. The other famous attraction is the Grand Canal F______.

In addition to this, there are such beautiful cities in Italy as Naples, Turin, Florence, Genoa, Pisa and the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. All of them are outstanding places to visit.

1. that is the largest in Venice

2. which was built in the early I century

3. that everyone is dreaming about this trip

4. which is comparable with modern stadiums

5. which are сonnected by more than 150 canals

6. the venue for major international festivals

7. that time it produced a lot of attractions

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
4	2	6	5	7	1

Task 71

City of fountains

 Peterhof is a monument of world architecture and palace and park art. Peterhof includes a palace and park ensemble of the 18-19th centuries, A__________. Peterhof is a city of fountains as it contains 173 fountains and 4 cascades B__________. Each year up to 3 million people come here to enjoy the splendour of numerous fountains and the unique parks of Peterhof.

The name Peterhof was first mentioned in 1705. It was a coastal manor, close to which the construction of a grand country residence began. The original plan belonged to Peter the Great. After the brilliant victory of Russian troops over the Swedes, security of St. Petersburg both from the land C__________. Since that time, the construction of the Peterhof residence grew immensely in scope.

According to the plan of Peter the Great, on the one hand, Peterhof was meant to be equal in splendour with the most famous royal residences in Europe, D__________ to access the Baltic Sea. Both were successfully done. The Great Palace was built on a natural hill here, E__________. Following the plan of Peter the Great, F__________, the Grand Cascade with the famous Samson fountain was constructed. This is still one of the most spectacular fountains in the world. In 1990 the palaces and parks of Peterhof were included in the list of the world heritage of UNESCO.

1. and from the sea has been firmly ensured

2. which is a former royal countryside residence

3. who designs many royal residences in Europe

4. and then rebuilt in the baroque style in the 18th century

5. who wanted to decorate the main entrance with waterfalls

6. that are located in the park on the coast of the Gulf of Finland

7. and on the other hand, to become a monument of Russia’s struggle

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	6	1	7	4	5

Task 72

Sights of Sochi

 Sochi is unique among other Russian cities because it has many aspects of a subtropical resort. Apart from the scenic Caucasus Mountains, pebble and sand beaches, the city attracts tourists with its vegetation, numerous parks, monuments, and extravagant architecture. About two million people visit Greater Sochi each summer, A__________. The famous Caucasian Biosphere Reserve, B__________, lies just north from the city.

Popularity of Sochi among tourists is largely explained by the beauty of its surroundings. Walking along the river Agura, everyone will admire the nature around, C__________, and amazing waterfalls. From the bridge over the Agura opens a magnificent view to the lowest Agura waterfall. In the shady Agura gorge tourists will feel the gentle coolness, D__________.

Akhun Mountain the biggest in the region has a beautiful tower on the top. The height of the tower is more than 30 metres, E__________ are stunning. The observation platform on the top of the tower gives a chance to take superb pictures of the city. Every year thousands of people visit this stone tower, F__________ the perfect view of the Black Sea coast and the Caucasus Mountains. It is a truly unforgettable experience. Tourists will enjoy visiting all the sights and the resort itself, full of exotic green and the boundless blue of the Black Sea. 

1. and the views that open from it

2. which is built on the top to give visitors

3. when the subtropical resort is almost empty

4. which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

5. enjoying the sound of birds singing and waterfalls gurgling

6. when the city is home to the annual film festival “Kinotavr”

7. including high cliffs, exotic vegetation, breathtaking canyons

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
6	4	7	5	1	2

Task 73

Saint Petersburg

 A city of palaces and museums, broad avenues and narrow canals, St. Petersburg’s short history is rich in architectural and artistic treasures. Alongside world-famous attractions such as the Hermitage and St. Isaac’s Cathedral, the city has a lot of equally interesting buildings A__________. St. Petersburg is considered to be Russia’s cultural capital. It reflects the country’s extraordinary fate like no other city.

St. Petersburg is a relatively young city, by both Russian and European standards, as B__________. Despite its short life, the city has a rich history. From the early days of Peter the Great to modern times, the city has always bustled with life and intrigue.

Lying across the delta of the Neva River, St. Petersburg, the Venice of the North, is a city C__________, some of which are well-known for their unique history. Bridges are an essential part of the city’s architectural make-up. Among the city’s over 500 bridges, there are numerous technological masterpieces. The centre of the city offers vast areas of green space, D__________.

St. Petersburg is a beautiful and fascinating holiday destination and one E__________. Whether to visit the city in a romantic and snowy Russian winter F__________, visitors will be spellbound by 
St. Petersburg’s culture and beauty. 

1. that is built on hundreds of islands

2. or during the dazzling white nights in summer

3. it was only founded in 1703 by Tsar Peter the Great

4. or considering a variety of the trip accommodation offers

5. that reveal the mysterious and tragic genius of St. Petersburg

6. of the most intriguing and historically significant cities in Europe

7. including beautiful historic gardens and extensive leisure parks

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
5	3	1	7	6	2

Task 74

State Hermitage Museum

 The Hermitage is St. Petersburg’s most popular visitor attraction, and one of the world’s largest and most prestigious museums. It is a must-see for all first-time travellers to the city. With over 3 million items in its collection, it also rewards repeat visits, A__________ of the riches on offer here, from Impressionist masterpieces to fascinating Oriental treasures. It was estimated B__________ on display for just one minute. So many visitors prefer a guided tour to ensure C__________ highlights. Art-lovers, however, may find it more rewarding to seek out for themselves the works D__________.

The bulk of the Hermitage collection is housed in the Winter Palace, E__________. However, there are a number of other sites that constitute part of the Hermitage, including the recently opened Storage Facility in the north of St. Petersburg. It offers guided tours through some of the museum’s vast stocks. The magnificent General Staff Building opposite the Winter Palace is most famous for its central triumphal arch, F__________ Nevsky Prospekt. The General Staff Building contains a number of unique exhibitions. It includes the Modern European Art, probably the most visited section of the Hermitage with well-known collections of Picasso and Matisse, as well as a wealth of popular Impressionist paintings. 

1. that they are particularly interested in

2. that they have time to catch all the collection’s

3. and new-comers can only hope to get a brief taste

4. which brings pedestrians out on to Palace Square from

5. that one would need eleven years to view each exhibit

6. which was the official residence of the Russian emperors

7. and the exhibition was often visited by military historians

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
3	5	2	1	6	4

Task 75

Letniy Sad

 Letniy Sad (The Summer Garden) is a park ensemble, a monument of landscape art of the 18th century. Letniy Sad is the oldest park in St. Petersburg. The park was founded by Peter I in 1704. The Tsar dreamed of his own Versailles and drew its original plan himself. He planned to create a regular, architectural park with accurate layout and straight paths. Prominent architects and gardeners took part in its creation. The park was supposed to become a place of relaxation, A__________.

Letniy Sad is surrounded by water. Natural boundary of the park from the north and east are the Neva and Fontanka Rivers, B__________.

Peter I brought sculptures from Italy for the park and was very proud of them. In the 18th century there were more than two hundred sculptures, C__________, or moved to suburban royal residences and the Hermitage. Now Letniy Sad is decorated with 90 sculptures – copies made of artificial marble.

In May, 2012 Letniy Sad was opened after reconstruction. The reconstruction work had been going on for about three years, D__________ Letniy Sad as it was in the 18th century. Among the new items in Letniy Sad, there is the Archaeological Museum, E__________ during the restoration of the park. Visitors can take a tour of the park F__________ on Sundays. 

1. and restorers have done everything possible to keep

2. combining the features of urban and suburban estates

3. which are planned to be the centre of scientific research

4. which contains interesting objects found by archaeologists

5. but later many of them were either destroyed in the flood

6. and enjoy the exhibitions and performances of a brass band

7. and from the south and west – the Moika River and the Lebyazhiy Canal

Ответ	A	B	C	D	E	F
2	7	5	1	4	6

55

Full list of words from this list:

1. language learning

   learning to use a language

   Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

   Europe on the move

   Contents

   The importance of language 03

   The tongues of Europe 05

   Regional and minority languages 07

   Language and mobility 09

   Promoting
   language learning 10

   The tools of multilingualism 12

   Running a multilingual European Union 13

   Future challenges 15

   Further reading 15

   he language we speak helps define who we are.

2. familiarisation

   the experience of becoming familiar with something

   The languages of integration

   Many local authorities and national governments provide immigrants with language training,
   familiarisation courses on local society and culture, and help in finding jobs.

3. indigenous language

   a language that originated in a specified place and was not brought to that place from elsewhere

   Non-
   indigenous languages

   A wide range of languages from other parts of the world are spoken by immigrant communities in EU countries.

4. Finno-Ugrian

   a family of Uralic languages indigenous to Scandinavia and Hungary and Russia and western Siberia (prior to the Slavic expansion into those regions)

   Hungar- ian, Finnish and Estonian come from the
   Finno-Ugrian group of languages.

5. native speaker

   a speaker of a particular language who has spoken that language since earliest childhood

   The result is 23 languages for 27 countries.

   erman is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union with about 90 mil- lion
   native speakers, or 18 % of the EU population.

6. source language

   a language that is to be translated into another language

   A Slovak interpreter will plug into one of these as the
   source language, removing the need for people who can interpret straight out of Finnish into Slovak.

7. language teaching

   teaching people to speak and understand a foreign language

   Each government is responsible for its own national education policy, including
   language teaching.

8. multilingual

   using or knowing more than one language

   Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

   Europe on the move

   Contents

   The importance of language 03

   The tongues of Europe 05

   Regional and minority languages 07

   Language and mobility 09

   Promoting language learning 10

   The tools of multilingualism 12

   Running a
   multilingual European Union 13

   Future challenges 15

   Further reading 15

   he language we speak helps define who we are.

9. mother tongue

   one’s native language

   Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European Parliament can debate issues in their
   mother tongue

   Know your linguistic roots

   The languages of the EU come from a variety of roots.

10. retranslate

    translate again

    Instead it will first be translated into the three piv- otal languages, leaving translators free to use one of these to
    retranslate the text into their main language.

11. standardise

    cause to conform to standard or norm

    Both tools are meant to assist the user in presenting his or her quali- fications, formal or informal, in a
    standardised way — by language only, or by a complete CV.

12. peacekeeper

    someone who maintains tranquility

    Leonardo helps keep the peace

    EU
    peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

    The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU
    peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

13. Ugrian

    one of the two branches of the Finno-Ugric family of languages; spoken in Hungary and northwestern Siberia

    Hungar- ian, Finnish and Estonian come from the Finno-
    Ugrian group of languages.

14. pean

    a formal expression of praise

    The many languages spoken by the
    
    500 million citizens of the Euro-
    pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

15. linguistic

    consisting of or related to language

    The EU’s commitment to safeguard
    linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

16. written text

    something written, especially copied from one medium to another, as a typewritten version of dictation

    Translators work with
    written texts, and interpreters with the spoken

    word.

17. European Union

    an international organization of European countries formed after World War II to reduce trade barriers and increase cooperation among its members

    Speaking for Europe
    
    Languages in the
    European Union

    European Union

    You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

    European Commission
    
    Directorate-General for Communication
    
    Publications
    
    B-1049 Brussels

    Manuscript completed in August 2008

    Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

    Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

18. cross-cultural

    dealing with or comparing two or more cultures

    Knowing other languages also promotes
    cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

19. language

    a means of communicating by the use of sounds or symbols

    Speaking for Europe
    
    
    Languages in the European Union

    European Union

    You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

    European Commission
    
    Directorate-General for Communication
    
    Publications
    
    B-1049 Brussels

    Manuscript completed in August 2008

    Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

    Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

20. educationalist

    a specialist in the theory of education

    The first, Comenius (named after Jan Amos Comenius or Komensky, a 17th century
    educationalist from what is now the Czech Repub- lic), covers primary and second- ary schooling.

21. Slovak

    a native or inhabitant of Slovakia

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18
    Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

22. gramme

    a metric unit of weight equal to one thousandth of a kilogram

    These pro-
    grammes have at least one thing in common: they cover cross-border projects involving partners from at least two, and often three or more, EU countries.

23. Estonian

    of or pertaining to Estonia or the people or culture of Estonia

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14
    Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

24. bilingualism

    the ability to speak two languages colloquially

    The Finnish education system supports the maintenance and development of the mother tongues of immigrants to ensure what it calls functional
    bilingualism.

25. Slovenian

    of or relating to or characteristic of Slovenia or its people or language

    Slovenian members are just as entitled as German ones to speak the language of those who voted for them.

26. Latvian

    of or relating to or characteristic of Latvia or its people or language

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13
    Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

27. subtitle

    secondary or explanatory name of a literary composition

    The MEDIA pro- gramme funds the dubbing and

    subtitling of European films for showing in cinemas and on tele- vision in other EU countries.

28. Comenius

    Czech educational reformer (1592-1670)

    The first,
    Comenius (named after Jan Amos
    Comenius or Komensky, a 17th century educationalist from what is now the Czech Repub- lic), covers primary and second- ary schooling.

29. immigrant

    a person who comes to a country in order to settle there

    The notion of regional and minor- ity languages does not include dia- lects of any of the official languages or any of the languages spoken by
    immigrant communities in the European Union.

30. Russian-speaking

    able to communicate in Russian

    The entry of the Baltic countries with
    Russian-speaking minorities has added a new category of ‘minority’ language — one which is the national language of a non-EU country.

31. mobilise

    make ready for action or use

    Mobilising resources

    Running a multilingual EU comes at a price.

32. booklet

    a small book usually having a paper cover

    Speaking for Europe
    
    Languages in the European Union

    European Union

    You can find this
    booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

    European Commission
    
    Directorate-General for Communication
    
    Publications
    
    B-1049 Brussels

    Manuscript completed in August 2008

    Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

    Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

33. plug into

    plug into an outlet

    A Slovak interpreter will
    plug into one of these as the source language, removing the need for people who can interpret straight out of Finnish into Slovak.

34. specialise

    devote oneself to a special area of work

    This programme
    specialises in teaching adults.

35. electronic mail

    (computer science) a system of world-wide electronic communication in which a computer user can compose a message at one terminal that can be regenerated at the recipient’s terminal when the recipient logs in

    electronic mail via europedirect.europa.eu

    READ ABOUT EUROPE
    
    Publications about the EU are only a click away on the EU Bookshop website: bookshop.europa.eu

    YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN INFORMATION AND BOOKLETS IN ENGLISH ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

    Representation in Ireland
    
    18 Dawson Street
    
    Dublin 2
    
    Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
    
    Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
    
    Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
    
    E-mail: [email protected]

36. fax

    duplicator that transmits the copy by wire or radio

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

    EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

    Representation in Ireland
    
    18 Dawson Street
    
    Dublin 2
    
    Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
    
    
    Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
    
    Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
    
    E-mail: [email protected]

    Representation in the United Kingdom
    
    8 Storey’s Gate
    
    London SW1P 3AT
    
    Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
    
    
    Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
    
    Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

    Representation in Scotland
    
    9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
    
    
    Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

37. Galician

    a language spoken in Galicia in northwestern Spain

    Catalan, Basque,
    Galician: Special status since 2006.

38. Maghreb

    the region of northwest Africa comprising the Atlas Mountains and the coastlands of Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia

    Others in- clude
    Maghreb Arabic (mainly in France, Spain and Belgium), as well as Urdu, Bengali and Hindi spoken by immigrants from the Indian sub- continent in the United Kingdom.

39. Indo-European

    of or relating to the Indo-European language family

    Most belong to the vast
    Indo-European group whose main branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

40. Finnish

    the official language of Finland

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11
    Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

41. vocational education

    training for a specific vocation in industry or agriculture or trade

    The Leonardo da Vinci programme (named after the great figure of the Italian Re- naissance) focuses on
    vocational education and training.

42. Catalan

    the Romance language spoken in Catalonia in eastern Spain

    Catalan, Basque, Galician: Special status since 2006.

43. diversity

    noticeable variety

    These aims are complementary, embodying as they do the EU’s motto of ‘United in
    diversity’.

44. Lithuanian

    of or relating to or characteristic of Lithuania or its people or language

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12
    Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

45. European

    of or relating to or characteristic of Europe

    Speaking for Europe
    
    Languages in the
    European Union

    European Union

    You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

    European Commission
    
    Directorate-General for Communication
    
    Publications
    
    B-1049 Brussels

    Manuscript completed in August 2008

    Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

    Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

46. citizen

    a native or naturalized member of a state

    The many languages spoken by the
    
    500 million
    citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

47. Maltese

    of or relating to the island or republic of Malta or its inhabitants

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20
    Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

48. disseminate

    cause to become widely known

    areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

    encourage people to learn lan- guages at all educational levels and at all ages during their working life;
    
    improve access to language learning resources throughout Europe;
    
    develop and
    disseminate in- novative teaching techniques and good practice;
    
    ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are available to language learners;
    
    raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

49. Sami

    a member of an indigenous nomadic people living in northern Scandinavia and herding reindeer

    The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like
    Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

50. programme

    a series of goals to be accomplished

    One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory
    programme including 1 200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

51. dubbing

    a new soundtrack that is added to a film

    The MEDIA pro- gramme funds the
    dubbing and

    subtitling of European films for showing in cinemas and on tele- vision in other EU countries.

52. Union

    the United States

    Speaking for Europe
    
    Languages in the European
    Union

    European
    Union

    You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

    European Commission
    
    Directorate-General for Communication
    
    Publications
    
    B-1049 Brussels

    Manuscript completed in August 2008

    Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

    Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

53. basic principle

    principles from which other truths can be derived

    The
    basic principle is that all citizens and their elected representatives have the same right of access to the EU and are able to communicate with its institutions and authorities in their language.

54. cultural

    relating to the shared knowledge and values of a society

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-
    cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

55. Basque

    a member of a people of unknown origin living in the western Pyrenees in France and Spain

    Catalan,
    Basque, Galician: Special status since 2006.

56. directorate

    a group of persons chosen to govern the affairs of a corporation or other large institution

    Speaking for Europe
    
    Languages in the European Union

    European Union

    You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

    European Commission
    
    
    Directorate-General for Communication
    
    Publications
    
    B-1049 Brussels

    Manuscript completed in August 2008

    Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

    Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

57. Romanian

    of or relating to or characteristic of the country of Romania or its people or languages

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22
    Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17 Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

58. shortcut

    a route shorter than the usual one

    Using linguistic
    shortcuts of this kind makes practical and economic sense — provided standards are maintained.

59. Slovene

    a native of Slovenia

    Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

    EU official languages

    23 Bulgarian
    
    22 Romanian
    
    21 Irish*
    
    20 Maltese
    
    19 Czech
    
    18 Slovak
    
    17
    Slovene
    
    16 Polish
    
    15 Hungarian
    
    14 Estonian
    
    13 Latvian
    
    12 Lithuanian
    
    11 Finnish
    
    10 Swedish
    
    9 Spanish
    
    8 Portuguese
    
    7 Greek
    
    6 English
    
    5 Danish
    
    4 French**
    
    3 German**
    
    2 Italian**
    
    1 Dutch**

    understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

60. standardised

    brought into conformity with a standard

    Both tools are meant to assist the user in presenting his or her quali- fications, formal or informal, in a
    standardised way — by language only, or by a complete CV.

61. social group

    people sharing some social relation

    The EU is aware that language skills are unevenly spread across countries and
    social groups.

62. lingua

    a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

    The arrival of 12 new member states since 2004 has confirmed the pre- eminence of English as the emerg- ing
    lingua franca of the European

    Union.

63. hot spot

    a place of political unrest and potential violence

    Leonardo helps keep the peace

    EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

    The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to
    hot spots around the world.

64. quality control

    maintenance of standards of quality of manufactured goods

    Quality control of both interpretation and written transla- tion is therefore a major challenge.

65. enshrine

    enclose in a place of worship

    It is
    enshrined in the European Charter of Fun- damental Rights adopted by EU leaders in 2000.

66. lingua franca

    a common language used by speakers of different languages

    The range of foreign languages spoken by EU citizens is narrow; relying on one
    lingua franca in the form of English, however important, is not enough.

67. regional

    characteristic of a particular area

    Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

    Europe on the move

    Contents

    The importance of language 03

    The tongues of Europe 05

    Regional and minority languages 07

    Language and mobility 09

    Promoting language learning 10

    The tools of multilingualism 12

    Running a multilingual European Union 13

    Future challenges 15

    Further reading 15

    he language we speak helps define who we are.

68. minority

    being or relating to the smaller in number of two parts

    Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

    Europe on the move

    Contents

    The importance of language 03

    The tongues of Europe 05

    Regional and
    minority languages 07

    Language and mobility 09

    Promoting language learning 10

    The tools of multilingualism 12

    Running a multilingual European Union 13

    Future challenges 15

    Further reading 15

    he language we speak helps define who we are.

69. Lapland

    a region in northmost Europe inhabited by Lapps

    The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in
    Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

70. pes

    the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

    It enhanc es
    
    creativit y , breaks cultur al stereot y
    pes , enc our ages thinking “ outside the
    
    bo x ”, and c a n help dev elop inno v ativ e produc ts and ser vic es .’

71. interpreter

    someone who mediates between speakers of different languages

    To improve export performance, the study recommends that firms:

    take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
    
    appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
    
    recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
    
    hire translators and
    interpreters.

72. cul

    a passage with access only at one end

    Many people practise their language skills while on holiday

    This Sami woman in Lapland speaks a minority language

    espect for linguistic and
    cul— tural diversity is a hallmark of
    
    the European Union.

73. learning

    the cognitive process of acquiring skill or knowledge

    Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

    Europe on the move

    Contents

    The importance of language 03

    The tongues of Europe 05

    Regional and minority languages 07

    Language and mobility 09

    Promoting language
    learning 10

    The tools of multilingualism 12

    Running a multilingual European Union 13

    Future challenges 15

    Further reading 15

    he language we speak helps define who we are.

74. ombudsman

    an appointee investigating complaints against the government

    The same

    holds good for government minis- ters at official EU meetings or citi- zens submitting complaints to the European
    Ombudsman.

75. multinational

    involving or operating in several countries

    For
    multinational EU missions to be effective, participants need to be able to talk to each other, very often with a high degree of fluency and accuracy.

76. Urdu

    the official literary language of Pakistan, closely related to Hindi; widely used in India (mostly by Moslems); written in Arabic script

    Others in- clude Maghreb Arabic (mainly in France, Spain and Belgium), as well as
    Urdu, Bengali and Hindi spoken by immigrants from the Indian sub- continent in the United Kingdom.

77. public debate

    the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote)

    The use of all official languages also makes it easier for people to participate in
    public debates and consultations that the EU launches, often online.

78. United Kingdom

    a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland; `Great Britain’ is often used loosely to refer to the United Kingdom

    However, the survey also shows that in seven EU countries (Hun- gary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Roma- nia, Spain and the
    United Kingdom) between one half and two thirds of the population do not know any foreign languages.

79. local authority

    an administrative unit of local government

    The languages of integration

    Many
    local authorities and national governments provide immigrants with language training, familiarisation courses on local society and culture, and help in finding jobs.

80. Romani

    of or relating to the Gypsies or their language or culture

    This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan, Frisian, Sardinian and Welsh;
    
    languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
    
    non-territorial languages such as those of the Roma or Jewish communities in the EU (
    Romani and Yiddish).

81. promote

    assign to a higher position

    Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

    Europe on the move

    Contents

    The importance of language 03

    The tongues of Europe 05

    Regional and minority languages 07

    Language and mobility 09

    Promoting language learning 10

    The tools of multilingualism 12

    Running a multilingual European Union 13

    Future challenges 15

    Further reading 15

    he language we speak helps define who we are.

82. sizeable

    fairly large

    Prominent among these is Turkish with
    sizeable immigrant

    communities in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

83. translator

    a person who renders written messages in another language

    To improve export performance, the study recommends that firms:

    take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
    
    appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
    
    recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
    
    hire
    translators and interpreters.

84. authorise

    grant authorization or clearance for

    – 21 x 29.7 cm

    ISBN 978-92-79-09159-9

    © European Communities, 2008

    Reproduction is
    authorised.

85. mobility

    the quality of moving freely

    Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

    Europe on the move

    Contents

    The importance of language 03

    The tongues of Europe 05

    Regional and minority languages 07

    Language and
    mobility 09

    Promoting language learning 10

    The tools of multilingualism 12

    Running a multilingual European Union 13

    Future challenges 15

    Further reading 15

    he language we speak helps define who we are.

86. vocational

    of or relating to an occupation

    The Leonardo da Vinci programme (named after the great figure of the Italian Re- naissance) focuses on
    vocational education and training.

87. lifelong

    continuing through life

    The European Day of Languages celebrates linguis- tic diversity as one of Europe’s strengths, and encourages
    lifelong language learning in and out of school.

88. learn

    gain knowledge or skills

    Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

    Europe on the move

    Contents

    The importance of language 03

    The tongues of Europe 05

    Regional and minority languages 07

    Language and mobility 09

    Promoting language
    learning 10

    The tools of multilingualism 12

    Running a multilingual European Union 13

    Future challenges 15

    Further reading 15

    he language we speak helps define who we are.

89. Slovakia

    a landlocked republic in central Europe

    The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and
    Slovakia).

90. Frisian

    of or relating to the people or culture or language of Friesland or Frisia

    This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan,
    Frisian, Sardinian and Welsh;
    
    languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
    
    non-territorial languages such as those of the Roma or Jewish communities in the EU (Romani and Yiddish).

91. 41st

    the ordinal number of forty-one in counting order

    (202) 862 95 00
    
    Fax (202) 429 17 66
    
    Internet: eurunion.org
    
    222 East
    41st Street, 20th floor
    
    New York, NY 10017
    
    Tel.

92. geopolitical

    of or relating to geopolitics

    As a result of historic and
    geopolitical factors, Russian is the first or second foreign language spoken in most of these countries.

93. da Vinci

    Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect; the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance (1452-1519)

    The Leonardo
    da Vinci programme (named after the great figure of the Italian Re- naissance) focuses on vocational education and training.

94. unite

    join or combine

    These aims are complementary, embodying as they do the EU’s motto of ‘
    United in diversity’.

95. participant

    someone who is involved in an activity

    Eras- mus provides intensive language courses for
    participants in advance of their stay abroad.

96. translate

    restate from one language into another language

    By the same token, all new legisla- tion adopted by the EU is
    translated into all official languages so that any interested citizens across the Union know immediately what the

    new law is about and how it affects them.

97. Sardinian

    a native or inhabitant of Sardinia

    This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan, Frisian,
    Sardinian and Welsh;
    
    languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
    
    non-territorial languages such as those of the Roma or Jewish communities in the EU (Romani and Yiddish).

98. programmer

    a person who designs and writes and tests computer programs

    Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the
    programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

99. primary school

    a school for young children; usually the first 6 or 8 grades

    The majority of Europeans be- lieve that children should start learn- ing foreign languages at
    primary school between the ages of 6 and 12.

100. Hindi

     the most widely spoken of modern Indic vernaculars

     Others in- clude Maghreb Arabic (mainly in France, Spain and Belgium), as well as Urdu, Bengali and
     Hindi spoken by immigrants from the Indian sub- continent in the United Kingdom.

101. bilingual

     using or knowing two languages

     Such
     bilingual skills can also be a personal asset and open up career possibilities in several fields.

102. mutual understanding

     sympathy of each person for the other

     The idea behind the event is to raise public awareness of all the languages spo- ken in Europe and the importance of language learning in spreading tolerance and
     mutual understanding.

103. Albanian

     of or relating to Albania or its people or language or culture

     The latter are provided in
     Albanian, Arabic, English, French, Persian, Russian, Spanish, Somali and Turkish.

104. make sense

     be reasonable or logical or comprehensible

     A language class for immigrants in Vienna

     It
     makes sense to employ native speakers to work in export markets

     U citizens have the right to live and work in other member states besides their home country.

105. Somali

     a member of a tall dark people inhabiting Somalia

     The latter are provided in Albanian, Arabic, English, French, Persian, Russian, Spanish,
     Somali and Turkish.

106. unevenly

     in an unequal or partial manner

     The EU is aware that language skills are
     unevenly spread across countries and social groups.

107. assimilating

     capable of taking (gas, light, or liquids) into a solution

     This is a way for the people con- cerned to keep in touch with their cultural roots while
     assimilating the language and culture of their new host country.

108. awareness

     state of elementary or undifferentiated consciousness

     Being able to speak to one another raises our
     awareness of what we have in common and at the same time increases mutual re- spect for cultural differences.

109. teach

     impart skills or knowledge to

     In some countries, they are also given support for developing skills in the languages of their countries of origin and their children are
     taught these languages at school.

110. humanist

     someone concerned with the interests and welfare of people

     Erasmus (named after the 16th century
     humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam), is a spe- cial programme designed to en- able university-level students and

     teachers to spend time at a uni- versity in another EU country.

111. Caspian

     a large saltwater lake between Iran and Russia fed by the Volga River; the largest inland body of water in the world

     OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Wales
     
     2
     Caspian

112. sort out

     arrange or order by classes or categories

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to
     sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

113. Latvia

     a republic in northeastern Europe on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries —
     Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

114. internet

     a worldwide network of computer networks

     Care should be taken to promote all languages, in- cluding regional and minority ones, to provide more venues for lan- guage teaching, to make more use of the
     internet for learning languag- es, and to provide more subtitling on television and in the cinema.

115. migrant

     traveler who moves from one region or country to another

     The course is offered in eight languages and taught by local settled
     migrants.

116. Leonardo

     Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect; the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance (1452-1519)

     The
     Leonardo da Vinci programme (named after the great figure of the Italian Re- naissance) focuses on vocational education and training.

117. integration

     the act of combining into a whole

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer
     integration among its member countries.

118. Bengali

     of or relating to or characteristic of Bengal or its people

     Others in- clude Maghreb Arabic (mainly in France, Spain and Belgium), as well as Urdu,
     Bengali and Hindi spoken by immigrants from the Indian sub- continent in the United Kingdom.

119. sec

     1/60 of a minute

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a
     sec— ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

120. get in touch

     establish communication with someone

     EU’s language portal:
     
     europa.eu/languages/en/home

     The Directorate-General for Translation at the European Commission has produced its own information booklets available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

     Information about interpretation and interpreters in the EU can be found at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm

     Information about the EU’s lifelong learning programme and its subprogrammes is available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/ploteus

     Getting in touch with the EU

     ONLINE
     
     Information in

121. skill

     an ability that has been acquired by training

     Not surprisingly, the best lan- guage
     skills are found in countries that are relatively small or whose language is not well known else- where.

122. Yiddish

     a dialect of High German including some Hebrew and other words; spoken in Europe as a vernacular by many Jews; written in the Hebrew script

     This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan, Frisian, Sardinian and Welsh;
     
     languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
     
     non-territorial languages such as those of the Roma or Jewish communities in the EU (Romani and
     Yiddish).

123. tongue

     a mobile mass of muscular tissue located in the oral cavity

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The
     tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

124. ism

     a belief accepted as authoritative by some group or school

     A second one is better

     The EU’s concept of multilingual-
     ism for individual citizens is very ambitious.

125. interpret

     make sense of; assign a meaning to

     For instance, a Finnish speaker’s words will be
     interpreted into a lim- ited number of ‘relay’ languages.

126. Hungarian

     relating to or characteristic of Hungary

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15
     Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

127. Roma

     capital and largest city of Italy

     However, the survey also shows that in seven EU countries (Hun- gary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal,
     Roma— nia, Spain and the United Kingdom) between one half and two thirds of the population do not know any foreign languages.

128. export

     sell or transfer abroad

     A language class for immigrants in Vienna

     It makes sense to employ native speakers to work in
     export markets

     U citizens have the right to live and work in other member states besides their home country.

129. Leonardo da Vinci

     Italian painter and sculptor and engineer and scientist and architect; the most versatile genius of the Italian Renaissance (1452-1519)

     The
     Leonardo da Vinci programme (named after the great figure of the Italian Re- naissance) focuses on vocational education and training.

130. Luxembourg

     a grand duchy (a constitutional monarchy) landlocked in northwestern Europe between France and Belgium and Germany; an international financial center

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

131. tic

     a local and habitual twitching, especially in the face

     The European Day of Languages celebrates linguis-
     tic diversity as one of Europe’s strengths, and encourages lifelong language learning in and out of school.

132. Czech

     of or relating to Czechoslovakia or its people or their language

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19
     Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

133. hallmark

     a mark on an article of trade to indicate its origin

     Many people practise their language skills while on holiday

     This Sami woman in Lapland speaks a minority language

     espect for linguistic and cul- tural diversity is a
     hallmark of
     
     the European Union.

134. Irish people

     people of Ireland or of Irish extraction

     At the other end of the range, only 34 % of
     Irish people and 38 % of Britons claim to know a second language well enough to hold a conversation.

135. Danish

     a Scandinavian language that is the official language of Denmark

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5
     Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

136. by word of mouth

     orally

     Nothing is lost in translation: read about Europe in your own language

     By word of mouth

     EU interpreters use a similar system when providing interpretation to and from all 23 official languages.

137. develop

     progress or evolve through a process of natural growth

     In some countries, they are also given support for
     developing skills in the languages of their countries of origin and their children are taught these languages at school.

138. learner

     someone who learns or takes up knowledge or beliefs

     areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

     encourage people to learn lan- guages at all educational levels and at all ages during their working life;
     
     improve access to language learning resources throughout Europe;
     
     develop and disseminate in- novative teaching techniques and good practice;
     
     ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are available to language
     learners;
     
     raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

139. tun

     a large cask especially one holding a volume equivalent to 2 butts or 252 gals

     Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 605 79 00
     
     Fax (353-1) 605 79 99
     
     Internet: europarl.ie
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     United Kingdom Office
     
     2 Queen Anne’s Gate
     
     London SW1H 9AA
     
     Tel. (44-20) 72 27 43 00
     
     Fax (44-20) 72 27 43 02
     
     Internet:
     www.europarl.org.uk
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Office in Scotland
     
     The
     Tun
     
     4 Jackson’s Entry Holyrood Road Edinburgh EH8 8PJ
     
     Tel. (44-131) 557 78 66
     
     Fax (44-131) 557 49 77
     
     Internet:
     www.europarl.org.uk
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

140. tool

     an implement used to perform a task or job

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The
     tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

141. Bulgarian

     of or relating to or characteristic of Bulgaria or its people

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23
     Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

142. Lithuania

     a republic in northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

143. representation

     standing in for someone and speaking on their behalf

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION
     REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

144. widely

     to a great degree

     In this way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo- ken by a large number of people and others using less
     widely spo- ken ones.

145. internally

     on or from the inside

     Internally, the institutions operate with slimmed-down pro- cedures in the name of efficiency, speed and cost.

146. mil

     a unit of length equal to one thousandth of an inch

     The result is 23 languages for 27 countries.

     erman is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union with about 90
     mil— lion native speakers, or 18 % of the EU population.

147. speaker

     someone who expresses in language

     The result is 23 languages for 27 countries.

     erman is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union with about 90 mil- lion native
     speakers, or 18 % of the EU population.

148. Romania

     a republic in southeastern Europe with a short coastline on the Black Sea

     The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in
     Romania and Slovakia).

149. mote

     a tiny piece of anything

     Re-
     mote interpreting, management of multilingual websites and compu- ter-assisted translation are the most obvious examples.

150. speak for

     be a spokesperson for

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

151. medium-sized

     intermediate in size

     This is particularly the case for small and
     medium-sized en- terprises (SMEs) that are failing to fully exploit export opportunities in other EU countries.

152. translation

     rendering in another language with the same meaning

     Major responsibilities

     Translation and interpretation are therefore major EU responsibilities.

153. teaching

     the activities of educating or instructing

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language
     teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial assistance with living expenses.

154. Arabic

     the Semitic language of the Arabs

     Maltese is close to
     Arabic, with Italian elements.

155. complementary

     serving to fill out, enhance, or supply what is lacking

     These aims are
     complementary, embodying as they do the EU’s motto of ‘United in diversity’.

156. complement

     something added to embellish or make perfect

     The EU programmes are designed to
     complement the national educa- tion policies of member countries.

157. ensure

     make certain of

     This
     ensures that individual EU citizens are able to use the same language in any contacts with the EU and its institu- tions as they do when dealing with their national authorities at home.

158. usefully

     in a useful manner

     They should also recruit and train more teachers — and here border regions can
     usefully cooperate with each other.

159. word of mouth

     gossip spread by spoken communication

     Nothing is lost in translation: read about Europe in your own language

     By
     word of mouth

     EU interpreters use a similar system when providing interpretation to and from all 23 official languages.

160. dub

     new sounds added to a soundtrack

     The MEDIA pro- gramme funds the
     dubbing and

     subtitling of European films for showing in cinemas and on tele- vision in other EU countries.

161. spoken

     uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination

     The many languages
     spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

162. ting

     a light clear metallic sound as of a small bell

     This is why it stresses the

     personal, social and economic ben- efits of multilingualism and why it has set the ambitious target of get-
     ting as many EU citizens as possible to learn two languages in addition to their mother tongue.

163. involve

     contain as a part

     These pro- grammes have at least one thing in common: they cover cross-border projects
     involving partners from at least two, and often three or more, EU countries.

164. member

     anything that belongs to a set or class

     Leonard Orban,
     Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

165. Slav

     any member of the people of eastern Europe or Asian Russia who speak a Slavonic language

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main branches are Germanic, Romance,
     Slav and Celtic.

166. institution

     a custom that has been an important feature of some group

     In the German city of Frankfurt-am-Main, a 600-hour language course is preceded by familiarisation with the city and an introduction to German
     institutions and the national legal system.

167. Erasmus

     Dutch humanist and theologian who was the leading Renaissance scholar of northern Europe; although his criticisms of the Roman Catholic Church led to the Reformation, he opposed violence and condemned Martin Luther (1466-1536)

     Erasmus (named after the 16th century humanist,
     Erasmus of Rotterdam), is a spe- cial programme designed to en- able university-level students and

     teachers to spend time at a uni- versity in another EU country.

168. mini

     used of women’s clothing

     The same

     holds good for government
     minis— ters at official EU meetings or citi- zens submitting complaints to the European Ombudsman.

169. pant

     breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted

     In others, partici-
     pants may be able to speak a large number of languages but these are only interpreted into two or three of the widely used ones.

170. recognise

     perceive to be the same

     The EU
     recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

171. orientation

     the act of determining one’s position

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal
     orientation, and financial assistance with living expenses.

172. survey

     determining opinions by interviewing people

     In fact, the most recent
     survey by the European Commis- sion, published in 2006, shows that five languages dominate as the for- eign languages most widely spoken by EU citizens (see box).

173. Europe

     the 2nd smallest continent

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for
     Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official

174. erase

     remove by or as if by rubbing

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to
     erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

175. speak

     use language

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

176. pivotal

     being of crucial importance

     The European Parliament, which often needs to produce documents rapidly in all official languages, has developed a system centred on three ‘
     pivotal’ languages: English, French and German.

177. storey

     a part of a building with rooms on the same level

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8
     Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

178. assimilate

     make alike

     This is a way for the people con- cerned to keep in touch with their cultural roots while
     assimilating the language and culture of their new host country.

179. interpretation

     the act of expressing something in an artistic performance

     Major responsibilities

     Translation and
     interpretation are therefore major EU responsibilities.

180. chlorine

     a common nonmetallic element belonging to the halogens

     Printed in Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE
     CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu ages is a great benefit for individu als , organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

181. Flemish

     of or relating to Flanders or its people or language or culture

     One example is from the
     Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the
     Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

182. pro

     an argument in favor of a proposal

     These
     pro— grammes have at least one thing in common: they cover cross-border projects involving partners from at least two, and often three or more, EU countries.

183. website

     a set of pages on the internet organized as a single unit

     Re- mote interpreting, management of multilingual
     websites and compu- ter-assisted translation are the most obvious examples.

184. Breton

     a native or inhabitant of Brittany

     The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or
     Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

185. euro

     the basic monetary unit of most members of the European Union (introduced in 1999); in 2002 twelve European nations (Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Austria, Finland) adopted the euro as their basic unit of money and abandoned their traditional currencies

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the
     Euro— pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

186. educator

     someone who educates young people

     Each of these is named after a well- known European
     educator and each is responsible for one area of learning and teaching.

187. portal

     a grand and imposing entrance

     portal to the EU’s website

     FURTHER READING

     Information about the use of languages in the European Union can be found at the EU’s language
     portal:
     
     europa.eu/languages/en/home

     The Directorate-General for Translation at the European Commission has produced its own information booklets available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

     Information about interpretation and interpreters in the EU can be found at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm

     Information about the EU’s lifelong learning

188. indigenous

     originating where it is found

     Non-
     indigenous languages

     A wide range of languages from other parts of the world are spoken by immigrant communities in EU countries.

189. informal

     not in accord with established conventions and requirements

     Both tools are meant to assist the user in presenting his or her quali- fications, formal or
     informal, in a standardised way — by language only, or by a complete CV.

190. resource

     aid or support that may be drawn upon when needed

     areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

     encourage people to learn lan- guages at all educational levels and at all ages during their working life;
     
     improve access to language learning
     resources throughout Europe;
     
     develop and disseminate in- novative teaching techniques and good practice;
     
     ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are available to language learners;
     
     raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

191. e-mail

     (computer science) a system of world-wide electronic communication in which a computer user can compose a message at one terminal that can be regenerated at the recipient’s terminal when the recipient logs in

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

192. Baltic

     a sea in northern Europe; stronghold of the Russian navy

     Greek
     
     and the
     Baltic languages, Lithuanian and Latvian, are also Indo-European although not part of the principal branches.

193. Nation

     United States prohibitionist who raided saloons and destroyed bottles of liquor with a hatchet (1846-1911)

     Citizens are involved

     Its law-making function and the direct involvement of its citizens explain why the EU uses more lan- guages than multinational bodies like the United
     Nations or NATO, which operate only at the intergov- ernmental level with no legislative function.

194. include

     have as a part; be made up out of

     Other findings of the survey
     include the following.

195. recruit

     cause to assemble or enlist in the military

     To improve export performance, the study recommends that firms:

     take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
     
     appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
     
     
     recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
     
     hire translators and interpreters.

196. transnational

     involving or operating in several countries

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a
     transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

197. ken

     range of what one can know or understand

     In this way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo-
     ken by a large number of people and others using less widely spo-
     ken ones.

198. program

     a series of steps to be carried out

     But immigrant communities receive EU funding to help them in- tegrate into their new countries of residence through its social and re- gional development
     programmes.

199. non

     negation of a word or group of words

     The entry of the Baltic countries with Russian-speaking minorities has added a new category of ‘minority’ language — one which is the national language of a
     non-EU country.

200. Germanic

     of or relating to the language of Germans

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main branches are
     Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

201. mail

     the bags of letters and packages that are transported by the postal service

     You can find the address of the centre nearest you on this website:
     
     europedirect.europa.eu

     ON THE PHONE OR BY
     MAIL
     
     Europe Direct is a service which answers your questions about the European Union.

202. Belgium

     a monarchy in northwestern Europe

     This is because Germany and Austria use the same language, Greece and Cyprus share Greek, and
     Belgium and Luxembourg have common languages with their French, German and Dutch neighbours.

203. Romance

     relating to languages derived from Latin

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main branches are Germanic,
     Romance, Slav and Celtic.

204. Swedish

     of or relating to or characteristic of Sweden or its people or culture or language

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10
     Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

205. provide

     give something useful or necessary to

     The languages of integration

     Many local authorities and national governments
     provide immigrants with language training, familiarisation courses on local society and culture, and help in finding jobs.

206. plus

     on the positive side or higher end of a scale

     ‘Mother-tongue-
     plus-two’

     Although most Europeans who learn a second language pick English, followed by German and French, other language options may be more appropriate in certain circumstances.

207. entitle

     give the right to

     Slovenian members are just as
     entitled as German ones to speak the language of those who voted for them.

208. commission

     the act of granting authority to undertake certain functions

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European
     Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

209. Rotterdam

     the 2nd largest city in the Netherlands

     Erasmus (named after the 16th century humanist, Erasmus of
     Rotterdam), is a spe- cial programme designed to en- able university-level students and

     teachers to spend time at a uni- versity in another EU country.

210. emergence

     the act of coming out into view

     While recognising the
     emergence of English as the most widely spo- ken language in Europe, the Union also wants to make sure this does not become, over time, a factor lim- iting linguistic diversity within its frontiers.

211. job

     a specific piece of work required to be done as a duty

     To know another language, or maybe several, makes it possible to move and find a
     job in another country.

212. operational

     pertaining to a series of actions for achieving a result

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out
     operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

213. authorised

     sanctioned by established authority

     – 21 x 29.7 cm

     ISBN 978-92-79-09159-9

     © European Communities, 2008

     Reproduction is
     authorised.

214. country

     the territory occupied by a nation

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member
     countries.

215. create

     bring into existence

     This mobility on the la- bour market helps
     create new jobs and stimulate growth.

216. publish

     prepare and issue for public distribution or sale

     In fact, the most recent survey by the European Commis- sion,
     published in 2006, shows that five languages dominate as the for- eign languages most widely spoken by EU citizens (see box).

217. mosaic

     design made of small pieces of colored stone or glass

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast
     mosaic pattern.

218. exploit

     use or manipulate to one’s advantage

     This is particularly the case for small and medium-sized en- terprises (SMEs) that are failing to fully
     exploit export opportunities in other EU countries.

219. German

     of or pertaining to or characteristic of Germany or its people or language

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3
     German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

220. Belarus

     a landlocked republic in eastern Europe

     ’10
     
     ‘
     
     r»-»

     r
     
     l.,_.,.l
     
     /
     
     j
     
     «- ‘

     Belarus

     ‘,_…………,
     
     r <
     
     I .-……..

221. putt

     strike a golf ball lightly

     However, English is spoken by an estimated 38 % of EU citizens as their first foreign language,
     putting it well ahead of German and the others as the most widely used language of the European Union.

222. embody

     represent in physical form

     These aims are complementary,
     embodying as they do the EU’s motto of ‘United in diversity’.

223. circulate

     move through a system and return to the starting point

     Most docu- ments are drafted in one of these languages and
     circulate internally between the departments and services concerned until the final draft is ready for publication or for transmission to another institution such as the European Parliament or the Council of Ministers.

224. poll

     the counting of votes (as in an election)

     According to the 2006 Eurobarome- ter survey, 28 % of those
     polled said they knew two other languages in addition to their mother tongue.

225. actively

     in an energetic manner

     The EU recognises this right to identity and
     actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

226. seek out

     look for a specific person or thing

     This is particularly the case where EU citizens want to move from one country to another to
     seek out better job opportuni- ties.

227. interpreting

     an explanation of something that is not immediately obvious

     Re- mote
     interpreting, management of multilingual websites and compu- ter-assisted translation are the most obvious examples.

228. Europa

     the 4th largest of Jupiter’s satellites

     for Translation at the European Commission has produced its own information booklets available at:
     
     ec.
     europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

     Information about interpretation and interpreters in the EU can be found at:
     
     ec.
     europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm

     Information about the EU’s lifelong learning programme and its subprogrammes is available at:
     
     ec.
     europa.eu/ploteus

     Getting in touch with the EU

     ONLINE
     
     Information in all the official languages of the European Union is available
     
     on the
     Europa

229. put under

     administer an anesthetic drug to

     EU funds for learning

     Since 2007 the main programmes have been
     put under the overall umbrella of the EU’s lifelong learn- ing programme.

230. cinema

     a medium that disseminates moving pictures

     The MEDIA pro- gramme funds the dubbing and

     subtitling of European films for showing in
     cinemas and on tele- vision in other EU countries.

231. formal

     in accord with established conventions and requirements

     In general, these non-indigenous languages are not given
     formal status or recognition in EU coun- tries.

232. sized

     having a specified size

     This is particularly the case for small and medium-
     sized en- terprises (SMEs) that are failing to fully exploit export opportunities in other EU countries.

233. functional

     designed for or capable of a particular use

     The Finnish education system supports the maintenance and development of the mother tongues of immigrants to ensure what it calls
     functional bilingualism.

234. asset

     a useful or valuable quality

     Such bilingual skills can also be a personal
     asset and open up career possibilities in several fields.

235. ambitious

     having a strong desire for success or achievement

     A second one is better

     The EU’s concept of multilingual- ism for individual citizens is very
     ambitious.

236. use

     put into service

     For any
     use or reproduction of individual photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

237. reproduction

     the act of making copies

     – 21 x 29.7 cm

     ISBN 978-92-79-09159-9

     © European Communities, 2008

     Reproduction is authorised.

238. venue

     the scene of any event or action

     Care should be taken to promote all languages, in- cluding regional and minority ones, to provide more
     venues for lan- guage teaching, to make more use of the internet for learning languag- es, and to provide more subtitling on television and in the cinema.

239. step up

     increase in extent or intensity

     The EU has
     stepped up these ac- tivities as EU membership has increased and as the number of of- ficial languages has doubled since
     
     2004.

240. Hun

     a member of a nomadic people who invaded Europe in the 4th century

     However, the survey also shows that in seven EU countries (
     Hun— gary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Roma- nia, Spain and the United Kingdom) between one half and two thirds of the population do not know any foreign languages.

241. support

     the act of bearing the weight of or strengthening

     About half
     support the idea of mother- tongue-plus-two languages.

242. adult

     a fully developed person from maturity onward

     The fourth programme is Grundtvig, named after N. F. S. Grundtvig, a 19th cen- tury Danish pioneer of
     adult educa- tion.

243. Northern Ireland

     a division of the United Kingdom located on the northern part of the island of Ireland

     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Wales
     
     2 Caspian Point Caspian Way Cardiff CF10 4QQ
     
     Tel. (44-29) 20 89 50 20
     
     Fax (44-29) 20 89 50 35
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in
     Northern Ireland

244. Frankfurt

     a German city

     In the German city of
     Frankfurt-am-Main, a 600-hour language course is preceded by familiarisation with the city and an introduction to German institutions and the national legal system.

245. United Nations

     an organization of independent states formed in 1945 to promote international peace and security

     Citizens are involved

     Its law-making function and the direct involvement of its citizens explain why the EU uses more lan- guages than multinational bodies like the
     United Nations or NATO, which operate only at the intergov- ernmental level with no legislative function.

246. competence

     the quality of being adequately or well qualified

     The skills and
     competence of these services are upheld as examples worldwide.

247. category

     a general concept that marks divisions or coordinations

     The entry of the Baltic countries with Russian-speaking minorities has added a new
     category of ‘minority’ language — one which is the national language of a non-EU country.

248. discrimination

     unfair treatment of a person or group based on prejudice

     No
     discrimination

     There are 23 official EU languages.

249. poster

     a sign posted in a public place as an advertisement

     One of the
     posters used for this event shows the usual form of greeting in 37 languages.

250. diverse

     distinctly dissimilar or unlike

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more
     diverse Union.

251. Slovenia

     a mountainous republic in central Europe

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia,
     Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

252. open up

     cause to open or to become open

     Such bilingual skills can also be a personal asset and
     open up career possibilities in several fields.

253. challenge

     a call to engage in a contest or fight

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future
     challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

254. communicate

     transfer to another

     Promoting language learning

     he EU is committed to sup- porting the rights of its citizens
     
     to personal and professional mobil- ity, and their ability to
     communicate with each other.

255. intensive

     characterized by a heightened level or degree

     Eras- mus provides
     intensive language courses for participants in advance of their stay abroad.

256. funded

     furnished with funds

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it
     funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

257. precede

     be earlier in time

     In the German city of Frankfurt-am-Main, a 600-hour language course is
     preceded by familiarisation with the city and an introduction to German institutions and the national legal system.

258. worldwide

     spanning or extending throughout the entire world

     The skills and competence of these services are upheld as examples
     worldwide.

259. available

     obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service

     areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

     encourage people to learn lan- guages at all educational levels and at all ages during their working life;
     
     improve access to language learning resources throughout Europe;
     
     develop and disseminate in- novative teaching techniques and good practice;
     
     ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are
     available to language learners;
     
     raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

260. researcher

     a scientist devoted to systematic investigation

     The results of their efforts are offered to the public and often used by
     researchers and pri- vate companies.

261. curriculum

     an integrated course of academic studies

     Moreover, class sizes should be relatively small, and enough time needs to be set aside in the school
     curriculum for lan- guage teaching.

262. Ghent

     port city in northwestern Belgium and industrial center

     One example is from the Flemish city of
     Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

263. stress

     special emphasis attached to something

     The study
     
     also
     stresses the growing im-
     
     portance of multilingualism

     for winning business in world markets.

264. cooperate

     work together on a common enterprise or project

     They should also recruit and train more teachers — and here border regions can usefully
     cooperate with each other.

265. improve

     to make better

     To
     improve export performance, the study recommends that firms:

     take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
     
     appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
     
     recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
     
     hire translators and interpreters.

266. legal system

     a system for interpreting and enforcing the laws

     In the German city of Frankfurt-am-Main, a 600-hour language course is preceded by familiarisation with the city and an introduction to German institutions and the national
     legal system.

267. NATO

     an international organization created in 1949 by the North Atlantic Treaty for purposes of collective security

     Citizens are involved

     Its law-making function and the direct involvement of its citizens explain why the EU uses more lan- guages than multinational bodies like the United Nations or
     NATO, which operate only at the intergov- ernmental level with no legislative function.

268. fund

     a reserve of money set aside for some purpose

     But immigrant communities receive EU
     funding to help them in- tegrate into their new countries of residence through its social and re- gional development programmes.

269. Polish

     of or relating to Poland or its people or culture

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16
     Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

270. focusing

     the concentration of attention or energy on something

     In 1958 the official languages were decided in Council Regulation No 1, which has been amended each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23,
     focusing attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

271. online

     connected to a computer network or accessible by computer

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU
     online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

272. interpreted

     understood in a certain way; made sense of

     For instance, a Finnish speaker’s words will be
     interpreted into a lim- ited number of ‘relay’ languages.

273. Belfast

     capital and largest city of Northern Ireland

     in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Wales
     
     2 Caspian Point Caspian Way Cardiff CF10 4QQ
     
     Tel. (44-29) 20 89 50 20
     
     Fax (44-29) 20 89 50 35
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Northern Ireland
     
     Windsor House
     
     9/15 Bedford Street
     
     
     Belfast

274. schooling

     the act of teaching at school

     The first, Comenius (named after Jan Amos Comenius or Komensky, a 17th century educationalist from what is now the Czech Repub- lic), covers primary and second- ary
     schooling.

275. continent

     one of the large landmasses of the earth

     Others in- clude Maghreb Arabic (mainly in France, Spain and Belgium), as well as Urdu, Bengali and Hindi spoken by immigrants from the Indian sub-
     continent in the United Kingdom.

276. supporting

     the act of bearing the weight of or strengthening

     The
     
     ‘Culture’ programme builds cross- cultural bridges by
     supporting the translation of modern authors into other EU languages.

277. elect

     choose by a vote for an office or membership

     The basic principle is that all citizens and their
     elected representatives have the same right of access to the EU and are able to communicate with its institutions and authorities in their language.

278. community

     a group of people living in a particular local area

     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European
     Communities

279. amend

     make revisions to

     In 1958 the official languages were decided in Council Regulation No 1, which has been
     amended each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23, focusing attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

280. developing

     of societies with low levels of industrial capability

     In some countries, they are also given support for
     developing skills in the languages of their countries of origin and their children are taught these languages at school.

281. relatively

     by comparison to something else

     Not surprisingly, the best lan- guage skills are found in countries that are
     relatively small or whose language is not well known else- where.

282. publication

     the act of issuing printed materials

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/
     publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official
     Publications of the

283. adopt

     take into one’s family

     By the same token, all new legisla- tion
     adopted by the EU is translated into all official languages so that any interested citizens across the Union know immediately what the

     new law is about and how it affects them.

284. con

     an argument opposed to a proposal

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the
     con— tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

285. transparency

     the quality of being clear

     Running a multilingual
     
     European Union

     Busy in the background: interpreters at a formal EU meeting

     he reasons why the European
     
     Union uses 23 official languag- es are not hard to find: they are democracy,
     transparency and the right to know.

286. root

     underground plant organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes

     Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European Parliament can debate issues in their mother tongue

     Know your linguistic
     roots

     The languages of the EU come from a variety of
     roots.

287. electronic

     relating to or operating by a controlled current

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce
     electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

288. introductory

     serving to open or begin

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an
     introductory programme including 1 200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

289. addition

     the arithmetic operation of summing

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in
     addition to their mother tongue.

290. legislation

     the act of making or enacting laws

     EU
     legislation applies directly throughout the Union and there- fore to all its citizens and businesses.

291. enhance

     increase

     What the EU programmes do is to create links between countries and regions via joint projects which
     enhance the impact of language teaching and learning.

292. Portuguese

     of or relating to or characteristic of Portugal or the people of Portugal or their language

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8
     Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

293. encourage

     inspire with confidence

     Partly for this reason, the European Union
     encourages people to learn two foreign languages if possible.

294. refugee

     an exile who flees for safety

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised
     refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

295. entry

     the act of going in

     The
     entry of 12 new members be- tween 2004 and 2007 more than doubled the number of official

     The current EU
     
     languages became
     
     ‘official languages’ of
     
     the EU in these years

     1953 1973 1981 1986 1995 2004 2007
     
     *Irish: Treaty language since 1973.

296. voter

     a citizen who has a legal right to vote

     Elected representatives in the Euro- pean Parliament have equal rights to speak on behalf of their
     voters in their own language.

297. economically

     in a manner using the minimum of time or resources

     They have also striven to give citizens and governments quality translation and interpreta- tion, efficiently and
     economically.

298. roots

     the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

     Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European Parliament can debate issues in their mother tongue

     Know your linguistic
     roots

     The languages of the EU come from a variety of
     roots.

299. foreign

     not deriving from the essential nature of something

     However, English is spoken by an estimated 38 % of EU citizens as their first
     foreign language, putting it well ahead of German and the others as the most widely used language of the European Union.

300. aspiration

     a cherished desire

     Our national histories and cultural herit- age may differ, but our
     aspirations and hopes for the future are closely in tune.

301. Briton

     a native or inhabitant of Great Britain

     At the other end of the range, only 34 % of Irish people and 38 % of
     Britons claim to know a second language well enough to hold a conversation.

302. Franco

     Spanish general whose armies took control of Spain in 1939 and who ruled as a dictator until his death (1892-1975)

     The main exception is
     
     Basque, spoken on both sides of the
     Franco-Spanish border, whose roots are still being researched.

303. access

     the right to enter

     The aims here are to promote language learning in the EU, to en- sure citizens have
     access to the EU in their own language, and to ex- ploit fully the contribution of mul- tilingualism to the economic, social, cultural and political development of the European Union.

304. expand

     extend in one or more directions

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-
     expanding and more diverse Union.

305. status

     the condition or someone or something at a particular time

     Catalan, Basque, Galician: Special
     status since 2006.

306. document

     a representation of a person’s thinking with symbolic marks

     The Council of Europe, with more members than the EU, publishes official
     documents only in English and French, as does NATO.

307. Hungary

     a republic in central Europe

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial assistance with living expenses.

308. take to

     have a fancy or particular liking or desire for

     Care should be
     taken to promote all languages, in- cluding regional and minority ones, to provide more venues for lan- guage teaching, to make more use of the internet for learning languag- es, and to provide more subtitling on television and in the cinema.

309. promotion

     the act of raising in rank or position

     Promotion of language learning and linguistic diversity is therefore one of the ob- jectives of the programme, and of its four specific subprogrammes.

310. bookshop

     a shop where books are sold

     Bookshop website:
     bookshop.europa.eu

     YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN INFORMATION AND BOOKLETS IN ENGLISH ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10

311. uphold

     stand up for; stick up for; of causes, principles, or ideals

     The skills and competence of these services are
     upheld as examples worldwide.

312. Russian

     of or pertaining to or characteristic of Russia or its people or culture or language

     The entry of the Baltic countries with
     Russian-speaking minorities has added a new category of ‘minority’ language — one which is the national language of a non-EU country.

313. Brussels

     the capital and largest city of Belgium

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049
     Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

314. large number

     a large indefinite number

     In this way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo- ken by a
     large number of people and others using less widely spo- ken ones.

315. operate

     perform as expected when applied

     Citizens are involved

     Its law-making function and the direct involvement of its citizens explain why the EU uses more lan- guages than multinational bodies like the United Nations or NATO, which
     operate only at the intergov- ernmental level with no legislative function.

316. work in

     add by mixing or blending on or attaching

     A total of 32 % learn languages in order to use them at work, while
     
     27 % do so to be able to
     work in an- other country.

317. strengthen

     make strong or stronger

     But it has also
     strengthened the position of German, which is now on a par with French.

318. safeguard

     a precautionary measure warding off impending danger

     The EU’s commitment to
     safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

319. sup

     take solid or liquid food into the mouth a little at a time

     Promoting language learning

     he EU is committed to
     sup— porting the rights of its citizens
     
     to personal and professional mobil- ity, and their ability to communicate with each other.

320. French

     of or pertaining to France or the people of France

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4
     French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

321. dominate

     be in control

     In fact, the most recent survey by the European Commis- sion, published in 2006, shows that five languages
     dominate as the for- eign languages most widely spoken by EU citizens (see box).

322. slim

     being of delicate or slender build

     Internally, the institutions operate with
     slimmed-down pro- cedures in the name of efficiency, speed and cost.

323. information

     knowledge acquired through study or experience

     It is never too soon to start learning another language

     11

     There are national
     information cen- tres in each country, which give details about how to apply to par- ticipate in these programmes (see ec.europa.eu/ploteus).

324. parliament

     a legislative assembly in certain countries

     Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European
     Parliament can debate issues in their mother tongue

     Know your linguistic roots

     The languages of the EU come from a variety of roots.

325. tolerance

     willingness to respect the beliefs or practices of others

     The idea behind the event is to raise public awareness of all the languages spo- ken in Europe and the importance of language learning in spreading
     tolerance and mutual understanding.

326. enabling

     providing legal power or sanction

     Knowing other languages is the key to real mobility in the EU,
     enabling you to take maximum advantage of job, study and travel opportunities
     
     across the continent.

327. border

     the boundary of a surface

     The main exception is
     
     Basque, spoken on both sides of the Franco-Spanish
     border, whose roots are still being researched.

328. strengthened

     given added strength or support

     But it has also
     strengthened the position of German, which is now on a par with French.

329. Dublin

     capital and largest city and major port of the Irish Republic

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

330. doubled

     twice as great or many

     The entry of 12 new members be- tween 2004 and 2007 more than
     doubled the number of official

     The current EU
     
     languages became
     
     ‘official languages’ of
     
     the EU in these years

     1953 1973 1981 1986 1995 2004 2007
     
     *Irish: Treaty language since 1973.

331. involvement

     the act of sharing in the activities of a group

     Citizens are involved

     Its law-making function and the direct
     involvement of its citizens explain why the EU uses more lan- guages than multinational bodies like the United Nations or NATO, which operate only at the intergov- ernmental level with no legislative function.

332. charter

     a document creating an institution and specifying its rights

     It is enshrined in the European
     Charter of Fun- damental Rights adopted by EU leaders in 2000.

333. aging

     the organic process of growing older

     In fact the EU goes further, encour-
     aging its citizens to learn languag- es.

334. English

     of or relating to England or its culture or people

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6
     English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

335. main

     most important element

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European group whose
     main branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

336. lesser

     of smaller size or importance

     The notion of minority language covers not only
     lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

337. national

     of or relating to or belonging to a country

     When a new country becomes a member of the EU, the
     national lan- guage of that country normally be- comes an official EU language.

338. training

     activity leading to skilled behavior

     The languages of integration

     Many local authorities and national governments provide immigrants with language
     training, familiarisation courses on local society and culture, and help in finding jobs.

339. Dutch

     the people of the Netherlands

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1
     Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

340. rely

     have confidence or faith in

     The range of foreign languages spoken by EU citizens is narrow;
     relying on one lingua franca in the form of English, however important, is not enough.

341. Spanish

     of or relating to or characteristic of Spain or the people of Spain

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9
     Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

342. uniformity

     the quality of lacking diversity or variation

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’
     uniformity, as some critics claim.

343. pact

     a written agreement between two states or sovereigns

     As in any democracy, each citizen has a fundamental right to know why a particular item of legislation is being adopted and whether and how it im-
     pacts on his or her daily life.

344. cover

     provide with a covering or cause to be covered

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

345. relay

     passing something along from one person or group to another

     For instance, a Finnish speaker’s words will be interpreted into a lim- ited number of ‘
     relay’ languages.

346. service

     an act of help or assistance

     The skills and competence of these
     services are upheld as examples worldwide.

347. plug

     blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly

     A Slovak interpreter will
     plug into one of these as the source language, removing the need for people who can interpret straight out of Finnish into Slovak.

348. goal

     the state of affairs that a plan is intended to achieve

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its
     goal of closer integration among its member countries.

349. holiday

     leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure

     The main reasons for learning a foreign language are for going on
     holiday or are work-related.

350. train

     educate for a future role or function

     The languages of integration

     Many local authorities and national governments provide immigrants with language
     training, familiarisation courses on local society and culture, and help in finding jobs.

351. basic

     reduced to the simplest and most significant form possible

     The tools of multilingualism

     Dictionaries and grammar rules: our
     basic tools for learning languages

     inguistic diversity is a part of everyday life in today’s Euro- pean Union.

352. level

     a relative position or degree of value in a graded group

     Erasmus (named after the 16th century humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam), is a spe- cial programme designed to en- able university-
     level students and

     teachers to spend time at a uni- versity in another EU country.

353. assist

     give help; be of service

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-
     assisted or automatic translation systems.

354. major

     greater in scope or effect

     Major responsibilities

     Translation and interpretation are therefore
     major EU responsibilities.

355. Amos

     a Hebrew shepherd and minor prophet

     The first, Comenius (named after Jan
     Amos Comenius or Komensky, a 17th century educationalist from what is now the Czech Repub- lic), covers primary and second- ary schooling.

356. mutual

     common to or shared by two or more parties

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts,
     mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

357. neighbour

     a person who lives (or is located) near another

     This is because Germany and Austria use the same language, Greece and Cyprus share Greek, and Belgium and Luxembourg have common languages with their French, German and Dutch
     neighbours.

358. Italian

     of or pertaining to or characteristic of Italy or its people or culture or language

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2
     Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

359. key

     metal device that allows a lock’s mechanism to be rotated

     Knowing other languages is the
     key to real mobility in the EU, enabling you to take maximum advantage of job, study and travel opportunities
     
     across the continent.

360. stimulate

     cause to act in a specified manner

     This mobility on the la- bour market helps create new jobs and
     stimulate growth.

361. holder

     a holding device

     For any use or reproduction of individual photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright
     holders.

362. user

     someone who employs or takes advantage of something

     Both tools are meant to assist the
     user in presenting his or her quali- fications, formal or informal, in a standardised way — by language only, or by a complete CV.

363. Malta

     a republic on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg,
     Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

364. teacher

     a person whose occupation is instructing

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language
     teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

365. inter

     place in a grave or tomb

     These include formal meetings with full
     inter— pretation into and out of the EU’s
     
     23 official languages.

366. range

     a variety of different things or activities

     At the other end of the
     range, only 34 % of Irish people and 38 % of Britons claim to know a second language well enough to hold a conversation.

367. accord

     concurrence of opinion

     According to the 2006 Eurobarome- ter survey, 28 % of those polled said they knew two other languages in addition to their mother tongue.

368. passport

     a document allowing a citizen to travel abroad

     Clear information on how good you are

     Two important practical contribu- tions to the promotion of language skills are the Europass Language
     Passport and the Europass CV.

369. amended

     modified for the better

     In 1958 the official languages were decided in Council Regulation No 1, which has been
     amended each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23, focusing attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

370. partner

     a person who is a member of a cooperative relationship

     These pro- grammes have at least one thing in common: they cover cross-border projects involving
     partners from at least two, and often three or more, EU countries.

371. par

     the standard number of golf strokes

     But it has also strengthened the position of German, which is now on a
     par with French.

372. Bulgaria

     a republic in the eastern part of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe

     They included
     Bulgaria, Esto- nia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom.

373. pants

     underpants worn by women

     In others, partici-
     pants may be able to speak a large number of languages but these are only interpreted into two or three of the widely used ones.

374. in common

     sharing equally with another or others

     Being able to speak to one another raises our awareness of what we have
     in common and at the same time increases mutual re- spect for cultural differences.

375. sub

     a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes

     Others in- clude Maghreb Arabic (mainly in France, Spain and Belgium), as well as Urdu, Bengali and Hindi spoken by immigrants from the Indian
     sub— continent in the United Kingdom.

376. framework

     the underlying structure

     Regional and mi- nority languages are more specifi- cally protected by a charter agreed within the
     framework of the Coun- cil of Europe.

377. context

     the set of facts or circumstances that surround a situation

     In this
     context, English is the key language, but the study stresses the growing importance of Chinese, Arabic and Russian.

378. transmission

     communication by means of sent signals

     Most docu- ments are drafted in one of these languages and circulate internally between the departments and services concerned until the final draft is ready for publication or for
     transmission to another institution such as the European Parliament or the Council of Ministers.

379. education

     activities that impart knowledge or skill

     The Finnish
     education system supports the maintenance and development of the mother tongues of immigrants to ensure what it calls functional bilingualism.

380. kingdom

     the domain ruled by a monarch

     However, the survey also shows that in seven EU countries (Hun- gary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Roma- nia, Spain and the United
     Kingdom) between one half and two thirds of the population do not know any foreign languages.

381. keep in

     cause to stay indoors

     This is a way for the people con- cerned to
     keep in touch with their cultural roots while assimilating the language and culture of their new host country.

382. draft

     a current of air

     Most docu- ments are
     drafted in one of these languages and circulate internally between the departments and services concerned until the final
     draft is ready for publication or for transmission to another institution such as the European Parliament or the Council of Ministers.

383. delegation

     a group of representatives

     The European Commission also has
     delegations in other parts of the world.

     22-09-2008

     The European Union

     0 500 km

     0 A ores (P)

     •(

     Rossija

     ….,…..-…..

384. assisted

     having help; often used as a combining form

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-
     assisted or automatic translation systems.

385. specialist

     an expert devoted to one occupation or branch of learning

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and
     specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

386. Netherlands

     a constitutional monarchy in western Europe on the North Sea

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
     Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

387. Cyprus

     an island in the eastern Mediterranean

     This is because Germany and Austria use the same language, Greece and
     Cyprus share Greek, and Belgium and Luxembourg have common languages with their French, German and Dutch neighbours.

388. local

     of or belonging to or characteristic of a particular area

     The languages of integration

     Many
     local authorities and national governments provide immigrants with language training, familiarisation courses on
     local society and culture, and help in finding jobs.

389. cross

     a marking that consists of lines that intersect each other

     Knowing other languages also promotes
     cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

390. function

     what something is used for

     Citizens are involved

     Its law-making
     function and the direct involvement of its citizens explain why the EU uses more lan- guages than multinational bodies like the United Nations or NATO, which operate only at the intergov- ernmental level with no legislative
     function.

391. tune

     a succession of notes forming a distinctive sequence

     Our national histories and cultural herit- age may differ, but our aspirations and hopes for the future are closely in
     tune.

392. mother

     a woman who has given birth to a child

     Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European Parliament can debate issues in their
     mother tongue

     Know your linguistic roots

     The languages of the EU come from a variety of roots.

393. Dawson

     a town in northwestern Canada in the Yukon on the Yukon River; a boom town around 1900 when gold was discovered in the Klondike

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18
     Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

394. directly

     without turning aside from your course

     For any use or reproduction of individual photos, permission must be sought
     directly from the copyright holders.

395. rely on

     put trust in with confidence

     The range of foreign languages spoken by EU citizens is narrow;
     relying on one lingua franca in the form of English, however important, is not enough.

396. Turkish

     of or relating to or characteristic of Turkey or its people or language

     Prominent among these is
     Turkish with sizeable immigrant

     communities in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

397. acquiring

     the act of coming into possession of something

     Adults too should have more op- portunities for
     acquiring and using their language skills.

398. set aside

     give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

     Moreover, class sizes should be relatively small, and enough time needs to be
     set aside in the school curriculum for lan- guage teaching.

399. factor

     anything that contributes causally to a result

     As a result of historic and geopolitical
     factors, Russian is the first or second foreign language spoken in most of these countries.

400. Edinburgh

     the capital of Scotland

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street
     Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

401. everyday

     commonplace and ordinary

     The tools of multilingualism

     Dictionaries and grammar rules: our basic tools for learning languages

     inguistic diversity is a part of
     everyday life in today’s Euro- pean Union.

402. civic

     of or relating or belonging to a city

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of
     civic ori- entation courses.

403. organisation

     an ordered manner

     Printed in Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu ages is a great benefit for individu als ,
     organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

404. Day

     United States writer best known for his autobiographical works (1874-1935)

     Mind your language

     Every year the European
     Day of Languages is marked on 26 September.

405. participate

     be involved in

     The use of all official languages also makes it easier for people to
     participate in public debates and consultations that the EU launches, often online.

406. Irish

     of or relating to or characteristic of Ireland or its people

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21
     Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

407. surprisingly

     in a manner causing wonder or amazement

     Not
     surprisingly, the best lan- guage skills are found in countries that are relatively small or whose language is not well known else- where.

408. Ireland

     an island comprising the republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland

     However, the survey also shows that in seven EU countries (Hun- gary,
     Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Roma- nia, Spain and the United Kingdom) between one half and two thirds of the population do not know any foreign languages.

409. aim

     point or cause to go towards

     These
     aims are complementary, embodying as they do the EU’s motto of ‘United in diversity’.

410. dialect

     the usage or vocabulary characteristic of a group of people

     There are more than
     
     60 of these, although the actual number depends on how you define

     a language (as opposed to a
     dialect, for example).

411. recognised

     provided with a secure reputation

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and
     recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

412. responsibility

     the social force that binds you to a course of action

     Major
     responsibilities

     Translation and interpretation are therefore major EU
     responsibilities.

413. eligible

     qualified for or allowed or worthy of being chosen

     All languages are
     eligible for support under these specific programmes: official languages, regional, minor- ity and migrant languages, and the languages of the EU’s major trading partners.

414. market

     a store where groceries are sold

     This mobility on the la- bour
     market helps create new jobs and stimulate growth.

415. focus

     the concentration of attention or energy on something

     In 1958 the official languages were decided in Council Regulation No 1, which has been amended each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23,
     focusing attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

416. lose

     fail to keep or to maintain

     Languages mean business

     A study undertaken for the Euro- pean Commission shows that EU firms can
     lose business opportun- ities through a lack of language skills.

417. services

     performance of duties or provision of space and equipment helpful to others

     The skills and competence of these
     services are upheld as examples worldwide.

418. example

     an item of information that is typical of a class or group

     In the European Parlia- ment, for
     example, members are free to address the assembly in the language of the people they repre- sent.

419. project

     a planned undertaking

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot
     project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial assistance with living expenses.

420. are

     a unit of surface area equal to 100 square meters

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we
     are.

421. individual

     being or characteristic of a single thing or person

     For any use or reproduction of
     individual photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

422. intermediate

     lying between two extremes in time, space, or state

     Linguapeace Europe developed, tested and disseminated language training and reference ma- terials at
     intermediate and advanced levels, reaching a standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by international and national qualification bodies.

423. Windsor

     the British royal family since 1917

     [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Wales
     
     2 Caspian Point Caspian Way Cardiff CF10 4QQ
     
     Tel. (44-29) 20 89 50 20
     
     Fax (44-29) 20 89 50 35
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Northern Ireland
     
     
     Windsor

424. commitment

     the act of binding yourself to a course of action

     The EU’s
     commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

425. region

     the extended spatial location of something

     Three definitions

     There are three generally accepted categories of regional or minority languages:

     languages that are specific to a
     region which may be within a member state or a cross-border re- gion and which are not a dominant language in any EU country.

426. able

     having the necessary means or skill to do something

     This ensures that individual EU citizens are
     able to use the same language in any contacts with the EU and its institu- tions as they do when dealing with their national authorities at home.

427. dealings

     social or verbal interchange (usually followed by `with’)

     It
     
     does this in several ways:

     it respects our right to speak and write our own language and extends this right to our
     dealings with the EU institutions;
     
     it supports the use of regional and minority languages, irrespec- tive of whether these languages are official EU languages or not;
     
     it actively promotes language learning and multilingualism as a means to individual self-improve- ment for EU citizens and as a vehicle

     for creating jobs and growth across the EU economy.

428. concept

     an abstract or general idea inferred from specific instances

     A second one is better

     The EU’s
     concept of multilingual- ism for individual citizens is very ambitious.

429. united

     being or joined into a single entity

     These aims are complementary, embodying as they do the EU’s motto of ‘
     United in diversity’.

430. area

     the extent of a two-dimensional surface within a boundary

     This prompted the EU to create multi- lingualism as a new policy
     area in
     
     2007.

431. too soon

     before the usual time or the time expected

     It is never
     too soon to start learning another language

     11

     There are national information cen- tres in each country, which give details about how to apply to par- ticipate in these programmes (see ec.europa.eu/ploteus).

432. centre

     an area that is approximately central within some larger region

     The European Parliament, which often needs to produce documents rapidly in all official languages, has developed a system
     centred on three ‘pivotal’ languages: English, French and German.

433. technique

     a practical method or art applied to some particular task

     areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

     encourage people to learn lan- guages at all educational levels and at all ages during their working life;
     
     improve access to language learning resources throughout Europe;
     
     develop and disseminate in- novative teaching
     techniques and good practice;
     
     ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are available to language learners;
     
     raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

434. Celtic

     relating to or characteristic of the Celts

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and
     Celtic.

435. new

     not of long duration

     This mobility on the la- bour market helps create
     new jobs and stimulate growth.

436. council

     a body serving in an administrative capacity

     The decision on this is taken by the EU
     Council of Ministers.

437. Welsh

     a native or resident of Wales

     This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan, Frisian, Sardinian and
     Welsh;
     
     languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
     
     non-territorial languages such as those of the Roma or Jewish communities in the EU (Romani and Yiddish).

438. appoint

     assign a duty, responsibility, or obligation to

     To improve export performance, the study recommends that firms:

     take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
     
     
     appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
     
     recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
     
     hire translators and interpreters.

439. move

     change location

     move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of

440. meeting

     the social act of assembling for some common purpose

     Running a multilingual
     
     European Union

     Busy in the background: interpreters at a formal EU
     meeting

     he reasons why the European
     
     Union uses 23 official languag- es are not hard to find: they are democracy, transparency and the right to know.

441. primary

     of first rank or importance or value

     The majority of Europeans be- lieve that children should start learn- ing foreign languages at
     primary school between the ages of 6 and 12.

442. motto

     a favorite saying of a sect or political group

     These aims are complementary, embodying as they do the EU’s
     motto of ‘United in diversity’.

443. medium

     the surrounding environment

     This is particularly the case for small and
     medium-sized en- terprises (SMEs) that are failing to fully exploit export opportunities in other EU countries.

444. culture

     all the knowledge and values shared by a society

     This is a way for the people con- cerned to keep in touch with their cultural roots while assimilating the language and
     culture of their new host country.

445. dealing

     method or manner of conduct in relation to others

     This ensures that individual EU citizens are able to use the same language in any contacts with the EU and its institu- tions as they do when
     dealing with their national authorities at home.

446. background

     the part of a scene behind objects in the front

     With 500 million citi- zens from diverse ethnic, cultural and linguistic
     backgrounds, it is more important than ever to pro- vide them with the skills to under- stand and communicate with each other.

447. normally

     under normal conditions

     When a new country becomes a member of the EU, the national lan- guage of that country
     normally be- comes an official EU language.

448. number

     a concept of quantity involving zero and units

     In this way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo- ken by a large
     number of people and others using less widely spo- ken ones.

449. claim

     assert or affirm strongly

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics
     claim.

450. ethnic

     distinctive of the ways of living of a group of people

     With 500 million citi- zens from diverse
     ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, it is more important than ever to pro- vide them with the skills to under- stand and communicate with each other.

451. umbrella

     a lightweight handheld collapsible canopy

     EU funds for learning

     Since 2007 the main programmes have been put under the overall
     umbrella of the EU’s lifelong learn- ing programme.

452. step in

     act as a substitute

     ** These four languages were used by the European Coal and Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and was the first
     step in the formation of what
     
     is now the EU.

453. study

     applying the mind to learning and understanding a subject

     Knowing other languages is the key to real mobility in the EU, enabling you to take maximum advantage of job,
     study and travel opportunities
     
     across the continent.

454. cost

     be priced at

     Catalan, Basque and Galician have official language status within Spain which means that certain EU texts are translated from and into these languages at the
     cost of the Spanish government.

455. 3rd

     coming next after the second and just before the fourth in position

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Wales
     
     2 Caspian Point Caspian Way Cardiff CF10 4QQ
     
     Tel. (44-29) 20 89 50 20
     
     Fax (44-29) 20 89 50 35
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Northern Ireland
     
     Windsor House
     
     9/15 Bedford Street
     
     Belfast BT2 7EG
     
     Tel. (44-28) 90 24 07 08
     
     Fax (44-28) 90 24 82 41
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in the United States
     
     2300 M Street, NW –
     3rd

456. democracy

     the orientation of those who favor government by the people

     Running a multilingual
     
     European Union

     Busy in the background: interpreters at a formal EU meeting

     he reasons why the European
     
     Union uses 23 official languag- es are not hard to find: they are
     democracy, transparency and the right to know.

457. consultation

     the act of referring to something to find information

     The use of all official languages also makes it easier for people to participate in public debates and
     consultations that the EU launches, often online.

458. practise

     engage in a rehearsal (of)

     Many people
     practise their language skills while on holiday

     This Sami woman in Lapland speaks a minority language

     espect for linguistic and cul- tural diversity is a hallmark of
     
     the European Union.

459. modest

     marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself

     The EU is convinced that the cost of promoting the use of a second and third language by EU citizens is
     modest compared with the profes- sional and personal opportunities lost — and the negative effects on the EU economy of lost business — due to inadequate language skills.

460. eminence

     high status importance owing to marked superiority

     The arrival of 12 new member states since 2004 has confirmed the pre-
     eminence of English as the emerg- ing lingua franca of the European

     Union.

461. Spain

     a parliamentary monarchy in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula; a former colonial power

     Catalan, Basque and Galician have official language status within
     Spain which means that certain EU texts are translated from and into these languages at the cost of the Spanish government.

462. involved

     connected by participation or association or use

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became
     involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

463. automatic

     operating with minimal human intervention

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or
     automatic translation systems.

464. inadequate

     lacking the requisite qualities or resources to meet a task

     The EU is convinced that the cost of promoting the use of a second and third language by EU citizens is modest compared with the profes- sional and personal opportunities lost — and the negative effects on the EU economy of lost business — due to
     inadequate language skills.

465. Greek

     of or relating to or characteristic of Greece or the Greeks or the Greek language

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7
     Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

466. 190

     being ten more than one hundred eighty

     The United Nations, with more than
     190 members, uses only six languages.

467. authorities

     the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit

     This ensures that individual EU citizens are able to use the same language in any contacts with the EU and its institu- tions as they do when dealing with their national
     authorities at home.

468. adopted

     acquired as your own by free choice

     By the same token, all new legisla- tion
     adopted by the EU is translated into all official languages so that any interested citizens across the Union know immediately what the

     new law is about and how it affects them.

469. passive

     lacking in energy or will

     The idea here is that speakers are free

     to express themselves in their own language, or one they feel comfort- able in, while it is assumed they have enough
     passive knowledge of a major EU language to follow the proceedings in that language.

470. text

     the words of something written

     Catalan, Basque and Galician have official language status within Spain which means that certain EU
     texts are translated from and into these languages at the cost of the Spanish government.

471. pioneer

     one the first colonists or settlers in a new territory

     The fourth programme is Grundtvig, named after N. F. S. Grundtvig, a 19th cen- tury Danish
     pioneer of adult educa- tion.

472. policy

     a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group

     This prompted the EU to create multi- lingualism as a new
     policy area in
     
     2007.

473. enable

     provide the means to perform some task

     Knowing other languages is the key to real mobility in the EU,
     enabling you to take maximum advantage of job, study and travel opportunities
     
     across the continent.

474. perspective

     a way of regarding situations or topics

     This often

     gives a whole new
     perspective on what it is to be European and on what we are creating together.

475. funding

     financial resources provided to make some project possible

     But immigrant communities receive EU
     funding to help them in- tegrate into their new countries of residence through its social and re- gional development programmes.

476. risen

     (of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon

     Between the most recent Eurobarometer survey by the Com- mission in 2006 and the previous one five years earlier, the number of those interviewed claiming to know two languages in addition to their mother tongue had
     risen from
     
     26 to 28 %.

477. developed

     being changed over time, as to be stronger or more complete

     Hungary
     developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial assistance with living expenses.

478. school

     an educational institution

     The majority of Europeans be- lieve that children should start learn- ing foreign languages at primary
     school between the ages of 6 and 12.

479. competitive

     involving rivalry over something

     At the same time, more can be done to develop multilingualism as a tool to help EU firms become more
     competitive and to secure new export markets in Europe and
     
     beyond.

480. dictionary

     a reference book containing an alphabetical list of words

     The tools of multilingualism

     Dictionaries and grammar rules: our basic tools for learning languages

     inguistic diversity is a part of everyday life in today’s Euro- pean Union.

481. other

     not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and
     other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

482. celebrate

     have a festivity

     The European Day of Languages
     celebrates linguis- tic diversity as one of Europe’s strengths, and encourages lifelong language learning in and out of school.

483. territorial

     of or relating to a geographical area

     This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan, Frisian, Sardinian and Welsh;
     
     languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
     
     non-
     territorial languages such as those of the Roma or Jewish communities in the EU (Romani and Yiddish).

484. mission

     an operation that is assigned by a higher headquarters

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian
     missions to hot spots around the world.

485. belong to

     be a part or adjunct

     Most
     belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

486. membership

     the state of being one of the persons in a social group

     The EU has stepped up these ac- tivities as EU
     membership has increased and as the number of of- ficial languages has doubled since
     
     2004.

487. initiative

     readiness to embark on bold new ventures

     Initiatives like the EU’s lifelong learning programme are therefore important complements to what the governments of each country can offer to their citizens and firms.

488. dominant

     most frequent or common

     Three definitions

     There are three generally accepted categories of regional or minority languages:

     languages that are specific to a region which may be within a member state or a cross-border re- gion and which are not a
     dominant language in any EU country.

489. strive

     attempt by employing effort

     They have also
     striven to give citizens and governments quality translation and interpreta- tion, efficiently and economically.

490. economic

     of or relating to production and management of wealth

     The aims here are to promote language learning in the EU, to en- sure citizens have access to the EU in their own language, and to ex- ploit fully the contribution of mul- tilingualism to the
     economic, social, cultural and political development of the European Union.

491. design

     the act of working out the form of something

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who
     design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

492. option

     one of a number of things from which only one can be chosen

     ‘Mother-tongue-plus-two’

     Although most Europeans who learn a second language pick English, followed by German and French, other language
     options may be more appropriate in certain circumstances.

493. also

     in addition

     Knowing other languages
     also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

494. client

     someone who pays for goods or services

     According to the study, up to 11 % of SMEs
     
     — nearly 1 million firms — have lost contracts with potential
     clients in other EU countries because of language barriers.

495. depend on

     be contingent on

     There are more than
     
     60 of these, although the actual number
     depends on how you define

     a language (as opposed to a dialect, for example).

496. 16th

     coming next after the fifteenth in position

     Erasmus (named after the
     16th century humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam), is a spe- cial programme designed to en- able university-level students and

     teachers to spend time at a uni- versity in another EU country.

497. social

     living together or enjoying life in communities

     The aims here are to promote language learning in the EU, to en- sure citizens have access to the EU in their own language, and to ex- ploit fully the contribution of mul- tilingualism to the economic,
     social, cultural and political development of the European Union.

498. debate

     a discussion with reasons for and against some proposal

     Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European Parliament can
     debate issues in their mother tongue

     Know your linguistic roots

     The languages of the EU come from a variety of roots.

499. representative

     serving to typify

     The basic principle is that all citizens and their elected
     representatives have the same right of access to the EU and are able to communicate with its institutions and authorities in their language.

500. 500

     the cardinal number that is the product of one hundred and five

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

501. legal

     established by or founded upon law or official rules

     All language versions of an EU law have the same
     legal value.

502. contribution

     a voluntary gift made to some worthwhile cause

     The aims here are to promote language learning in the EU, to en- sure citizens have access to the EU in their own language, and to ex- ploit fully the
     contribution of mul- tilingualism to the economic, social, cultural and political development of the European Union.

503. greet

     express greetings upon meeting someone

     One of the posters used for this event shows the usual form of
     greeting in 37 languages.

504. grammar

     the branch of linguistics that deals with sentence structure

     The tools of multilingualism

     Dictionaries and
     grammar rules: our basic tools for learning languages

     inguistic diversity is a part of everyday life in today’s Euro- pean Union.

505. in person

     in the flesh; without involving anyone else

     Commission has produced its own information booklets available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

     Information about interpretation and interpreters in the EU can be found at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm

     Information about the EU’s lifelong learning programme and its subprogrammes is available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/ploteus

     Getting in touch with the EU

     ONLINE
     
     Information in all the official languages of the European Union is available
     
     on the Europa website:
     
     europa.eu

     IN PERSON

506. fore

     situated at or toward the front

     EU legislation applies directly throughout the Union and there-
     fore to all its citizens and businesses.

507. need

     require or want

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa
     need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

508. contact

     the act of touching physically

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural
     contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

509. apply

     employ for a particular purpose

     It is never too soon to start learning another language

     11

     There are national information cen- tres in each country, which give details about how to
     apply to par- ticipate in these programmes (see ec.europa.eu/ploteus).

510. photo

     a representation of a person or scene in the form of a print or transparent slide; recorded by a camera on light-sensitive material

     For any use or reproduction of individual
     photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

511. 17th

     coming next after the sixteenth in position

     The first, Comenius (named after Jan Amos Comenius or Komensky, a
     17th century educationalist from what is now the Czech Repub- lic), covers primary and second- ary schooling.

512. tested

     tested and proved to be reliable

     Linguapeace Europe developed,
     tested and disseminated language training and reference ma- terials at intermediate and advanced levels, reaching a standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by international and national qualification bodies.

513. minor

     inferior in number or size or amount

     The notion of regional and
     minor— ity languages does not include dia- lects of any of the official languages or any of the languages spoken by immigrant communities in the European Union.

514. make it

     succeed in a big way; get to the top

     To know another language, or maybe several,
     makes it possible to move and find a job in another country.

515. item

     a distinct part that can be specified separately in a group

     As in any democracy, each citizen has a fundamental right to know why a particular
     item of legislation is being adopted and whether and how it im- pacts on his or her daily life.

516. maximum

     the greatest or most complete or best possible

     Knowing other languages is the key to real mobility in the EU, enabling you to take
     maximum advantage of job, study and travel opportunities
     
     across the continent.

517. communication

     the activity of conveying information

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for
     Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

518. raise

     move upwards

     Being able to speak to one another
     raises our awareness of what we have in common and at the same time increases mutual re- spect for cultural differences.

519. procedure

     a particular course of action intended to achieve a result

     The EU institutions have fine-tuned their
     procedures over the years to handle the rising number of official languages.

520. strategic

     relating to an elaborate and systematic plan of action

     To improve export performance, the study recommends that firms:

     take a
     strategic approach to multilingual communication;
     
     appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
     
     recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
     
     hire translators and interpreters.

521. Leonard

     United States writer of thrillers (born in 1925)

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

522. laboratory

     a workplace for the conduct of scientific research

     Exploiting the applications avail- able on the market and developing their own solutions, the European linguistic services have become an ideal
     laboratory and a worldwide reference tool.

523. Germany

     a republic in central Europe

     Printed in
     Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu ages is a great benefit for individu als , organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

524. respond

     show a reaction to something

     Schools need to
     respond to the challenge by offering as wide a range of languages as possible.

525. funds

     assets in the form of money

     EU
     funds for learning

     Since 2007 the main programmes have been put under the overall umbrella of the EU’s lifelong learn- ing programme.

526. element

     a substance that cannot be separated into simpler substances

     Maltese is close to Arabic, with Italian
     elements.

527. meet

     come together

     Running a multilingual
     
     European Union

     Busy in the background: interpreters at a formal EU
     meeting

     he reasons why the European
     
     Union uses 23 official languag- es are not hard to find: they are democracy, transparency and the right to know.

528. array

     an impressive display or assortment

     This booklet looks in turn at the wide
     array of languages spoken in the EU, the many ways in which Europeans can benefit from learning languages and the EU’s support programmes.

529. total

     the whole amount

     English, Italian and French are each the mother tongue of between 60 and 65 million EU
     
     citizens (12–13 % of the
     total).

530. designed

     done or made or performed with purpose and intent

     The EU programmes are
     designed to complement the national educa- tion policies of member countries.

531. token

     a disk that can be used in designated slot machines

     By the same
     token, all new legisla- tion adopted by the EU is translated into all official languages so that any interested citizens across the Union know immediately what the

     new law is about and how it affects them.

532. notion

     a general inclusive concept

     The
     notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

533. Denmark

     a constitutional monarchy in northern Europe

     This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan, Frisian, Sardinian and Welsh;
     
     languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern
     Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
     
     non-territorial languages such as those of the Roma or Jewish communities in the EU (Romani and Yiddish).

534. each

     (used of count nouns) every one considered individually

     In 1958 the official languages were decided in Council Regulation No 1, which has been amended
     each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23, focusing attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

535. ore

     a mineral that contains metal valuable enough to be mined

     The European Commission also has delegations in other parts of the world.

     22-09-2008

     The European Union

     0 500 km

     0 A
     ores (P)

     •(

     Rossija

     ….,…..-…..

536. click

     a short light metallic sound

     click away on the EU Bookshop website: bookshop.europa.eu

     YOU CAN ALSO OBTAIN INFORMATION AND BOOKLETS IN ENGLISH ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20)

537. ally

     a friendly nation

     But both must be able to work into their main language (usu-
     ally their mother tongue) from at least two other EU languages.

538. technology

     the practical application of science to commerce or industry

     New
     technologies

     Given the unique size and nature of their linguistic services, the EU institutions rely heavily on the help offered by new
     technologies.

539. era

     a period marked by distinctive character

     Eras— mus provides intensive language courses for participants in advance of their stay abroad.

540. maintenance

     activity involved in keeping something in good working order

     The Finnish education system supports the
     maintenance and development of the mother tongues of immigrants to ensure what it calls functional bilingualism.

541. prompt

     according to schedule or without delay

     This
     prompted the EU to create multi- lingualism as a new policy area in
     
     2007.

542. links

     a golf course that is built on sandy ground near a shore

     What the EU programmes do is to create
     links between countries and regions via joint projects which enhance the impact of language teaching and learning.

543. regulation

     the act of bringing to uniformity

     In 1958 the official languages were decided in Council
     Regulation No 1, which has been amended each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23, focusing attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

544. budget

     a summary of intended expenditures

     It identifies language learning and linguistic diversity as general goals and the
     budget for linguistic projects has been increased.

545. accuracy

     the quality of being near to the true value

     For multinational EU missions to be effective, participants need to be able to talk to each other, very often with a high degree of fluency and
     accuracy.

546. Cross

     a representation of the structure on which Jesus was crucified; used as an emblem of Christianity or in heraldry

     Cross-cultural bridges

     The cultural programmes of the European Union also promote lin- guistic and cultural diversity in a number of ways.

547. 19th

     coming next after the eighteenth in position

     The fourth programme is Grundtvig, named after N. F. S. Grundtvig, a
     19th cen- tury Danish pioneer of adult educa- tion.

548. using

     an act that exploits or victimizes someone

     In this way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo- ken by a large number of people and others
     using less widely spo- ken ones.

549. speaking

     capable of or involving speech or speaking

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

550. produce

     bring forth or yield

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and
     produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

551. achieve

     gain with effort

     The challenge for the EU is to make best use of the available resources and to create the supporting poli- cies and programmes needed, in order to
     achieve the kind of multi- lingualism it seeks in the shortest time possible.

552. barrier

     a structure or object that impedes free movement

     According to the study, up to 11 % of SMEs
     
     — nearly 1 million firms — have lost contracts with potential clients in other EU countries because of language
     barriers.

553. wide

     having great extent from one side to the other

     Non-indigenous languages

     A
     wide range of languages from other parts of the world are spoken by immigrant communities in EU countries.

554. every year

     without missing a year

     Mind your language

     Every year the European Day of Languages is marked on 26 September.

555. Italy

     a republic in southern Europe on the Italian Peninsula

     The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern
     Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

556. street

     a thoroughfare that is lined with buildings

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson
     Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva
     Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

557. common

     having no special distinction or quality

     This is because Germany and Austria use the same language, Greece and Cyprus share Greek, and Belgium and Luxembourg have
     common languages with their French, German and Dutch neighbours.

558. help

     give assistance; be of service

     It enhanc es
     
     creativit y , breaks cultur al stereot y pes , enc our ages thinking “ outside the
     
     bo x ”, and c a n
     help dev elop inno v ativ e produc ts and ser vic es .’

559. completed

     successfully completed or brought to an end

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript
     completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

560. northern

     situated in or oriented toward the north

     The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in
     northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

561. seek

     try to locate, discover, or establish the existence of

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not
     seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

562. get in

     to come or go into

     EU’s language portal:
     
     europa.eu/languages/en/home

     The Directorate-General for Translation at the European Commission has produced its own information booklets available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

     Information about interpretation and interpreters in the EU can be found at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm

     Information about the EU’s lifelong learning programme and its subprogrammes is available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/ploteus

     Getting in touch with the EU

     ONLINE
     
     Information in

563. responsible

     worthy of or requiring trust; held accountable

     Each government is
     responsible for its own national education policy, including language teaching.

564. direct

     proceeding without interruption

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and
     direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

565. belong

     be owned by; be in the possession of

     Most
     belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

566. elements

     violent or severe weather

     Maltese is close to Arabic, with Italian
     elements.

567. hire

     engage or hire for work

     To improve export performance, the study recommends that firms:

     take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
     
     appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
     
     recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
     
     
     hire translators and interpreters.

568. lion

     large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male

     The result is 23 languages for 27 countries.

     erman is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union with about 90 mil-
     lion native speakers, or 18 % of the EU population.

569. continue

     keep or maintain in unaltered condition

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it
     continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

570. replace

     put something back where it belongs

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and
     replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

571. work

     activity directed toward making or doing something

     The main reasons for learning a foreign language are for going on holiday or are
     work-related.

572. avail

     be of use to, be useful to

     Exploiting the applications
     avail— able on the market and developing their own solutions, the European linguistic services have become an ideal laboratory and a worldwide reference tool.

573. elected

     subject to popular election

     The basic principle is that all citizens and their
     elected representatives have the same right of access to the EU and are able to communicate with its institutions and authorities in their language.

574. activity

     any specific behavior

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of
     activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

575. reference

     the act of consulting

     Linguapeace Europe developed, tested and disseminated language training and
     reference ma- terials at intermediate and advanced levels, reaching a standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by international and national qualification bodies.

576. 20th

     coming next after the nineteenth in position

     (202) 862 95 00
     
     Fax (202) 429 17 66
     
     Internet: eurunion.org
     
     222 East 41st Street,
     20th floor
     
     New York, NY 10017
     
     Tel.

577. Scotland

     one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; located on the northern part of the island of Great Britain; famous for bagpipes and plaids and kilts

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in
     Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

578. increase

     a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous

     Being able to speak to one another raises our awareness of what we have in common and at the same time
     increases mutual re- spect for cultural differences.

579. development

     a process in which something passes to a different stage

     The aims here are to promote language learning in the EU, to en- sure citizens have access to the EU in their own language, and to ex- ploit fully the contribution of mul- tilingualism to the economic, social, cultural and political
     development of the European Union.

580. Sweden

     a Scandinavian kingdom in the eastern part of the Scandinavian Peninsula

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and
     Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

581. included

     enclosed in the same envelope or package

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which
     included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial assistance with living expenses.

582. greeting

     an acknowledgment or expression of good will

     One of the posters used for this event shows the usual form of
     greeting in 37 languages.

583. write

     name the letters that comprise the accepted form of

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and
     write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

584. importance

     the quality of being significant or worthy of note

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The
     importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

585. relate

     give an account of

     The main reasons for learning a foreign language are for going on holiday or are work-
     related.

586. overall

     involving only main features

     EU funds for learning

     Since 2007 the main programmes have been put under the
     overall umbrella of the EU’s lifelong learn- ing programme.

587. educational

     relating to the process of instruction

     areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

     encourage people to learn lan- guages at all
     educational levels and at all ages during their working life;
     
     improve access to language learning resources throughout Europe;
     
     develop and disseminate in- novative teaching techniques and good practice;
     
     ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are available to language learners;
     
     raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

588. size

     the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)

     This is particularly the case for small and medium-
     sized en- terprises (SMEs) that are failing to fully exploit export opportunities in other EU countries.

589. recommend

     express a good opinion of

     To improve export performance, the study
     recommends that firms:

     take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
     
     appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
     
     recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
     
     hire translators and interpreters.

590. age

     how long something has existed

     Printed in Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu
     ages is a great benefit for individu als , organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

591. oppose

     be against

     There are more than
     
     60 of these, although the actual number depends on how you define

     a language (as
     opposed to a dialect, for example).

592. used

     previously owned by another

     ** These four languages were
     used by the European Coal and Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and was the first step in the formation of what
     
     is now the EU.

593. system

     a group of independent elements comprising a unified whole

     In the German city of Frankfurt-am-Main, a 600-hour language course is preceded by familiarisation with the city and an introduction to German institutions and the national legal
     system.

594. spread

     distribute or disperse widely

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union
     spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

595. make sure

     make a point of doing something

     While recognising the emergence of English as the most widely spo- ken language in Europe, the Union also wants to
     make sure this does not become, over time, a factor lim- iting linguistic diversity within its frontiers.

596. acquire

     come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

     Adults too should have more op- portunities for
     acquiring and using their language skills.

597. Portugal

     a republic in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula

     However, the survey also shows that in seven EU countries (Hun- gary, Ireland, Italy,
     Portugal, Roma- nia, Spain and the United Kingdom) between one half and two thirds of the population do not know any foreign languages.

598. across

     to the opposite side

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread
     across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

599. instance

     an item of information that is typical of a class or group

     In such
     instances, learning the

     Most common foreign languages in the EU
     
     Question: ‘Which languages, other than your mother tongue, do you know well enough to hold a conversation?’

600. manuscript

     the form of a literary work submitted for publication

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

601. margin

     the boundary line or area immediately inside the boundary

     The total cost has risen by a relatively small
     margin despite the arrival of
     
     12 new countries since 2004.

602. launch

     propel with force

     The use of all official languages also makes it easier for people to participate in public debates and consultations that the EU
     launches, often online.

603. Persian

     of or relating to Iran or its people or language or culture

     The latter are provided in Albanian, Arabic, English, French,
     Persian, Russian, Spanish, Somali and Turkish.

604. convince

     make realize the truth or validity of something

     The EU is
     convinced that the cost of promoting the use of a second and third language by EU citizens is modest compared with the profes- sional and personal opportunities lost — and the negative effects on the EU economy of lost business — due to inadequate language skills.

605. print

     the text appearing in a book, newspaper, or other printed publication

     Printed in Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu ages is a great benefit for individu als , organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

606. growth

     changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level

     This mobility on the la- bour market helps create new jobs and stimulate
     growth.

607. follow

     travel behind, go after, or come after

     ‘Mother-tongue-plus-two’

     Although most Europeans who learn a second language pick English,
     followed by German and French, other language options may be more appropriate in certain circumstances.

608. million

     the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500
     million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic pattern.

609. native

     belonging to one by birth

     The result is 23 languages for 27 countries.

     erman is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union with about 90 mil- lion
     native speakers, or 18 % of the EU population.

610. Poland

     a republic in central Europe

     They included Bulgaria, Esto- nia, France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania,
     Poland, Romania, Spain and the United Kingdom.

611. location

     the act of putting something in a certain place

     On any one day, the interpre- tation service of the European Commission and the Council of Ministers has to cover about 60 separate meetings in Brussels or at other EU
     locations.

612. historic

     belonging to the past

     As a result of
     historic and geopolitical factors, Russian is the first or second foreign language spoken in most of these countries.

613. Vienna

     the capital and largest city of Austria

     A language class for immigrants in
     Vienna

     It makes sense to employ native speakers to work in export markets

     U citizens have the right to live and work in other member states besides their home country.

614. personal

     concerning an individual or his or her private life

     Such bilingual skills can also be a
     personal asset and open up career possibilities in several fields.

615. branch

     a division of a stem arising from the main stem of a plant

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main
     branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

616. undertake

     enter upon an activity or enterprise

     Languages mean business

     A study
     undertaken for the Euro- pean Commission shows that EU firms can lose business opportun- ities through a lack of language skills.

617. in public

     in a manner accessible to or observable by the public

     The use of all official languages also makes it easier for people to participate
     in public debates and consultations that the EU launches, often online.

618. spreading

     act of extending over a wider scope or expanse of space or time

     The idea behind the event is to raise public awareness of all the languages spo- ken in Europe and the importance of language learning in
     spreading tolerance and mutual understanding.

619. possible

     capable of happening or existing

     To know another language, or maybe several, makes it
     possible to move and find a job in another country.

620. critic

     a person engaged in the analysis and interpretation of art

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some
     critics claim.

621. population

     the people who inhabit a territory or state

     The result is 23 languages for 27 countries.

     erman is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union with about 90 mil- lion native speakers, or 18 % of the EU
     population.

622. abroad

     to or in a foreign country

     Of those polled, 35 % want to use their language skills on holiday
     abroad.

623. know

     be cognizant or aware of a fact or a piece of information

     To
     know another language, or maybe several, makes it possible to move and find a job in another country.

624. unique

     the single one of its kind

     New technologies

     Given the
     unique size and nature of their linguistic services, the EU institutions rely heavily on the help offered by new technologies.

625. people

     any group of human beings collectively

     In this way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo- ken by a large number of
     people and others using less widely spo- ken ones.

626. most

     quantifier meaning the greatest in number

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European group whose main branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

627. touch

     make physical contact with, come in contact with

     This is a way for the people con- cerned to keep in
     touch with their cultural roots while assimilating the language and culture of their new host country.

628. peoples

     the human beings of a particular nation or community or ethnic group

     Ukralna 1
     
     ,/
     
     I

     El Ojaziir

     Member states of the European Union (2008) Candidate countries

     EN
     
     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     he EU promotes the linguistic and cultural diversity of its
     peoples.

629. 200

     being ten more than one hundred ninety

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1
     200 hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

630. further

     to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

631. second

     coming next after the first in position in space or time

     As a result of historic and geopolitical factors, Russian is the first or
     second foreign language spoken in most of these countries.

632. in advance

     ahead of time; in anticipation

     Eras- mus provides intensive language courses for participants
     in advance of their stay abroad.

633. standard

     a basis for comparison

     Linguapeace Europe developed, tested and disseminated language training and reference ma- terials at intermediate and advanced levels, reaching a
     standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by international and national qualification bodies.

634. identity

     the characteristics by which a thing or person is known

     The EU recognises this right to
     identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

635. result

     something that follows as a consequence

     The
     result is 23 languages for 27 countries.

     erman is the most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union with about 90 mil- lion native speakers, or 18 % of the EU population.

636. vehicle

     a conveyance that transports people or objects

     It
     
     does this in several ways:

     it respects our right to speak and write our own language and extends this right to our dealings with the EU institutions;
     
     it supports the use of regional and minority languages, irrespec- tive of whether these languages are official EU languages or not;
     
     it actively promotes language learning and multilingualism as a means to individual self-improve- ment for EU citizens and as a
     vehicle

     for creating jobs and growth across the EU economy.

637. often

     many times at short intervals

     The latter elements are
     often provided in the immigrants’ own language.

638. show

     make visible or noticeable

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity
     shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

639. fewer

     quantifier meaning a smaller number of

     The EU has
     fewer official languages than member countries.

640. can

     airtight sealed metal container for food or drink, etc.

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You
     can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

641. impact

     the striking of one body against another

     What the EU programmes do is to create links between countries and regions via joint projects which enhance the
     impact of language teaching and learning.

642. commit

     engage in or perform

     Promoting language learning

     he EU is
     committed to sup- porting the rights of its citizens
     
     to personal and professional mobil- ity, and their ability to communicate with each other.

643. failing

     failure to reach a minimum required performance

     This is particularly the case for small and medium-sized en- terprises (SMEs) that are
     failing to fully exploit export opportunities in other EU countries.

644. specially

     in a particular manner

     Learning for life in and out of school

     While teaching should begin early, it only makes sense if teachers are
     specially trained to teach languages to young children.

645. link

     connect, fasten, or put together two or more pieces

     What the EU programmes do is to create
     links between countries and regions via joint projects which enhance the impact of language teaching and learning.

646. negative

     characterized by denial or opposition or resistance

     The EU is convinced that the cost of promoting the use of a second and third language by EU citizens is modest compared with the profes- sional and personal opportunities lost — and the
     negative effects on the EU economy of lost business — due to inadequate language skills.

647. continuing

     remaining in force or being carried on without letup

     Language learning is a life- long activity, starting at school (or even pre-school) and
     continuing through all levels of education and all life stages.

648. sector

     a particular aspect of life or activity

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth
     sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

649. opportunity

     a possibility from a favorable combination of circumstances

     Knowing other languages is the key to real mobility in the EU, enabling you to take maximum advantage of job, study and travel
     opportunities
     
     across the continent.

650. become

     come into existence

     When a new country
     becomes a member of the EU, the national lan- guage of that country normally be- comes an official EU language.

651. ways

     structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired

     Cross-cultural bridges

     The cultural programmes of the European Union also promote lin- guistic and cultural diversity in a number of
     ways.

652. group

     any number of entities (members) considered as a unit

     Most belong to the vast Indo-European
     group whose main branches are Germanic, Romance, Slav and Celtic.

653. have

     possess, either in a concrete or an abstract sense

     All language versions of an EU law
     have the same legal value.

654. complete

     having all necessary qualities

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript
     completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

655. understanding

     the condition of someone who knows and comprehends

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

656. authority

     the power or right to give orders or make decisions

     This ensures that individual EU citizens are able to use the same language in any contacts with the EU and its institu- tions as they do when dealing with their national
     authorities at home.

657. fundamental

     serving as an essential component

     As in any democracy, each citizen has a
     fundamental right to know why a particular item of legislation is being adopted and whether and how it im- pacts on his or her daily life.

658. legislative

     relating to a lawmaking assembly

     Citizens are involved

     Its law-making function and the direct involvement of its citizens explain why the EU uses more lan- guages than multinational bodies like the United Nations or NATO, which operate only at the intergov- ernmental level with no
     legislative function.

659. in turn

     in proper order or sequence

     This booklet looks
     in turn at the wide array of languages spoken in the EU, the many ways in which Europeans can benefit from learning languages and the EU’s support programmes.

660. target

     a reference point to shoot at

     This is why it stresses the

     personal, social and economic ben- efits of multilingualism and why it has set the ambitious
     target of get- ting as many EU citizens as possible to learn two languages in addition to their mother tongue.

661. source

     the place where something begins

     Answers (in %):

     English 38

     German 14

     French 14

     Spanish 6

     Russian 6

     Source: European Commission, Special Eurobarometer survey 243, 2006.

     language of a neighbouring coun- try could be more directly useful.

662. ample

     more than enough in size or scope or capacity

     This limits the need for translators who can work directly from, for ex-
     ample, Maltese to Danish or from Estonian to Portuguese.

663. complaint

     an expression of grievance or resentment

     The same

     holds good for government minis- ters at official EU meetings or citi- zens submitting
     complaints to the European Ombudsman.

664. pattern

     a repeated design, structure, or arrangement

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a vast mosaic
     pattern.

665. practical

     guided by experience and observation rather than theory

     Clear information on how good you are

     Two important
     practical contribu- tions to the promotion of language skills are the Europass Language Passport and the Europass CV.

666. rise

     move upward

     Between the most recent Eurobarometer survey by the Com- mission in 2006 and the previous one five years earlier, the number of those interviewed claiming to know two languages in addition to their mother tongue had
     risen from
     
     26 to 28 %.

667. employ

     put into service

     A language class for immigrants in Vienna

     It makes sense to
     employ native speakers to work in export markets

     U citizens have the right to live and work in other member states besides their home country.

668. spots

     spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot
     spots around the world.

669. arrival

     the act of coming to a certain place

     The
     arrival of 12 new member states since 2004 has confirmed the pre- eminence of English as the emerg- ing lingua franca of the European

     Union.

670. right

     free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth

     The EU recognises this
     right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

671. important

     significant in effect or meaning

     With 500 million citi- zens from diverse ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, it is more
     important than ever to pro- vide them with the skills to under- stand and communicate with each other.

672. pursue

     follow in an effort to capture

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to
     pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

673. appropriate

     suitable for a particular person, place, or situation

     ‘Mother-tongue-plus-two’

     Although most Europeans who learn a second language pick English, followed by German and French, other language options may be more
     appropriate in certain circumstances.

674. formation

     the act of establishing or creating something

     ** These four languages were used by the European Coal and Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and was the first step in the
     formation of what
     
     is now the EU.

675. extend

     stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope

     It
     
     does this in several ways:

     it respects our right to speak and write our own language and
     extends this right to our dealings with the EU institutions;
     
     it supports the use of regional and minority languages, irrespec- tive of whether these languages are official EU languages or not;
     
     it actively promotes language learning and multilingualism as a means to individual self-improve- ment for EU citizens and as a vehicle

     for creating jobs and growth across the EU economy.

676. frontier

     a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

     While recognising the emergence of English as the most widely spo- ken language in Europe, the Union also wants to make sure this does not become, over time, a factor lim- iting linguistic diversity within its
     frontiers.

677. more

     greater in size or amount or extent or degree

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and
     more diverse Union.

678. protected

     kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss

     Regional and mi- nority languages are more specifi- cally
     protected by a charter agreed within the framework of the Coun- cil of Europe.

679. hour

     a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200
     hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75
     hours of civic ori- entation courses.

680. quality

     an essential and distinguishing attribute of something

     They have also striven to give citizens and governments
     quality translation and interpreta- tion, efficiently and economically.

681. phone

     electro-acoustic transducer for converting electric signals into sounds; it is held over or inserted into the ear

     You can find the address of the centre nearest you on this website:
     
     europedirect.europa.eu

     ON THE
     PHONE OR BY MAIL
     
     Europe Direct is a service which answers your questions about the European Union.

682. running

     the act of running; traveling on foot at a fast pace

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

683. Wales

     one of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; during Roman times the region was known as Cambria

     PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in
     Wales

684. load

     weight to be borne or conveyed

     They can either be filled in online or down-
     loaded and completed on paper (europass.cedefop.europa.eu).

685. event

     something that happens at a given place and time

     The idea behind the
     event is to raise public awareness of all the languages spo- ken in Europe and the importance of language learning in spreading tolerance and mutual understanding.

686. estimate

     judge tentatively

     However, English is spoken by an
     estimated 38 % of EU citizens as their first foreign language, putting it well ahead of German and the others as the most widely used language of the European Union.

687. double

     consisting of or involving two parts or components usually in pairs

     The entry of 12 new members be- tween 2004 and 2007 more than
     doubled the number of official

     The current EU
     
     languages became
     
     ‘official languages’ of
     
     the EU in these years

     1953 1973 1981 1986 1995 2004 2007
     
     *Irish: Treaty language since 1973.

688. loaded

     filled with a great quantity

     They can either be filled in online or down-
     loaded and completed on paper (europass.cedefop.europa.eu).

689. price

     the amount of money needed to purchase something

     Mobilising resources

     Running a multilingual EU comes at a
     price.

690. minister

     a person authorized to conduct religious worship

     The decision on this is taken by the EU Council of
     Ministers.

691. reduce

     make smaller

     This common way of describing your knowledge of a language has
     reduced the confusion caused by the numerous levels of com- petence and different expressions used previously.

692. respects

     (often used with `pay’) a formal expression of esteem

     It
     
     does this in several ways:

     it
     respects our right to speak and write our own language and extends this right to our dealings with the EU institutions;
     
     it supports the use of regional and minority languages, irrespec- tive of whether these languages are official EU languages or not;
     
     it actively promotes language learning and multilingualism as a means to individual self-improve- ment for EU citizens and as a vehicle

     for creating jobs and growth across the EU economy.

693. responsible for

     being the agent or cause

     Each government is
     responsible for its own national education policy, including language teaching.

694. start

     take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

     The majority of Europeans be- lieve that children should
     start learn- ing foreign languages at primary school between the ages of 6 and 12.

695. reading

     written material intended to be read

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further
     reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

696. submit

     yield to the control of another

     The same

     holds good for government minis- ters at official EU meetings or citi- zens
     submitting complaints to the European Ombudsman.

697. gate

     a movable barrier in a fence or wall

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s
     Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

698. Austria

     a mountainous republic in central Europe

     This is because Germany and
     Austria use the same language, Greece and Cyprus share Greek, and Belgium and Luxembourg have common languages with their French, German and Dutch neighbours.

699. advance

     move forward

     Eras- mus provides intensive language courses for participants in
     advance of their stay abroad.

700. office

     place of business where professional duties are performed

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
     OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05

701. at work

     on the job

     A total of 32 % learn languages in order to use them
     at work, while
     
     27 % do so to be able to work in an- other country.

702. economy

     the system of production and distribution and consumption

     The EU is convinced that the cost of promoting the use of a second and third language by EU citizens is modest compared with the profes- sional and personal opportunities lost — and the negative effects on the EU
     economy of lost business — due to inadequate language skills.

703. make

     perform or carry out

     To know another language, or maybe several,
     makes it possible to move and find a job in another country.

704. about

     (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations
     about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

705. mainly

     for the most part

     Others in- clude Maghreb Arabic (
     mainly in France, Spain and Belgium), as well as Urdu, Bengali and Hindi spoken by immigrants from the Indian sub- continent in the United Kingdom.

706. one

     smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number

     In this way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo- ken by a large number of people and others using less widely spo- ken
     ones.

707. recognition

     identifying something or someone by remembering

     In general, these non-indigenous languages are not given formal status or
     recognition in EU coun- tries.

708. tie

     fasten or secure with a rope, string, or cord

     This is particularly the case where EU citizens want to move from one country to another to seek out better job opportuni-
     ties.

709. needs

     in such a manner as could not be otherwise

     Moreover, class sizes should be relatively small, and enough time
     needs to be set aside in the school curriculum for lan- guage teaching.

710. trading

     buying or selling securities or commodities

     All languages are eligible for support under these specific programmes: official languages, regional, minor- ity and migrant languages, and the languages of the EU’s major
     trading partners.

711. between

     in the interval

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications
     between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

712. behalf

     as the agent of or on someone’s part

     Elected representatives in the Euro- pean Parliament have equal rights to speak on
     behalf of their voters in their own language.

713. another

     any of various alternatives; some other

     To know
     another language, or maybe several, makes it possible to move and find a job in
     another country.

714. examine

     observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect

     Finally it
     examines what it takes to run a multilingual Union.

715. potential

     existing in possibility

     According to the study, up to 11 % of SMEs
     
     — nearly 1 million firms — have lost contracts with
     potential clients in other EU countries because of language barriers.

716. Jewish

     of or relating to Jews or their culture or religion

     This includes languages such as Basque, Breton, Catalan, Frisian, Sardinian and Welsh;
     
     languages spoken by a minority of the population in one EU country but which are official languages in another: for example, German in southern Denmark, French in the Vallée d’Aoste in northern Italy, and Hungarian in Slovakia;
     
     non-territorial languages such as those of the Roma or
     Jewish communities in the EU (Romani and Yiddish).

717. copyright

     the exclusive right to sell a work

     For any use or reproduction of individual photos, permission must be sought directly from the
     copyright holders.

718. and how

     an expression of emphatic agreement

     By the same token, all new legisla- tion adopted by the EU is translated into all official languages so that any interested citizens across the Union know immediately what the

     new law is about
     and how it affects them.

719. proceedings

     (law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked

     The idea here is that speakers are free

     to express themselves in their own language, or one they feel comfort- able in, while it is assumed they have enough passive knowledge of a major EU language to follow the
     proceedings in that language.

720. government

     the system or form by which a community is ruled

     Catalan, Basque and Galician have official language status within Spain which means that certain EU texts are translated from and into these languages at the cost of the Spanish
     government.

721. knowing

     alert and fully informed

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

722. hours

     an indefinite period of time

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200
     hours of lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75
     hours of civic ori- entation courses.

723. assume

     take to be the case or to be true

     The idea here is that speakers are free

     to express themselves in their own language, or one they feel comfort- able in, while it is
     assumed they have enough passive knowledge of a major EU language to follow the proceedings in that language.

724. grow

     increase in size by natural process

     The study
     
     also stresses the
     growing im-
     
     portance of multilingualism

     for winning business in world markets.

725. increased

     made greater in size or amount or degree

     It identifies language learning and linguistic diversity as general goals and the budget for linguistic projects has been
     increased.

726. prominent

     conspicuous in position or importance

     Prominent among these is Turkish with sizeable immigrant

     communities in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

727. illustration

     a visual representation to make a subject easy to understand

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover
     illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

728. compare

     examine and note the similarities or differences of

     The EU is convinced that the cost of promoting the use of a second and third language by EU citizens is modest
     compared with the profes- sional and personal opportunities lost — and the negative effects on the EU economy of lost business — due to inadequate language skills.

729. limit

     as far as something can go

     This
     limits the need for translators who can work directly from, for ex- ample, Maltese to Danish or from Estonian to Portuguese.

730. throughout

     from first to last

     areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

     encourage people to learn lan- guages at all educational levels and at all ages during their working life;
     
     improve access to language learning resources
     throughout Europe;
     
     develop and disseminate in- novative teaching techniques and good practice;
     
     ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are available to language learners;
     
     raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

731. run

     move fast by using one’s feet

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

732. current

     occurring in or belonging to the present time

     The entry of 12 new members be- tween 2004 and 2007 more than doubled the number of official

     The
     current EU
     
     languages became
     
     ‘official languages’ of
     
     the EU in these years

     1953 1973 1981 1986 1995 2004 2007
     
     *Irish: Treaty language since 1973.

733. recent

     of the immediate past or just previous to the present time

     In fact, the most
     recent survey by the European Commis- sion, published in 2006, shows that five languages dominate as the for- eign languages most widely spoken by EU citizens (see box).

734. Northern

     a dialect of Middle English that developed into Scottish Lallans

     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131) 226 41 05
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Wales
     
     2 Caspian Point Caspian Way Cardiff CF10 4QQ
     
     Tel. (44-29) 20 89 50 20
     
     Fax (44-29) 20 89 50 35
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in
     Northern

735. within

     on the inside

     Catalan, Basque and Galician have official language status
     within Spain which means that certain EU texts are translated from and into these languages at the cost of the Spanish government.

736. other than

     in another and different manner

     In such instances, learning the

     Most common foreign languages in the EU
     
     Question: ‘Which languages,
     other than your mother tongue, do you know well enough to hold a conversation?’

737. official

     of or relating to a place of business

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU
     official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

738. vast

     unusually great in size or amount or extent or scope

     The many languages spoken by the
     
     500 million citizens of the Euro- pean Union spread across the con- tinent in a
     vast mosaic pattern.

739. state

     the way something is with respect to its main attributes

     The arrival of 12 new member
     states since 2004 has confirmed the pre- eminence of English as the emerg- ing lingua franca of the European

     Union.

740. trained

     shaped or conditioned or disciplined by training

     Learning for life in and out of school

     While teaching should begin early, it only makes sense if teachers are specially
     trained to teach languages to young children.

741. unexpected

     not anticipated or planned for

     Leonardo helps keep the peace

     EU peacekeepers in Africa need a common language to sort out operational problems

     The Leonardo da Vinci vocational training pro- gramme became involved in an
     unexpected area of activity when it funded a transnational training programme to improve the language skills of EU peacekeepers sent on military, police or humani- tarian missions to hot spots around the world.

742. address

     the place where a person or organization can be found

     In the European Parlia- ment, for example, members are free to
     address the assembly in the language of the people they repre- sent.

743. candidate

     someone who is considered for something

     Ukralna 1
     
     ,/
     
     I

     El Ojaziir

     Member states of the European Union (2008)
     Candidate countries

     EN
     
     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     he EU promotes the linguistic and cultural diversity of its peoples.

744. joint

     junction by which parts or objects are linked together

     What the EU programmes do is to create links between countries and regions via
     joint projects which enhance the impact of language teaching and learning.

745. same

     same in identity

     This ensures that individual EU citizens are able to use the
     same language in any contacts with the EU and its institu- tions as they do when dealing with their national authorities at home.

746. depend

     be determined by something else

     There are more than
     
     60 of these, although the actual number
     depends on how you define

     a language (as opposed to a dialect, for example).

747. fully

     to the greatest degree or extent; completely or entirely;

     The aims here are to promote language learning in the EU, to en- sure citizens have access to the EU in their own language, and to ex- ploit
     fully the contribution of mul- tilingualism to the economic, social, cultural and political development of the European Union.

748. handle

     touch, lift, or hold

     The EU institutions have fine-tuned their procedures over the years to
     handle the rising number of official languages.

749. mean

     denote or connote

     Catalan, Basque and Galician have official language status within Spain which
     means that certain EU texts are translated from and into these languages at the cost of the Spanish government.

750. particularly

     to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common

     This is
     particularly the case where EU citizens want to move from one country to another to seek out better job opportuni- ties.

751. at the same time

     at the same instant

     Being able to speak to one another raises our awareness of what we have in common and
     at the same time increases mutual re- spect for cultural differences.

752. television

     an electronic device that receives television signals and displays them on a screen

     Care should be taken to promote all languages, in- cluding regional and minority ones, to provide more venues for lan- guage teaching, to make more use of the internet for learning languag- es, and to provide more subtitling on
     television and in the cinema.

753. business

     the principal activity in one’s life to earn money

     Languages mean
     business

     A study undertaken for the Euro- pean Commission shows that EU firms can lose
     business opportun- ities through a lack of language skills.

754. free

     able to act at will

     Printed in Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-
     FREE PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu ages is a great benefit for individu als , organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

755. future

     the time yet to come

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

756. two

     the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one

     ‘Mother-tongue-plus-
     two’

     Although most Europeans who learn a second language pick English, followed by German and French, other language options may be more appropriate in certain circumstances.

757. own

     belonging to or on behalf of a specified person

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our
     own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

758. circumstance

     the set of facts that surround a situation or event

     ‘Mother-tongue-plus-two’

     Although most Europeans who learn a second language pick English, followed by German and French, other language options may be more appropriate in certain
     circumstances.

759. equal

     having the same quantity, value, or measure as another

     Elected representatives in the Euro- pean Parliament have
     equal rights to speak on behalf of their voters in their own language.

760. growing

     relating to or suitable for growth

     The study
     
     also stresses the
     growing im-
     
     portance of multilingualism

     for winning business in world markets.

761. host

     a person who invites guests to a social event

     This is a way for the people con- cerned to keep in touch with their cultural roots while assimilating the language and culture of their new
     host country.

762. platform

     a raised horizontal surface

     Multilingualism itself is an econom- ic growth sector, creating jobs for language teachers, translators and interpreters plus their support staff, as well as for those who design and produce electronic and IT support
     platforms and the programmers and specialists developing compu- ter-assisted or automatic translation systems.

763. name

     a language unit by which a person or thing is known

     Each of these is
     named after a well- known European educator and each is responsible for one area of learning and teaching.

764. entitled

     qualified for by right according to law

     Slovenian members are just as
     entitled as German ones to speak the language of those who voted for them.

765. residence

     any address at which you dwell more than temporarily

     But immigrant communities receive EU funding to help them in- tegrate into their new countries of
     residence through its social and re- gional development programmes.

766. describe

     give a statement representing something

     This common way of
     describing your knowledge of a language has reduced the confusion caused by the numerous levels of com- petence and different expressions used previously.

767. application

     the action of putting something into operation

     Exploiting the
     applications avail- able on the market and developing their own solutions, the European linguistic services have become an ideal laboratory and a worldwide reference tool.

768. union

     the state of being joined or united or linked

     UNION FROM

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva Street Edinburgh EH2 4PH Tel. (44-131) 225 20 58
     
     Fax (44-131)

769. published

     prepared and printed for distribution and sale

     In fact, the most recent survey by the European Commis- sion,
     published in 2006, shows that five languages dominate as the for- eign languages most widely spoken by EU citizens (see box).

770. nearest

     within the shortest distance

     You can find the address of the centre
     nearest you on this website:
     
     europedirect.europa.eu

     ON THE PHONE OR BY MAIL
     
     Europe Direct is a service which answers your questions about the European Union.

771. prepare

     make ready or suitable or equip in advance

     It will continue to do so as the
     
     EU
     prepares to expand further.

772. maintained

     kept in good condition

     Using linguistic shortcuts of this kind makes practical and economic sense — provided standards are
     maintained.

773. characteristic

     typical or distinctive

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not seeking to erase national or regional
     characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

774. exception

     an instance that does not conform to a rule

     The main
     exception is
     
     Basque, spoken on both sides of the Franco-Spanish border, whose roots are still being researched.

775. winning

     succeeding with great difficulty

     The study
     
     also stresses the growing im-
     
     portance of multilingualism

     for
     winning business in world markets.

776. detail

     a small part considered separately from the whole

     It is never too soon to start learning another language

     11

     There are national information cen- tres in each country, which give
     details about how to apply to par- ticipate in these programmes (see ec.europa.eu/ploteus).

777. contents

     a list of divisions and the pages on which they start

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

778. coal

     fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter

     ** These four languages were used by the European
     Coal and Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and was the first step in the formation of what
     
     is now the EU.

779. introduction

     the act of beginning something new

     In the German city of Frankfurt-am-Main, a 600-hour language course is preceded by familiarisation with the city and an
     introduction to German institutions and the national legal system.

780. therefore

     as a result; from that fact or reason

     Major responsibilities

     Translation and interpretation are
     therefore major EU responsibilities.

781. settle

     become resolved, fixed, established, or quiet

     The course is offered in eight languages and taught by local
     settled migrants.

782. Greece

     ancient Greece

     This is because Germany and Austria use the same language,
     Greece and Cyprus share Greek, and Belgium and Luxembourg have common languages with their French, German and Dutch neighbours.

783. lesson

     the significance of a story or event

     One example is from the Flemish city of Ghent in Belgium, where immigrants and recognised refugees are offered an introductory programme including 1 200 hours of
     lessons in Dutch (the language of the Flemish region), plus 75 hours of civic ori- entation courses.

784. in all

     with everything included or counted

     The European Parliament, which often needs to produce documents rapidly
     in all official languages, has developed a system centred on three ‘pivotal’ languages: English, French and German.

785. solution

     a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances

     Exploiting the applications avail- able on the market and developing their own
     solutions, the European linguistic services have become an ideal laboratory and a worldwide reference tool.

786. lost

     confused as to time or place or personal identity

     According to the study, up to 11 % of SMEs
     
     — nearly 1 million firms — have
     lost contracts with potential clients in other EU countries because of language barriers.

787. conversation

     the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas

     At the other end of the range, only 34 % of Irish people and 38 % of Britons claim to know a second language well enough to hold a
     conversation.

788. receive

     get something; come into possession of

     About 63 % of Europeans believe regional and minority lan- guages should
     receive greater support.

789. read

     look at and say out loud something written or printed

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further
     reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

790. remove

     take something away as by lifting, pushing, or taking off

     A Slovak interpreter will plug into one of these as the source language,
     removing the need for people who can interpret straight out of Finnish into Slovak.

791. closer

     (comparative of `near’ or `close’) within a shorter distance

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage, while it continues to pursue its goal of
     closer integration among its member countries.

792. Jan

     the first month of the year

     The first, Comenius (named after
     Jan Amos Comenius or Komensky, a 17th century educationalist from what is now the Czech Repub- lic), covers primary and second- ary schooling.

793. role

     the actions and activities assigned to a person or group

     In 1958 the official languages were decided in Council Regulation No 1, which has been amended each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23, focusing attention on the
     role of languages in the EU as never before.

794. Major

     British statesman who was prime minister from 1990 until 1997 (born in 1943)

     Major responsibilities

     Translation and interpretation are therefore
     major EU responsibilities.

795. obvious

     easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind

     Re- mote interpreting, management of multilingual websites and compu- ter-assisted translation are the most
     obvious examples.

796. reaching

     the act of physically reaching or thrusting out

     Linguapeace Europe developed, tested and disseminated language training and reference ma- terials at intermediate and advanced levels,
     reaching a standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by international and national qualification bodies.

797. professional

     of or relating to or suitable as an occupation

     Promoting language learning

     he EU is committed to sup- porting the rights of its citizens
     
     to personal and
     professional mobil- ity, and their ability to communicate with each other.

798. France

     a republic in western Europe

     The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western
     France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

799. decide

     reach, make, or come to a conclusion about something

     In 1958 the official languages were
     decided in Council Regulation No 1, which has been amended each time new countries joined the EU.

     languages from 11 to 23, focusing attention on the role of languages in the EU as never before.

800. western

     lying toward or situated in the west

     The notion of minority language covers not only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in
     western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

801. permission

     approval to do something

     For any use or reproduction of individual photos,
     permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

802. Jackson

     7th president of the US

     Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 605 79 00
     
     Fax (353-1) 605 79 99
     
     Internet: europarl.ie
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     United Kingdom Office
     
     2 Queen Anne’s Gate
     
     London SW1H 9AA
     
     Tel. (44-20) 72 27 43 00
     
     Fax (44-20) 72 27 43 02
     
     Internet:
     www.europarl.org.uk
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Office in Scotland
     
     The Tun
     
     4
     Jackson’s Entry Holyrood Road Edinburgh EH8 8PJ
     
     Tel. (44-131) 557 78 66
     
     Fax (44-131) 557 49 77
     
     Internet:
     www.europarl.org.uk
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

803. maintain

     keep in a certain state, position, or activity

     Using linguistic shortcuts of this kind makes practical and economic sense — provided standards are
     maintained.

804. public

     not private

     The idea behind the event is to raise
     public awareness of all the languages spo- ken in Europe and the importance of language learning in spreading tolerance and mutual understanding.

805. ideal

     a principle or value that one hopes to attain or conform to

     Exploiting the applications avail- able on the market and developing their own solutions, the European linguistic services have become an
     ideal laboratory and a worldwide reference tool.

806. eight

     the cardinal number that is the sum of seven and one

     More than 90 % of people in
     eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

807. opposed

     being resistant to

     There are more than
     
     60 of these, although the actual number depends on how you define

     a language (as
     opposed to a dialect, for example).

808. previously

     at an earlier time or formerly

     This common way of describing your knowledge of a language has reduced the confusion caused by the numerous levels of com- petence and different expressions used
     previously.

809. expense

     a financial burden; money that must be paid out

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial assistance with living
     expenses.

810. understand

     know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

     Knowing other languages also promotes cross-cultural contacts, mutual

     EU official languages

     23 Bulgarian
     
     22 Romanian
     
     21 Irish*
     
     20 Maltese
     
     19 Czech
     
     18 Slovak
     
     17 Slovene
     
     16 Polish
     
     15 Hungarian
     
     14 Estonian
     
     13 Latvian
     
     12 Lithuanian
     
     11 Finnish
     
     10 Swedish
     
     9 Spanish
     
     8 Portuguese
     
     7 Greek
     
     6 English
     
     5 Danish
     
     4 French**
     
     3 German**
     
     2 Italian**
     
     1 Dutch**

     understanding and direct com- munications between individual citizens in an ever-expanding and more diverse Union.

811. assumed

     adopted in order to deceive

     The idea here is that speakers are free

     to express themselves in their own language, or one they feel comfort- able in, while it is
     assumed they have enough passive knowledge of a major EU language to follow the proceedings in that language.

812. three

     the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

     Three definitions

     There are
     three generally accepted categories of regional or minority languages:

     languages that are specific to a region which may be within a member state or a cross-border re- gion and which are not a dominant language in any EU country.

813. contract

     a binding agreement that is enforceable by law

     According to the study, up to 11 % of SMEs
     
     — nearly 1 million firms — have lost
     contracts with potential clients in other EU countries because of language barriers.

814. possibility

     capability of existing or happening or being true

     Such bilingual skills can also be a personal asset and open up career
     possibilities in several fields.

815. while

     a period of indeterminate length marked by some action

     The EU recognises this right to identity and actively promotes our freedom to speak and write our own lan- guage,
     while it continues to pursue its goal of closer integration among its member countries.

816. Anne

     Queen of England and Scotland and Ireland

     Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 605 79 00
     
     Fax (353-1) 605 79 99
     
     Internet: europarl.ie
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     United Kingdom Office
     
     2 Queen
     Anne’s Gate
     
     London SW1H 9AA
     
     Tel. (44-20) 72 27 43 00
     
     Fax (44-20) 72 27 43 02
     
     Internet:
     www.europarl.org.uk
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Office in Scotland
     
     The Tun
     
     4 Jackson’s Entry Holyrood Road Edinburgh EH8 8PJ
     
     Tel. (44-131) 557 78 66
     
     Fax (44-131) 557 49 77
     
     Internet:
     www.europarl.org.uk
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

817. respect

     regard highly; think much of

     Future challenges

     he EU has a formal responsibil- ity to
     respect the linguistic and cultural diversity of its citizens.

818. heavily

     slowly, as if burdened by much weight

     New technologies

     Given the unique size and nature of their linguistic services, the EU institutions rely
     heavily on the help offered by new technologies.

819. only

     without any others being included or involved

     The notion of minority language covers not
     only lesser-used languages like Sami in Lapland or Breton in western France, but also the use of official EU languages when spoken by a minority in another member country (such as German in northern Italy or Hungarian in Romania and Slovakia).

820. class

     a collection of things sharing a common attribute

     A language
     class for immigrants in Vienna

     It makes sense to employ native speakers to work in export markets

     U citizens have the right to live and work in other member states besides their home country.

821. known

     apprehended with certainty

     Not surprisingly, the best lan- guage skills are found in countries that are relatively small or whose language is not well
     known else- where.

822. proceed

     move ahead; travel onward in time or space

     The idea here is that speakers are free

     to express themselves in their own language, or one they feel comfort- able in, while it is assumed they have enough passive knowledge of a major EU language to follow the
     proceedings in that language.

823. course

     a connected series of events or actions or developments

     The languages of integration

     Many local authorities and national governments provide immigrants with language training, familiarisation
     courses on local society and culture, and help in finding jobs.

824. concern

     something that interests you because it is important

     Most docu- ments are drafted in one of these languages and circulate internally between the departments and services
     concerned until the final draft is ready for publication or for transmission to another institution such as the European Parliament or the Council of Ministers.

825. version

     something a little different from others of the same type

     All language
     versions of an EU law have the same legal value.

826. August

     the month following July and preceding September

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in
     August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

827. give

     transfer possession of something concrete or abstract

     In general, these non-indigenous languages are not
     given formal status or recognition in EU coun- tries.

828. reach

     move forward or upward in order to touch

     Linguapeace Europe developed, tested and disseminated language training and reference ma- terials at intermediate and advanced levels,
     reaching a standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by international and national qualification bodies.

829. basis

     the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the
     basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial assistance with living expenses.

830. idea

     the content of cognition

     About half support the
     idea of mother- tongue-plus-two languages.

831. step

     the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down

     ** These four languages were used by the European Coal and Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and was the first
     step in the formation of what
     
     is now the EU.

832. hold

     have in one’s hands or grip

     At the other end of the range, only 34 % of Irish people and 38 % of Britons claim to know a second language well enough to
     hold a conversation.

833. sense

     the faculty through which the external world is apprehended

     A language class for immigrants in Vienna

     It makes
     sense to employ native speakers to work in export markets

     U citizens have the right to live and work in other member states besides their home country.

834. working

     a mine or quarry that is being or has been worked

     areas of responsibility, each specific programme aims to:

     encourage people to learn lan- guages at all educational levels and at all ages during their
     working life;
     
     improve access to language learning resources throughout Europe;
     
     develop and disseminate in- novative teaching techniques and good practice;
     
     ensure that a sufficiently wide range of learning tools are available to language learners;
     
     raise awareness of the im- por tance of multilingualism as a key economic and social asset of

835. enough

     sufficient for the purpose

     At the other end of the range, only 34 % of Irish people and 38 % of Britons claim to know a second language well
     enough to hold a conversation.

836. protect

     shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage

     Regional and mi- nority languages are more specifi- cally
     protected by a charter agreed within the framework of the Coun- cil of Europe.

837. far

     at or to or from a great distance in space

     Leonard Orban, Member of the European Commission

     Europe on the move

     Contents

     The importance of language 03

     The tongues of Europe 05

     Regional and minority languages 07

     Language and mobility 09

     Promoting language learning 10

     The tools of multilingualism 12

     Running a multilingual European Union 13

     Future challenges 15

     Further reading 15

     he language we speak helps define who we are.

838. good

     having desirable or positive qualities

     Not surprisingly, the
     best lan- guage skills are found in countries that are relatively small or whose language is not well known else- where.

839. special

     adapted to or reserved for a particular purpose

     Catalan, Basque, Galician:
     Special status since 2006.

840. self

     your consciousness of your own identity

     It
     
     does this in several ways:

     it respects our right to speak and write our own language and extends this right to our dealings with the EU institutions;
     
     it supports the use of regional and minority languages, irrespec- tive of whether these languages are official EU languages or not;
     
     it actively promotes language learning and multilingualism as a means to individual
     self-improve- ment for EU citizens and as a vehicle

     for creating jobs and growth across the EU economy.

841. ben

     a mountain or tall hill

     This is why it stresses the

     personal, social and economic
     ben— efits of multilingualism and why it has set the ambitious target of get- ting as many EU citizens as possible to learn two languages in addition to their mother tongue.

842. at least

     not less than

     These pro- grammes have
     at least one thing in common: they cover cross-border projects involving partners from
     at least two, and often three or more, EU countries.

843. confusion

     a mistake that results from taking one thing to be another

     This common way of describing your knowledge of a language has reduced the
     confusion caused by the numerous levels of com- petence and different expressions used previously.

844. treaty

     a written agreement between two states or sovereigns

     The entry of 12 new members be- tween 2004 and 2007 more than doubled the number of official

     The current EU
     
     languages became
     
     ‘official languages’ of
     
     the EU in these years

     1953 1973 1981 1986 1995 2004 2007
     
     *Irish:
     Treaty language since 1973.

845. annual

     occurring every year

     The
     annual cost of translation and interpreta- tion is about 1 % of the EU budget, or a little over € 2 for every citizen.

846. reduced

     made less in size or amount or degree

     This common way of describing your knowledge of a language has
     reduced the confusion caused by the numerous levels of com- petence and different expressions used previously.

847. student

     a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

     Erasmus (named after the 16th century humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam), is a spe- cial programme designed to en- able university-level
     students and

     teachers to spend time at a uni- versity in another EU country.

848. international

     concerning or belonging to two or more countries

     Linguapeace Europe developed, tested and disseminated language training and reference ma- terials at intermediate and advanced levels, reaching a standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by
     international and national qualification bodies.

849. management

     the act of controlling something

     Re- mote interpreting,
     management of multilingual websites and compu- ter-assisted translation are the most obvious examples.

850. related

     connected logically or causally or by shared characteristics

     The main reasons for learning a foreign language are for going on holiday or are work-
     related.

851. way

     how something is done or how it happens

     In this
     way, the EU ensures that there is no discrimination between citizens whose languages are spo- ken by a large number of people and others using less widely spo- ken ones.

852. call

     utter a sudden loud cry

     The Finnish education system supports the maintenance and development of the mother tongues of immigrants to ensure what it
     calls functional bilingualism.

853. century

     a period of 100 years

     The first, Comenius (named after Jan Amos Comenius or Komensky, a 17th
     century educationalist from what is now the Czech Repub- lic), covers primary and second- ary schooling.

854. starting

     appropriate to the beginning or start of an event

     Language learning is a life- long activity,
     starting at school (or even pre-school) and continuing through all levels of education and all life stages.

855. seeking

     the act of searching for something

     The EU’s commitment to safeguard linguistic diversity shows that it is not
     seeking to erase national or regional characteristics and replace them with a ‘European’ uniformity, as some critics claim.

856. pick

     look for and gather

     ‘Mother-tongue-plus-two’

     Although most Europeans who learn a second language
     pick English, followed by German and French, other language options may be more appropriate in certain circumstances.

857. additional

     further or extra

     While learning one for- eign language in addition to your mother tongue is good, learning a second
     additional language is even better.

858. fun

     activities that are enjoyable or amusing

     It is enshrined in the European Charter of
     Fun— damental Rights adopted by EU leaders in 2000.

859. mark

     a distinguishing symbol

     Mind your language

     Every year the European Day of Languages is
     marked on 26 September.

860. word

     a unit of language that native speakers can identify

     Translators work with written texts, and interpreters with the spoken

     word.

861. ability

     the quality of having the means or skills to do something

     Promoting language learning

     he EU is committed to sup- porting the rights of its citizens
     
     to personal and professional mobil- ity, and their
     ability to communicate with each other.

862. all

     to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent

     By the same token,
     all new legisla- tion adopted by the EU is translated into
     all official languages so that any interested citizens across the Union know immediately what the

     new law is about and how it affects them.

863. convinced

     having a strong belief or conviction

     The EU is
     convinced that the cost of promoting the use of a second and third language by EU citizens is modest compared with the profes- sional and personal opportunities lost — and the negative effects on the EU economy of lost business — due to inadequate language skills.

864. explanation

     making something understandable

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear
     explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

865. parts

     the local environment

     Non-indigenous languages

     A wide range of languages from other
     parts of the world are spoken by immigrant communities in EU countries.

866. More

     English statesman who opposed Henry VIII’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon and was imprisoned and beheaded; recalled for his concept of Utopia, the ideal state

     More than 90 % of people in eight EU countries — Latvia,

     Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden — claim to speak a sec- ond language in addition to their mother tongue.

867. origin

     the place where something begins

     In some countries, they are also given support for developing skills in the languages of their countries of
     origin and their children are taught these languages at school.

868. benefit

     something that aids or promotes well-being

     Printed in Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu ages is a great
     benefit for individu als , organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

869. any

     one or some or every or all without specification

     For
     any use or reproduction of individual photos, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders.

870. require

     have need of

     Any such meeting
     requires a team of 69 interpreters.

871. research

     a seeking for knowledge

     The main exception is
     
     Basque, spoken on both sides of the Franco-Spanish border, whose roots are still being
     researched.

872. as well

     in addition

     Linguistic diversity covers not only the 23 official languages of the EU but its regional and minority lan- guages
     as well.

873. variety

     a category of things distinguished by a common quality

     Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European Parliament can debate issues in their mother tongue

     Know your linguistic roots

     The languages of the EU come from a
     variety of roots.

874. committed

     bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a cause or action

     Promoting language learning

     he EU is
     committed to sup- porting the rights of its citizens
     
     to personal and professional mobil- ity, and their ability to communicate with each other.

875. obtain

     come into possession of

     OBTAIN INFORMATION AND BOOKLETS IN ENGLISH ABOUT THE EUROPEAN UNION FROM

     EUROPEAN COMMISSION REPRESENTATIONS

     EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT OFFICES

     Representation in Ireland
     
     18 Dawson Street
     
     Dublin 2
     
     Tel. (353-1) 634 11 11
     
     Fax (353-1) 634 11 12
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/ireland/
     
     E-mail: [email protected]

     Representation in the United Kingdom
     
     8 Storey’s Gate
     
     London SW1P 3AT
     
     Tel. (44-20) 79 73 19 92
     
     Fax (44-20) 79 73 19 00/10
     
     Internet: ec.europa.eu/uk

     Representation in Scotland
     
     9 Alva

876. interview

     the questioning of a person, often conducted by journalists

     Between the most recent Eurobarometer survey by the Com- mission in 2006 and the previous one five years earlier, the number of those
     interviewed claiming to know two languages in addition to their mother tongue had risen from
     
     26 to 28 %.

877. reason

     a logical motive for a belief or action

     Partly for this
     reason, the European Union encourages people to learn two foreign languages if possible.

878. latter

     the second of two or the second mentioned of two

     The
     latter elements are often provided in the immigrants’ own language.

879. outside

     the region that is outside of something

     It enhanc es
     
     creativit y , breaks cultur al stereot y pes , enc our ages thinking “
     outside the
     
     bo x ”, and c a n help dev elop inno v ativ e produc ts and ser vic es .’

880. steel

     an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon

     ** These four languages were used by the European Coal and
     Steel Community, which was founded in 1950 and was the first step in the formation of what
     
     is now the EU.

881. performance

     the act of doing something successfully

     To improve export
     performance, the study recommends that firms:

     take a strategic approach to multilingual communication;
     
     appoint native speakers to work in export markets;
     
     recruit staff with language skills, and develop these skills further;
     
     hire translators and interpreters.

882. assembly

     a group of persons gathered together for a common purpose

     In the European Parlia- ment, for example, members are free to address the
     assembly in the language of the people they repre- sent.

883. why

     the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase `the whys and wherefores’

     Running a multilingual
     
     European Union

     Busy in the background: interpreters at a formal EU meeting

     he reasons
     why the European
     
     Union uses 23 official languag- es are not hard to find: they are democracy, transparency and the right to know.

884. agree

     consent or assent to a condition

     Regional and mi- nority languages are more specifi- cally protected by a charter
     agreed within the framework of the Coun- cil of Europe.

885. assistance

     the activity of contributing to the fulfillment of a need

     Hungary developed its national integration policy on the basis of a six-month pi- lot project called Matra which included 1 200 hours of language teaching for im- migrants, 700 hours of cultural and legal orientation, and financial
     assistance with living expenses.

886. all over

     over the entire area

     has produced its own information booklets available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

     Information about interpretation and interpreters in the EU can be found at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm

     Information about the EU’s lifelong learning programme and its subprogrammes is available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/ploteus

     Getting in touch with the EU

     ONLINE
     
     Information in all the official languages of the European Union is available
     
     on the Europa website:
     
     europa.eu

     IN PERSON
     
     
     All over

887. in order

     in a state of proper readiness or preparation or arrangement

     A total of 32 % learn languages
     in order to use them at work, while
     
     27 % do so to be able to work in an- other country.

888. actual

     existing in act or fact

     There are more than
     
     60 of these, although the
     actual number depends on how you define

     a language (as opposed to a dialect, for example).

889. law

     the collection of rules imposed by authority

     By the same token, all new legisla- tion adopted by the EU is translated into all official languages so that any interested citizens across the Union know immediately what the

     new
     law is about and how it affects them.

890. choose

     pick out from a number of alternatives

     Choose your language: the portal to the EU’s website

     FURTHER READING

     Information about the use of languages in the European Union can be found at the EU’s language portal:
     
     europa.eu/languages/en/home

     The Directorate-General for Translation at the European Commission has produced its own information booklets available at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/translation/index_en.htm

     Information about interpretation and interpreters in the EU can be found at:
     
     ec.europa.eu/dgs/scic/index.htm

     Information about

891. vision

     the ability to see

     The MEDIA pro- gramme funds the dubbing and

     subtitling of European films for showing in cinemas and on tele-
     vision in other EU countries.

892. lack

     the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable

     Languages mean business

     A study undertaken for the Euro- pean Commission shows that EU firms can lose business opportun- ities through a
     lack of language skills.

893. small

     limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude

     Not surprisingly, the best lan- guage skills are found in countries that are relatively
     small or whose language is not well known else- where.

894. general

     applying to all or most members of a category or group

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     European Union

     You can find this booklet and other short, clear explanations about the EU online at ec.europa.eu/publications

     European Commission
     
     Directorate-
     General for Communication
     
     Publications
     
     B-1049 Brussels

     Manuscript completed in August 2008

     Cover illustration: © Shutterstock

     Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the

895. separate

     standing apart; not attached to or supported by anything

     On any one day, the interpre- tation service of the European Commission and the Council of Ministers has to cover about 60
     separate meetings in Brussels or at other EU locations.

896. build

     make by combining materials and parts

     The
     
     ‘Culture’ programme
     builds cross- cultural bridges by supporting the translation of modern authors into other EU languages.

897. paper

     a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses

     Printed in Germany

     PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE
     PAPER

     Europe on the move

     Speaking for Europe
     
     Languages in the European Union

     ‘ The abilit y to c omm unic ate in
     
     sev er al langu ages is a great benefit for individu als , organisations
     
     and c ompanies alik e .

898. well

     in a good or satisfactory manner or to a high standard

     However, English is spoken by an estimated 38 % of EU citizens as their first foreign language, putting it
     well ahead of German and the others as the most widely used language of the European Union.

899. port

     where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country

     Promoting language learning

     he EU is committed to sup-
     porting the rights of its citizens
     
     to personal and professional mobil- ity, and their ability to communicate with each other.

900. test

     standardized procedure for measuring sensitivity or aptitude

     Linguapeace Europe developed,
     tested and disseminated language training and reference ma- terials at intermediate and advanced levels, reaching a standard of linguistic com- petence recognised by international and national qualification bodies.

901. spend

     pass time in a specific way

     Erasmus (named after the 16th century humanist, Erasmus of Rotterdam), is a spe- cial programme designed to en- able university-level students and

     teachers to
     spend time at a uni- versity in another EU country.

902. useful

     having a helpful function

     Answers (in %):

     English 38

     German 14

     French 14

     Spanish 6

     Russian 6

     Source: European Commission, Special Eurobarometer survey 243, 2006.

     language of a neighbouring coun- try could be more directly
     useful.

903. getting

     the act of acquiring something

     Learning the local language is not only the key to
     getting a job in an- other country, it also puts you in touch with local people.

904. eastern

     lying toward or situated in the east

     This is because German is more widely spoken as a foreign language than French in the countries of central and
     eastern Europe.

905. details

     true confidential information

     It is never too soon to start learning another language

     11

     There are national information cen- tres in each country, which give
     details about how to apply to par- ticipate in these programmes (see ec.europa.eu/ploteus).

906. child

     a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age

     The majority of Europeans be- lieve that
     children should start learn- ing foreign languages at primary school between the ages of 6 and 12.

907. moreover

     in addition

     Moreover, class sizes should be relatively small, and enough time needs to be set aside in the school curriculum for lan- guage teaching.

908. closely

     in a close relation or position in time or space

     Our national histories and cultural herit- age may differ, but our aspirations and hopes for the future are
     closely in tune.

909. thanks

     an acknowledgment of appreciation

     Thanks to interpretation, Members of the European Parliament can debate issues in their mother tongue

     Know your linguistic roots

     The languages of the EU come from a variety of roots.

910. partly

     in part; in some degree; not wholly

     Partly for this reason, the European Union encourages people to learn two foreign languages if possible.

911. several

     of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

     To know another language, or maybe
     several, makes it possible to move and find a job in another country.

912. express

     communicate beliefs or opinions

     The idea here is that speakers are free

     to
     express themselves in their own language, or one they feel comfort- able in, while it is assumed they have enough passive knowledge of a major EU language to follow the proceedings in that language.

913. East

     the countries of Asia

     (202) 862 95 00
     
     Fax (202) 429 17 66
     
     Internet: eurunion.org
     
     222
     East 41st Street, 20th floor
     
     New York, NY 10017
     
     Tel.

914. try

     make an effort or attempt

     Answers (in %):

     English 38

     German 14

     French 14

     Spanish 6

     Russian 6

     Source: European Commission, Special Eurobarometer survey 243, 2006.

     language of a neighbouring coun-
     try could be more directly useful.

915. knowledge

     the result of perception, learning, and reasoning

     This common way of describing your
     knowledge of a language has reduced the confusion caused by the numerous levels of com- petence and different expressions used previously.

916. despite

     contemptuous disregard

     The total cost has risen by a relatively small margin
     despite the arrival of
     
     12 new countries since 2004.

917. for one

     as a particular one of several possibilities

     Each of these is named after a well- known European educator and each is responsible
     for one area of learning and teaching.

918. secure

     free from danger or risk

     At the same time, more can be done to develop multilingualism as a tool to help EU firms become more competitive and to
     secure new export markets in Europe and
     
     beyond.

919. written

     set down in writing in any of various ways

     Translators work with
     written texts, and interpreters with the spoken

     word.

920. maybe

     by chance

     To know another language, or
     maybe several, makes it possible to move and find a job in another country.

Created on October 23, 2013