English influence slipping in Europe?

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Le Baron
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Le Baron » Fri Oct 22, 2021 6:24 pm

I know its status, much like French is 'official' in Senegal, but most people speak Wolof or another language. 1.2% are reported using English as the sole home language in Malta. and here's the perennial greatness of Wikipedia:

A study collecting public opinion on what language was "preferred" discovered that 86 percent of the population express a preference for Maltese, 12 percent for English


I think we can safely say they aren't counted among the 'native speakers of English in Europe'. Also there is a point of law in EU policy which doesn't count a language twice. When the UK was still a member English was counted once as that of the UK and other places like Ireland, which also have it, just falling under that.
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Cainntear » Sat Oct 23, 2021 10:24 am

Le Baron wrote:Also there is a point of law in EU policy which doesn't count a language twice. When the UK was still a member English was counted once as that of the UK and other places like Ireland, which also have it, just falling under that.

So? Were the UK considered the only native-speakers before Brexit and Ireland ignored? No. So why should the minority English-speaking population of Malta be ignored now?
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Le Baron » Sat Oct 23, 2021 1:01 pm

Cainntear wrote:
Le Baron wrote:Also there is a point of law in EU policy which doesn't count a language twice. When the UK was still a member English was counted once as that of the UK and other places like Ireland, which also have it, just falling under that.

So? Were the UK considered the only native-speakers before Brexit and Ireland ignored? No. So why should the minority English-speaking population of Malta be ignored now?

You didn't understand the post or the point of law. Leave it alone.
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Cainntear » Mon Oct 25, 2021 11:06 am

Le Baron wrote:
Cainntear wrote:
Le Baron wrote:Also there is a point of law in EU policy which doesn't count a language twice. When the UK was still a member English was counted once as that of the UK and other places like Ireland, which also have it, just falling under that.

So? Were the UK considered the only native-speakers before Brexit and Ireland ignored? No. So why should the minority English-speaking population of Malta be ignored now?

You didn't understand the post or the point of law. Leave it alone.

You made a slip. It was pointed out. There's no point defending your mistakes as other people not understanding.

No-one was particularly upset by it, but it still warranted having attention drawn to it. Unconscious biases and all that...
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Le Baron » Mon Oct 25, 2021 12:02 pm

Cainntear wrote:You made a slip. It was pointed out. There's no point defending your mistakes as other people not understanding.

No-one was particularly upset by it, but it still warranted having attention drawn to it. Unconscious biases and all that...

Unfortunately for you the 'slip' is yours. You didn't know the fact the EU only registers languages once and English was registered as that of the UK as the member with the largest number of native speakers. This has now defaulted to Ireland. Malta is not a country of native English speakers. The figures and facts were provided for you.

But of course I know you came to thread to sow petty bother. It's why I have you on ignore.
Last edited by Le Baron on Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby tractor » Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:10 pm

AFIK: Neither Ireland nor Malta notified English as an official language because there was no need to do so because the UK did, and if they had done so, they would have lost the opportunity to get Irish and Maltese recognized as official EU languages.
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Le Baron » Mon Oct 25, 2021 6:49 pm

Yes. That's why I said what I said.
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Iversen » Mon Oct 25, 2021 7:04 pm

So if Ireland now is the reason that English still is counted as an official language what happens then to Irish? Can one country be the patron (or whatever it is called) of two offical languages in the EU?
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby tractor » Mon Oct 25, 2021 7:29 pm

Iversen wrote:So if Ireland now is the reason that English still is counted as an official language what happens then to Irish? Can one country be the patron (or whatever it is called) of two offical languages in the EU?

If I've understood it correctly, the Commission has concluded that both English and Irish can remain official EU languages without any legal amendments because they both fulfil the requirements. They were both notified by a member state (even though the UK is no longer a member state) and they are both official languages of at least one member state.
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Re: English influence slipping in Europe?

Postby Cainntear » Mon Oct 25, 2021 9:45 pm

Le Baron wrote:Unfortunately for you the 'slip' is yours. You didn't know the fact the EU only registers languages once and English was registered as that of the UK as the member with the largest number of native speakers. This has now defaulted to Ireland. Malta is not a country of native English speakers. The figures and facts were provided for you.

Again, you said the Irish were the only native speakers of English in the EU. None of what you have since said makes that true. The English-speaking population is small, but exists.

It's why I have you on ignore.

Do you? Doesn't seem to be doing much.
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