Language Policy of the European Union: Multilingual Traditions and Modern Challenges
The article examines the basic issues of the peculiarities of the European Union’s language policy and the language situation in this largest supranational continental structure today. The origin, development and fundamental principles of the EU language policy are considered. Problems of practical implementation of the EC language policy caused by increasing migrants influx and corresponding drastic changes in linguistic and cultural structure of the European countries’ school learners are also examined in the article. The author also deals with the concept of multilingualism , adopted as EU’s inviolable language foundation as well as the base of its language policy, is increasingly coming into conflict with integrated market policy in transnational scales under global economy. Attention is paid to the fact and nature of changes of requirements to the aims, levels and outcomes of foreign languages learning, related to globalization, and also various enactments carried out by EU and affiliated entities.