Abstract
Collectively Europe’s languages form a crucial part of its cultural heritage but trans-national institutions such as the European Union (EU) are barely able to cope with the challenge. With the accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the European Union in January 2007, the number of official languages in the Union rose from 21 to 23. The official languages of EU countries represent three different language families. it is estimated that as many as 40 million citizens of the Union regularly speak an unofficial language that has been passed down from one generation to the next. More than 60 indigenous regional or minority language groups can be identified within the current boundaries of the EU. And then there is the issue of contested languages, dialects, non-European languages …. This essay queries the level of linguistic human rights enjoyed by speakers of various languages in Europe.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Cultural Diversity, Heritage and Human Rights |
| Editors | Michele Langfeld, William Logan, Máiréad Nic Craith |
| Publisher | Routledge |
| Pages | 45-62 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-0-415-56367-3 |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 2010 |
Keywords
- Linguistic human rights
- Europe
- Heritage
- European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages