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Multilingualism

4. Expanding the Multilingual Economy

Some 10 million Europeans work in other member states. A society of polyglots – whether foreign or homegrown or a mix of the two – improves opportunities for business and leisure. By creating a more inclusive environment, they attract and facilitate more investment and tourists.

In the global and regional markets of the 21st century, language skills equal business skills. Moreover, research shows that people who speak foreign languages are better at lateral thinking than monolinguists. This is highly desirable in our multi-layered economies and professions, which require problem-solving on a daily basis.

Multilingualism is therefore no longer the preserve of multinational corporations: it is more and more relevant to Small and Medium Enterprises. According to one Commission study from 2007, around 11% of SMEs exporting from the EU may be losing business due to language barriers. As the credit crunch bites, what today is a competitive edge may tomorrow be a question of survival.

In July 2008, the Business Forum for Multilingualism issued recommendations for boosting competitiveness and improving employability. The Forum noted that emerging markets like Brazil, Russia, India and China are becoming more and more important to EU companies. So adequate language skills are key to competing in these regions. One of the Business Forum's main conclusions was to root multilingualism in all other strategies for developing human capital, echoing Commission efforts to mainstream multilingualism.

How best to nurture and make the most of these language skills may not be clear at first sight, especially in SMEs. Therefore, in 2008, the Commission sought to help companies find new and creative ways of using language resources in their multicultural workforces. To this end, it is also encouraging public-private partnerships for language training.

Human Bridges

Translation of documents and interpreting at conferences are crucial to the smooth running of business, services and institutions in the EU. This is all the more the case with 27+ member states. To this end, the 'European Standard for Translation Services' was launched to give European clients not only higher quality but also a clear benchmark.

The Commission is also backing measures to improve access to information in various languages (especially in urban and tourist centres) as well as the training of multilingual mediators. With rising migration between member states – and from third countries – trained interpreters are becoming more and more crucial in various contexts: from giving legal advice to treating the elderly. The set up of Points of Single Contact by late 2009 extends language facilities to both service providers and recipients.

The raft of EU measures in this dossier demonstrates the growing recognition of multilingualism and how vital it is to the health of Europe's social economies. From new media to literary translations, vocational training to cultural exchange, multilingualism is vital to Europe's further development. A global review by the Commission and EU states is planned for 2012.