In EU level, of course there would be no problem since the EU has a translation body. However, there is a question that will emerge in people’s mind where the officials in EU institutions come from all over the territories of the EU and could not understand each other if they converse in their national languages. Besides there is no common working language. On the other hand, the process of translation sure consuming quite a lot of money compared to using a common language.
The writer has this experience where the writer was on the way to Bangkok from Butterworth in Penang. The writer had encountered a couple from Mauritius where the husband is French while the wife is an Indian Mauritius. They had this problem of language with the train attendant who serves the breakfast for them because passengers are paying for the food served. The attendant gave the couple extra sandwiches and orange juice because she thought that they are paying for the extra sandwiches too but they insist that they just pay for two sets of the meals and not three. So, the couple had asked the writer’s help to interpret to the attendant what they are saying into Thai. The writer finds that the French man who is the husband speaks little English and was reluctant to speak in English. The writer thought that the French man is faking it but it seems that he is not comfortable to speak in English and his Indian Mauritius wife has to be the mediator for the writer and the writer talk with the attendant in Thai. The writer feels a bit weird to see that Europeans are not really learning each other’s language as what is proposed in the EU Language Policy while they are in a Union.
The writer founds that member states are still using their own languages in European Parliament, European Council and the Commission. The policy of multilingualism is also flexible toward member states where member states’ officials could use their national language in the European parliament. The member states do not compromise among each other and they could not accept one common language as the working language for official events for example English, Latin or Esperanto. The discussion about this matter crosses EU institutions’ officials, member states, and European Language Policy (ELP) implementation.
In this matter, the writer thinks whether the EU should just use a hybrid language for example Esperanto of they refuse to accept any of the languages as a working language as to make it more cost effective. In India for example, Urdu had been used by Muslim nations there regardless ethnicity when it comes to their religious speech and it is regarded by the government of India as a language which has no geographical boundary along with Sanskrit.
The first problem in this issue of common language, no one would compromise if it is a language with geographical boundary and according to the state. The second, ELP is about promoting multilingualism and not about a centralized language policy as what had been outlined in the language policy of EU member state for example France. The third problem, member state in EU has two model of integration and it is also spilling over the language policy. France for example is practicing the assimilation model in its immigration policy and citizenship. It is based from their sentiment over patriotism and national spirit. If using a common working language for example English which is the national language of the UK, what would the France think? It had already been portrayed in the current issues published in the newspapers in Europe where France is trying to avoid Anglo-Saxon invasion and it also includes its language and culture.
Language issue could also be a factor of division. As for example, Pakistan was divided into Pakistan and Bangladesh or formerly Eastern Pakistan due to disagreement in national language issue (Upadhyay, 2003). The Bengal nationalists and students insist that Bengali being the medium in their institutions and in the administration bodies in their territory and not dominated by Urdu which is the language of Pakistan. Eastern Pakistan was divided and being a new country known as Bangladesh due to language, culture and nationalism issue. Although this example was a country which is incomparable to the EU as a regional organization but could it also be a dividing factor among member states of the EU in the future?
Perhaps, France would opt out in order to maintain its culture, nationalism spirit, and language which could be seen in their political and sovereignty issue for example, language issue?
