Eurobarometer: Europeans welcome multilingualism, but 3 out of 5 speak just one language

“A vast majority of Europeans (86%) believe that everyone should speak at least one foreign language, and almost three out of five (59%) can have a conversation in one”. These are two of the findings of the new Eurobarometer survey on “Europeans and their languages” published by the EU Commission today. To coincide with the World Day for Cultural Diversity, the survey found “growing recognition of the importance of linguistic diversity in enhancing cultural understanding, economic opportunities, and social cohesion within Europe”, a notice states. “With 24 official languages and around 60 regional and minority languages spoken in the European Union, multilingualism is a vibrant example of European cultural diversity”. The Eurobarometer survey shows that citizens have a positive attitude to multilingualism. As mentioned, “86% of respondents consider that everyone should speak at least one other language other than their mother tongue and 69% say more than one language; 76% think that improving language skills should be a policy priority; and 84% believe that regional and minority languages should be protected”.
Valentina Bombelli