Towards a Language Rich Europe

"The thorny issue of how to deal with languages – national, regional, minority, immigrant and foreign - is one which governments, business and civil society in countries across Europe have been facing for a number of years. Globalisation on the one hand, and the need to retain national and regional identity on the other, both have an impact on language policy and practice. Increased mobility and migration force us to re-think the language requirements of our societies, and many countries have responded by prioritising social inclusion and intercultural dialogue," says Martin Hope, Language Rich Europe Project Director. "Language Rich Europe will address these challenges by creating a sustainable interdisciplinary network of over 1200 decision makers from 20 countries across Europe and by facilitating knowledge sharing and interaction among them through national and international conferences and online discussions. The project will share good practice in language teaching and learning and multilingual services offered, both to enhance social inclusion and to support European companies to stay competitive."